Big Idea:
- André Carman is one of the five finalists for the City Council vacancy
- Carman is a local attorney
- He says his vision for Prescott is, "Prescott to be safer, fiscally sound, fun, attractive to business and tourism, and better in every way.”
- Read more...
Five Finalists, including André Carman, are vying for the Council seat vacated by Councilwoman Billie Orr.
We will be providing you with the information from the candidate applications - one per day for the rest of the week.
Although asked, none of the finalists have been convicted or under indictment of any felonies or class 1 misdemeanor offenses, so we did not include their answers on that section. If they added a resumé or note at the end, we have included that, too.
The finalists will be interviewed publicly in a special Council meeting on February 16.
Name: André E. Carman
Employer: Carman Law Firm
If retired, former employer: N/A
Have you been a registered voter in the city of Prescott for at least one year? Yes
How long have you resided in Prescott? Since 2004.
Briefly state your reasons and desire for wanting to serve on the City Council. Please include special interests, abilities, skills or contacts that could benefit the City Council:
I want to serve the community by helping Prescott keep its much-deserved reputation as Everybody’s Hometown while being part of the team to create the vision for Prescott to be safer, fiscally sound, fun, attractive to business and tourism, and better in every way. I have a very diverse legal background that includes real estate, business, tax public entity, and elder law, which will assist me in addressing all of the significant issues the City faces such as water, growth v. no-growth
v. Controlled growth, preserving open space vis-a-vis private property rights, and many more. Lastly, perhaps more than anything, I care about the community and its well-being, and I want to encourage people to participate in the life of the City.
What civic and/or professional organizations are you presently involved with?
Arizona Association for Justice
YMCA Volunteer Basketball Coach
Prescott Chamber of Commerce (member and General Counsel (pro bono))
List your previous experience on a city/town council or advisory group/board/commission/committee in Prescott or elsewhere:
Prescott YMCA
United Christian Youth Camp
Phippen Museum
Prescott Child Development Center
Describe your understanding of the function and purpose of the City Council:
The function and purpose of the City Council is to set the vision and mission for the City staff to execute; oversee City operations from a macro level; appropriate funding for City operations; promulgate ordinances and policies; and appoint City executive leadership. Council members also need to be active in the community by attending dedications, welcoming new businesses to the City, being involved in economic development, and supporting philanthropic and charitable endeavors that advance the City’s vision.
State your understanding of the City Budget and the Budget process:
The Council is required to approve a balanced budget, which is the mechanism by which funding is appropriated for City operations. The Council adopts the budget in a public meeting, which provides transparency to the public. The public meeting follows the City staff’s development of the budget and presentation of a proposed budget to the Council in a workshop.
What is your vision for the City of Prescott over the next 10 years?
* To be a magnet city for educated, ambitious people, which will help drive economic growth.
* To be known as the city with the highest quality of life in the Southwest.
* To have a well-principled water and environmental policies to protect current and future health and prosperity.
* To be a city with a proactive suburban vibrancy that does not compromise its small town sense of community.
* To be a collaborative regional leader for the prosperity and controlled growth of the region.
