Letter from the new Operations Manager
Greetings Defenders of Democracy,
My name is Jasmine Viehe–pronounced vee, as in victory–and I am honored to join the Coconino Democratic Party as new Operations Manager, replacing Monique Fresquez, who has accepted a new position doing wonderful work in our community.
I already know many of you from my work with the Flagstaff Abortion Alliance and Women’s March Flagstaff that I co-founded with fellow Coconino Democrats, Debra Block and Marilyn Weissman. Together we built a coalition of community partners advocating for reproductive rights and access to abortion services in Flagstaff and across Arizona. Last year while under the 1864 territorial-era abortion ban imposed by then-Attorney General Mark Brnovich, the FAA submitted a citizen petition to the Flagstaff City Council requesting it issue an abortion resolution protecting pregnant people and providers from criminalization. And in March 2023, Resolution No. 2023-12 was adopted by the City of Flagstaff thanks to so many of you local Democrats who have bravely spoken and written letters of support. Recently I’ve been working alongside Susan Shapiro from Indivisible NAZ launching the Arizona for Abortion Access Ballot Initiative Campaign (AAA), which has a Petition Hub located at the Coconino Democrats office.
I moved to Flagstaff with my family in 2016 from tiny, rural Skagway, Alaska where I lived for twelve years working with the Municipality in a variety of community roles. In 2018, I helped launch Base Camp Reentry & Education, a C3 non-profit providing services to people reentering the community after incarceration. Same year I traveled back home to Houston to work with Beto O’Rourke’s Texas Senate race against Ted Cruz. I recently graduated with a bachelor of science degree in Pre Law and Justice Studies at ASU and a minor in Women & Gender Studies. I am most passionate about serving rural communities and advocating for marginalized people and disenfranchised voters in Arizona.
Looking forward to working with you all as we elect Democratic leaders here in Coconino County, throughout Arizona, and across the Country in 2024!
Sincerely,
Jasmine Viehe
Operations Manager, Coconino County Democratic Party
Arizona Daily Sun
Letter to the Editor: Chair of Democratic Party in county praises Harris and her efforts
This week, as Vice President Kamala Harris capped off her “Fight for Our Freedoms” college tour at Northern Arizona University, Arizonans saw once again how her generational leadership is helping deliver transformative results in our state and across the country.
Young Arizonans heard firsthand how the Biden-Harris administration is delivering on the issues they care most about — from climate change and reproductive rights to historic student debt relief and more.
In just two years, the Biden-Harris administration’s leadership secured the largest investment in combating climate change in history — which incentivized companies to invest $200 million in Arizona’s clean energy sector.
In the midst of the gun violence epidemic that continues to plague our nation, the Biden-Harris administration took bold action and worked across the aisle to get the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act signed into law. Vice President Harris is also spearheading the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention as they continue fighting to protect our schools, families and communities.
The historic steps the Biden-Harris administration has taken to fix our broken student loan system will provide over 30,000 Arizonans with student debt relief, bringing the total debt cancellation in Arizona to over $1.8 billion.
In Arizona, jobs are up, unemployment is down and the middle class is being rebuilt. While MAGA Republicans threaten to put all this progress at risk, the VP’s trip to Arizona this week emphasized how critical it is that Arizonans turn out once again to reelect her and Joe Biden in 2024.
LAURA CARTER
Chair, Coconino County Democratic Party
Connecting with Your Elected Officials: Coconino County
We are launching a brief series of short pieces reviewing how you can stay informed about and connected to your government officials. One year out from the 2024 elections, it is crucial that we know who our representatives are and that we let them know our values and our priorities – whether or not they are running for re-election.
We begin this series with Coconino County – the second largest county in the 48 contiguous states by land area, and surely one of the most diverse in landscapes and in cultures. Our county’s size, diversity, and rural nature are why we love living here – but also constitute challenges to communication and connection between government and residents.
