Paul Deasy

Deasy hopes to improve the stormwater and wildfire infrastructure of Flagstaff to improve the safety of the city and mitigate the impacts of these events. Since November 2021, Deasy’s government has procured over 14 million dollars to mitigate flooding from the Museum fire scar. He hopes to improve technology within fire departments, and has purchased $3 million worth of fire trucks, and an added $3.5 million for forest thinning. Deasy supports Proposition 441, the Water and Fire Infrastructure Bond [3].

Deasy hopes to improve the response of the government to safety issues. His government launched the C.A.R.E Team(Community Alliance, Response, and Engagement) that responds to 911 calls of substance use and mental health issues with a behavioral health specialist and EMT instead of police. The program also includes a patrol unit that Deasy plans to expand to include a peer mentor and an additional unit [3].

Deasy wants to increase broadband access within Flagstaff because he believes it is important to economic growth and equity. He wants to increase the speed of internet rates and improve service and reduce prices by creating a competitive market. Deay procured over $3.2 million in city funding to expand Flagstaff’s internet network [3]. He wants to develop the broadband network in the Interstate 17 corridor through public-private connections [1].

Deasy opposes the expansion of student housing into larger areas in the city. He hopes that developments will be limited to maintain other areas within the city. Moreover, Deasy wants to limit the amount of vacation rentals within Flagstaff, and opposes Arizona’s limitation on city regulations of vacation rentals. His government has partnered with nonprofits and companies to convert motels into apartments due to low occupancy. Additionally, the government’s city council and mayor partnered to build 50 new homes. Deasy supports Prop 442, which provides homeownership assistance, expands public housing, incentives house developments and conversion of motels to apartments [3].

Deasy hopes to extend rights to the LGBTQ2S+ population in Flagstaff, which he believes is one of the best Arizona cities for this community. He hopes to strengthen civil rights protections for transgender and two-spirit peoples by amending civil rights ordinance to protect individuals of this community from discrimination. Deasy was the first mayor to recognize the two-spirit community as a protected class [3].

Deasy is pro-choice. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, he attended a march to protest against abortion restrictions [4].