By Paul Frommelt
At the January 12th town council meeting, there was a very interesting, and unexpected revelation. Tina McAllister-Smith let her intentions be known, that she intends to step down from the town council in the near future. Really? This had only been her first full regular meeting after being sworn in as a councilwoman in December! She has only been on the town council a few weeks, and is already stepping down?
Her reasons given do elicit some sympathy. Apparently, a “family emergency” has developed, requiring that she, and her husband, Steve Smith, move out of town. It is believed to involve a family health issue of sorts.
So, here are some questions that come to mind. How long has she and Steve known about this? I know personally, that anytime I moved out of town with my family, for any reason, I knew about the action many months in advance. When we left Flagstaff to move to Southern California to care for my mother, it took months just to plan the move, and many more to actually do it. It too, was a ‘family emergency’, as my father had passed away, and my mother was incapable of properly caring for herself. Prior to that, the move to Flagstaff 13 years earlier, involved finding a replacement for my position in management, new employment in Flagstaff, locating a place for my family to live, and much, much more.
A move of this sort, involves many moving parts. There is the sale of a home. There is resigning from jobs, and even leaving positions of authority in local enterprises. There is also the search for a new home, and new employment opportunities. All of these things take time. Making such a decision takes a lot more than the few weeks Tina McAllister Smith has been on the town council.
So another question to consider, is the possibility that they knew of the impending departure, long before she was sworn in. Possibly even before she was elected. If that is proven to be the case, then there may be the legal matter, of running for a position in government, knowing in advance there is no intention of fulfilling the term. That might be taken as a sort of voter disenfranchisement. It’s just a possibility.
Another possibility could be that she was deemed electable, while perhaps another, more desired person from their circle of supporters, was considered a greater risk to get elected. By electing Tina McAllister Smith to the position, and then having her step down shortly afterward, it would allow a sympathetic Town council, to then ‘appoint’ their original best choice. This brings up the memory of the resignation of Richard Croy back in 2018, immediately after the elections that year. Roughly 23 applicants submitted paperwork for the position. By their own admissions, few ever even received the courtesy of a phone call from anyone on the council at that time. That included lame duck, outgoing mayor, Craig Swartwood. Yet, at the December 2018 town council meeting, when the vote was scheduled to take place, Tina’s husband, Steve Smith was there, dressed in suit and tie, to accept the appointment, BEFORE THE VOTE WAS EVEN TAKEN. (Almost like he knew in advance). And he beat out others who were at least as qualified, including a former Arizona State legislator!
This news brings up so many questions. Hopefully, we will receive answers in the coming weeks, as the Smiths plan to be in Payson for at least the next few months. And it could all just be coincidental. We know there are a lot of ‘coincidences’ happening in the news these days.
Regardless of future findings: We wish Tina and Steve Smith success in their new lives, away from Rim Country.
“One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised!
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