On the Ballot: Amanda Hammond for City Council in Page, AZ

Amanda Hammond is a candidate for city council in Page, Arizona. As a GoodParty.org Certified candidate, she has committed to running an independent, people-powered, and anti-corruption campaign for local office.

Hammond shared with GoodParty.org why she believes she is the best candidate to represent her community and address local issues in Page.

“I am running because I think it's really important for our community to have a voice in decision-making,” Hammond said. “I have 22 years of collaborative experience working in government, working with different stakeholders, and I feel like it's time for me to put those skills to work in my home community.”

Hammond is a member of the U.S. National Guard and a veteran of foreign wars, having served overseas in locations including Afghanistan. She is also an active volunteer in her community, as well as the mother of two young children.

As a newcomer to local politics, Hammond said she hopes to bring a fresh perspective to the city council.

“I think our current city government has been doing the best they can under a model that's existed for decades, and it's time to shake things up,” Hammond said. “I think that I represent some new energy and vitality, a willingness to listen to the people who live in our community, and I want to do that in a lot of different ways.”

Hammond said her goals for her time in office include increasing government transparency, encouraging economic development, and revisiting community planning efforts.

“Our community recently went through the loss of a major job provider in the town when a coal-fired power plant was shut down,” Hammond said. “A lot of people left the community because of that. Some folks have transitioned to tourism-based jobs, but there's still a lot of economic challenges that our community is currently facing. I want to address that. I want to work to bring in new jobs that are not just tourism-based, but industrial-based, technology-based, and manufacturing-based to really boost our economy.”

When thinking about community planning, Hammond said she strives to put the needs of residents first.

“Our city has strategic and long-term plans for the growth of the city, but they stray from those plans a lot when decisions come up. I feel we need to be putting the needs of our citizens first and not the needs of outside developers,” Hammond said.

Overall, Hammond said she is excited to find meaningful solutions for the city of Page.

“I really want to project the idea that it's okay to break the mold in politics, especially local politics, and that we need to get down to business, be real people, and look for new, creative solutions to the problems that have been troubling us for a long time,” Hammond said.

Hammond will be on the ballot on November 5, 2024. Check the city of Page’s website for the latest updates and election results.