Every County resident deserves to lead a healthy life.
Every County resident deserves elected leaders with basic knowledge, care, and good judgment to make that possible.
Every County resident deserves elected leaders who avoid conflicts of interest between their elected office and their private business as well as the humility to recuse themselves from votes on issues recognized as potential conflicts.
District 4 Supervisor Clint Hickman has proved he is not that type of leader.
District 4 touches Tonopah, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, Phoenix, Laveen, Goodyear, Whittmann, Buckeye, Avondale, and Arlington.
Community members have repeatedly called on Maricopa County Board of Supervisor Chairman, Clint L. Hickman (District 4) to recuse himself from participation in all local issues affecting County health and environment.
That’s because Supervisor Hickman is also Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Hickman Family Farms, a contraversial, massive egg-laying facility that currently houses more than 4 million laying hens operating within a few hundred feet of Tonopah residences, businesses, and natural hot springs.
Neither Hickman nor the other Supervisors, some of whom have their own conflicts of interest, have listened to community calls for Supervisor separation from their elected position decisions and private business conflicts.
Hickman Family Farms is an Arizona corporation with a history of receiving public complaints involving noxious odors, significant air emissions, large-scale fly swarms, hazardous dead animal spills, rodent infestation, dust, feather and insect proliferation, and escalating noise pollution. It is been the target of Clean Air Act investigations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Videos highlighting the impact and effects of the Hickman operations on the residents of Tonopah can be found at STOPP YouTube channel.
Plans for the Hickman egg operation are to expand to nearly 10 million birds at an industrial-scale compound of 28 laying houses, 2 processing plants and 4 industrial-sized egg production wastewater ponds storing more than 3 million gallons of contaminated liquid open to the environment and the community, threatening air quality, water safety, public health, the local economy and the use, enjoyment, and value of surrounding properties.
By failing to address community concerns as either the Vice President of Hickman Farms or as the elected County Supervisor, Clint Hickman has proven he cannot protect his corporate business concerns and the public good at the same time.
It is clear that Hickman’s lack of leadership is creating a crisis for many Maricopa County residents.
Suzanne Story is running to replace Hickman.
Suzanne will bring the basic knowledge, care, and good judgment back to the decision-making process that puts the needs of County residents and businesses before personal gain – writing a new Story for District 4.
Learn more about Suzanne Story on her website.