The difference between a town and a city lies in their size, population density, level of development, and the complexity of their local government. A town is a human settlement, made up of people and families, generally smaller than a city.
Kingman used to be a town. When the first Wagon Trail formed a circle to protect the pioneers from the wind, the Wagon Master said, “We will stay here until the wind stops.” That day, the town of Kingman began with our first settlers. They stayed because, as you know, the wind has never stopped.
The Wagon Master put his entire focus on the welfare of the people, something that has been lost and blown away in the Kingman of today’s less-than-people-caring political winds.
My name is Elliot Chalew. I am a concerned citizen and a resident of Kingman, Arizona. My wife and I came to Kingman looking for Peace, People, and Principles. A peaceful, safe environment; good community-minded people to share our lives with, who share and govern, driven by the highest ethical principles. I have always believed human concern must be a priority over the material brick and mortar deception of uncontrolled “wildfire” urban density.
For many years, the wind has blown common sense and the voice of the people into the city and county’s collective ear, almost always to be lost in the gusts of greed, control, and power. Control remains in the hands of a few in-crowd profiteers, grifters, and charlatans who ALWAYS focus on the bricks and the mortar profit, ignoring the human perspective. The town once known for benevolence has become a city of self-interest control. The peace belongs to us, the power of the people can never be taken, and our principles WILL shape our city. Kingman belongs to the people, and we are going to take OUR TOWN back.
Considering all factors, we the people have but one choice and one clear avenue to create the reform we need to protect our quality of life. I can hear the pleas and cries of the people in the winds of the future. I can feel the intentional determination and the resolve. Every time you find yourself frustrated by the ever-rising city taxes, water, trash, and electricity, STOP and promise yourself you will be voting out all incumbents in 2026. Every time you sit in traffic congestion or bump along on bad roads, stop and promise your fellow citizens you are going to vote out the potholes. I wanted to say ( first letter of the alphabet ) holes.
Every time you turn on the water faucet in your home, be thankful you still have water, while at the same time, reinforce your determination to not only vote in 2026 but to bring every friend and neighbor with you. If you are not registered, now is the time to get that done, because even our water sustainability is at threat under the current leadership in Kingman.
In the last few years, we have all done a great deal of talking about the evil pitfalls of uncontrolled urban development, but the time to talk is also the time to mobilize. The price and power of our principles will depend entirely on “we the people” as we bring in new city leadership made up of rank-and-file citizens. The people can no longer afford to be nonchalant; we cannot be detached or indifferent, but rather proactive and vocal, drowning out the seductive intoxication of tourism and Special Interest Stakeholders. The euphoric efforts of Economic Development are causing a very harsh hangover; the average citizen is not prepared to endure.
The common Kingman resident is not being represented except by a City Council whose members ALL have a direct or indirect conflict of interest in one fashion or another. They appear to play too many games, sometimes sounding most sincere, but the cost of words is cheap. When YOUR BIG MONEY is on the table, at best, you get a two-faced survey or a con game. Check out the new proposed Kingman Event Center, which will cost every Kingman property owner a new yearly fee of $225.00. At the same time City Council votes in favor of allowing Kingman residents to have a greater variety of backyard poultry, geese, ducks, chickens, and domestic fowl. They admit they do not use any enforcement tool, so this vote won’t directly cost them anything, but I guarantee that when you get a 225 dollar a year bill for their tourist event center, your conclusion will be, “we have enough turkeys in Kingman (leadership) already”.
The war of good against evil is raging in Kingman. The center of man’s fear and the summit of his knowledge are all in the pending.
Respectfully,
Elliot Chalew
CAUSE ( Citizens Against Uncontrolled Social Environment)
Also, go to Elliot Chalew for City Council and chalew@gmail.com