Coconino County’s elected leadership is the Board of Supervisors or BoS (www.https://www.coconino.az.gov/104/Board-of-Supervisors ). Each supervisor is elected to represent one of five districts; you can find the (recently revised) district boundaries on this map (https://www.coconino.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/56831/Coconino-County-Supervisor-Districts-2022 ). Each Supervisor’s contact information (and that of their District Directors, who can help you make appointments or provide other assistance) is available through the main Board of Supervisors web page listed above. The Board also functions as the elected oversight Board for our local Flood Control District, Public Health Services District, Jail District, and other special districts. The BoS meets twice per month, on Tuesdays (alternating between 10 am and 6 pm start times). The Board meets in person at the County Building at 219 E Cherry; the public is welcome to attend and to provide public comment at the beginning of each meeting, but meetings are also accessible via live-stream on Zoom. Agendas, board background materials, and Zoom links (plus recordings from prior meetings) are all available at www.https://www.coconino.az.gov/AgendaCenter .
Other elected County officials include:
- County Treasurer (currently our own Sarah Benatar),
- County Recorder (currently Patti Hansen);
- County Sheriff (currently Jim Driscoll);
- Superintendent of Schools (currently Cheryl Mango-Paget);
- and a host of others. See the list at https://www.coconino.az.gov/815/Elected-Offices.
Steve Peru, the County Manager, leads the large number of employees who staff the many County Departments and Divisions, from Elections to Community Development, Public Works to Public Health. Browse the list of departments here: https://coconino.az.gov/27/Your-Government . Most departments make it easy for residents to connect by phone and by on-line comment and question forms; many maintain email newsletters to keep us informed and engaged.
Finally – we, the citizens and residents of Coconino County, also constitute part of our local government. Various Boards, Commissions, and Advisory Councils draw upon the expertise and perspective of residents to carry out numerous important missions for the County. These include the Library Board (managed jointly with the City of Flagstaff), the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Planning and Zoning Commission, among others. Find the list of standing boards and commissions, and apply to be considered for service as a member, at: https://www.coconino.az.gov/90/Boards-Commissions .
Registering Future Voters in High Schools
Individuals who will turn 18 by the general election in November 2024 may register to vote in Arizona.
Arizona for Abortion Access Ballot Initiative
We have the Arizona for Abortion Access (AAA) ballot initiative petition in hand and ready for circulation. If you want to circulate the petition, you must first complete a training. There are Zoom trainings on Tuesday (7PM) in November. Check out Arizona’s List, our calendar & our Mobilize page for all dates.
The Coconino County Dems’ office is your local petition hub.
- You can stop by on Mondays between 11AM-1PM and Fridays from 1PM-3PM to pick up petitions.
- Get your petitions notarized at the office same days, Mondays between 11AM-1PM and Fridays from 1pm-3pm.
- We are looking to add locations and hours to notarize petitions. If you are a notary and able to assist, please email us.
Getting this initiative onto the 2024 ballot will be key to turning out the vote and wining all races from re-electing Biden to flipping our legislature.
Events!
- Coconino County Democrats have volunteered to serve dinner at the Flagstaff Family Food Center Kitchen on the First Thursday of each month. This commitment is from 3PM to 6PM @ their kitchen located at 1903 N. 2nd Street, Flagstaff, AZ. We’re looking for folks to serve meals on December 7th and January 4th. Sign up at Family Food Center.
- The Flagstaff Community Farmer’s Market is over for the 2023 season. We had a great time defending democracy and connecting with our community!
- Our Día de los Muertos celebration on November 1, 2023 with Mayan Winds Coffee Emporium (2144 N Fourth St, Flagstaff, AZ 86004) was a beautiful event with current leaders under the watchful gaze of great leaders from the past.
- Save the date for our Winter Party on December 12, 2023 from 5-7 PM at the Coco Dems office (201 E. Birch Ave, Suite 6). Join our honored guest ADP Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano to raise a glass and some funds for our 2024 election year. Hosted by Chairwoman Laura Carter.
