by 
Don Jones, Mayor of Mammoth
I tried to run for the position of Pinal County Supervisor. I turned in 71 signatures to the county elections department and asked the person that received these signatures if all forms were in compliance. The person at the election office stated to me and an associate that all forms were good to go and I would be placed on the 2016 ballot. This is why I am not on the ballot: A circulator for me put his box number instead of a physical address. All 18 signatures were rejected because of this. The only way these people will be able to vote for me is to write my name on the primary ballot. Three persons related to Rios filled out a form to have their names taken off my signature list. It seems Nepotism is alive and well to his way of thinking.
Here are some of the reasons I wanted to be placed on the ballot. It was not because I needed another job. I have been Mayor in two different towns and States after my early retirement. I am now the Mayor, PWD, and town Manager for the Town of Mammoth. I have turned the town around with proper management, cutbacks, and with increased taxation and utility rates. The town now has $225,000.00 in the general fund with a reserve of over $25,000.00. All bills both current and past due are paid and a contract to repay HURF funding that was misused by the past council persons is now in place. This was done in approximately 12 months by me with the help of trained professionals. I performed these positions voluntarily with no wages.
The town of Mammoth was two months away from going broke. I asked Rios for help with the police issues we were having at the time. All Rios did was fight against me for police services. I suppose ignorant to the fact that if the town went broke the county would have to pay for all services. Thanks to Sheriff Paul Babeu we were able to keep our police force intact with absolutely no help from Rios. Also, Sheriff Babeu has helped the four towns of Mammoth, Kearny, Hayden, and Winkleman with a police chief while a permanent replacement is found. Again, there was absolutely no help from Rios. I felt that his inability to help our town was my main reason to run for the supervisor seat. I knew I could do a better job. To my way of thinking anyone listing garbage removal in his resume hasn’t accomplished much.
My resume includes 45+ years of business ownership, commercial offshore captain, enrolled member Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, rancher and Viet Nam Veteran. As a retired boat builder with 50 employees I felt more than qualified to run for the position of county supervisor. My resume is why the Town of Mammoth is back on track.
I ask Mr. Rios how many of the listed issues he claims were brought to the table by him and not the Board of Supervisors he is a member of. I called the county and talked to a person about recycling in the town of Mammoth. I talked to a person that stated there was some funding available for that purpose. We made arrangements and a large container was dropped that week. Mr. Rios’ name was never mentioned but two weeks later he stated in an article that he had arranged all of the recycling for the town. Right!
I also ask Mr. Rios what you are doing for increased revenue for small towns along the copper corridor. What are you doing to insure treaty rights are not broken for tribes in the county? What are you doing to bring economic development to the county and the small towns? What help are you to the miners in this area. By voting yes to add a $10K cap to the RTA proposal is not the way to bring economic development to businesses it just puts a load on the dealers and persons purchasing large ticket items in the county and will go to another county where taxes are lower. I feel there is more to the position of supervisor than cutting a ribbon at a new Circle K.
I feel bad for the persons that signed my petition and are not able to vote for a candidate of their choice. If a person does a good job as a Pinal County Supervisor then the votes should come his way. If a person does a poor job and just attends meetings then he would try at all costs to get a more qualified person off the ballot to run unopposed. To the people that are in my support and feel Mr. Rios does a poor job the only option is to write in DON JONES on the primary ballot.
Sincerely,
/s/ Don Jones
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