Newly-elected Yavapai County District 3 Supervisor Nikki Check was sworn in for her four-year term in Prescott on Dec. 16. The first meeting of the new board is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 8.
The sole Democrat on the board, Check will join fellow newcomers Brooks Compton, representing District 1, and Chris Kuknyo, representing District 4. District 2 Supervisor James Gregory and District 5 Supervisor Mary Mallory were both reelected to their seats; Gregory will be serving as the board’s chairman for 2025.
Check defeated Donna Michaels in the Democratic Party primary in 2024 by 78% to 28% when the two were the only members of their party to run for office in Yavapai County. Check moved on to narrowly win the general election against Republican Lori Drake by 12,763 votes to 12,537.
“Increasing public engagement in county processes is a big theme, and there’s a lot of opportunities to do that,” Check said. “The most notable will be beginning in 2025 with the zoning ordinance update; [Development Services has] planned a robust outreach schedule for that. But I look forward to deepening the meaning of that update for our communities.”
“I want to see the board of supervisors suggest that a committee be formed for the [zoning] update,” Check said. “I know that they’re hiring a firm, and they plan to probably take the next three years to do this update. But I think having a committee with appointees from each region will make sure that the firm that takes this on has the right connections to engage the communities. I think the first step is looking at community visions … to make sure that this update is reflective of all of those communities.”
“Numerous sections and aspects of the code haven’t been updated since the 1960s, resulting in language, design standards and regulations that are outdated, inconsistent, vague and out of step with current established practices,” the county’s request for proposals to develop the zoning update stated.
Check said that she anticipated posting a schedule of town hall events for 2025 within the next few weeks.
“Another top priority is figuring out the best way to move forward on water issues for communities, how to start working together again, and hopefully using Yavapai County as a conduit to get those conversations started again,” Check said.
Check’s campaign platform called for reviving the Yavapai County Water Advisory Committee and for ensuring the Verde River remains perennial by prioritizing safeguarding the Upper Verde River, and Check argued that the zoning update is an important means to address water conservation.
Check said that she planned to meet with a member of Pima County’s Conservation Lands and Resources Department on Jan. 9 to learn more about the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan that Pima County adopted in 2001, with a view to using Pima County’s plan as an example for Yavapai County’s conservation efforts.
“I think that’s really important when it comes to the consolidation of the checkerboard land that still exists within Yavapai County and the Arizona State Trust land within Yavapai County, and kind of making a plan for those larger areas, especially in the headwaters of the Verde River and the Big Chino Aquifer,” Check said.
“A third priority for me is getting up to speed and engaging in the Verde Valley Master Transportation Plan,” Check said. “It’s a plan that the Verde Valley Transportation [Planning] Organization is working on alongside [the Northern Arizona Council of Governments] in partnership with other municipalities, including Sedona.”
The VVMTP states that its goal is to address the Verde Valley’s transportation needs over the next 25 to 30 years.
“I think a lot of people don’t know what county supervisors do,” Check said. “I see myself and this office as being an extension of the voice of the people. So to just not hesitate. If people have ideas or they see a problem that needs fixing, to please feel free to reach out so that government continues to work for them.”
Check’s office may be reached at district3@yavapaiaz.gov or (928) 649-6223.
