Three mayoral candidates talk fire, the future and more

BISBEE, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Bisbee mayoral race is nonpartisan and this year takes place on Tuesday, July 30.

KGUN 9’s Blake Phillips sat down with all three candidates: incumbent Mayor Ken Budge and mayoral candidates Gretchen Bonaduce and Wanda Leikem.

*Editor’s Note: Since these interviews, we have learned that the City of Bisbee will take over the uninsured building at 30 Main Street that burned in the Valentine’s Day Fire.

Outgoing Mayor Ken Budge says he is running for re-election because there is still work to be done.

“I didn’t intend to do it, but a lot of things started happening and I felt like I really needed to bring in some expertise to keep moving forward,” Budge says. “When I realized the new city hall wasn’t going to be built before the end of my term, that was one of the reasons. Then the fire happened.”

Candidate Gretchen Bonaduce says she has a businesswoman’s vision for Bisbee.

“I’m running for mayor of Bisbee because I feel like I can contribute a lot to society. I think my expertise is in being a businesswoman,” Bonaduce said. “I bought two houses that had been on the market for years that nobody wanted, and I turned them into very successful businesses.”

Wanda Leikem is a citizen candidate. She says she is a local resident who simply set her sights on running.

“I really like Bisbee, and there are some things that I see that I would like to be a part of,” Leikem said. “And to be able to see what I could… what benefits I could bring.”

One of the biggest problems Bisbee faced this year was the fire that destroyed two historic Main Street buildings on Valentine’s Day:

Ken Budge on the fire:

“Who better than me to carry out this task? And I understood, without experience, that we had to know what we were going to do with these buildings.”

Gretchen Bonaduce on Fire:

“I think we need to preserve old Bisbee. That’s what attracts tourists here in the first place.”

At the time of this interview, one of the buildings was uninsured, which initially led taxpayers to wonder: Who will foot the bill? But a new bylaw has since been passed that says the city will take over the building and receive money from the owners on a monthly basis until the debt is paid.

Wanda Leikem on fire:

“I don’t know if the city were to make it their own land and not rebuild it, that would be fine, kind of like across the street there’s the little street of street vendors. I think there was a building there, but maybe they should create another space with toilets, because toilets are really necessary for tourists.”

The town of Bisbee has undergone something of a renaissance in the past four years. More businesses, like Bonaduce’s Restaurant, have moved into town. And residents like Leikem have enjoyed seeing their hometown come back from the dead.

“I want to make sure people feel comfortable speaking up and saying, ‘Hey, I’d like to see this,’” Leikem says.

WATCH THE UNEDITED INTERVIEW:

Full interview with Bisbee mayoral candidate Wanda Leikem

“I’m also going to donate my salary to the community, because that’s how I feel. It’s not a huge amount of money that you earn as mayor, but you know that this little bit of money can make a difference for a lot of people,” Bonaduce explains.

WATCH THE UNEDITED INTERVIEW:

Full Interview with Bisbee Mayoral Candidate Gretchen Bonaduce

“I’m going to ask people if they can trust me for two more years, because I’m running on my record,” Budge said. “If they’re unhappy with my record and what I’ve accomplished … we want to be a place for families and a place where people can really have a good life.”

WATCH THE UNEDITED INTERVIEW:

Full Interview with the Candidate: Ken Budge, Outgoing Mayor of Bisbee

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Blake Phillips East a reporter for KGUN 9Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Blake grew up in Sierra Vista. While attending the Missouri School of Journalism, Blake worked for NBC affiliate KOMU-TV in Columbia. He is excited to return to a place he calls home and give back to the community he grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Blake by sending an email [email protected].