The Town of Prescott Valley in collaboration with the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce held its first-ever State of the Town inaugural event on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, in the Findlay Toyota Center.
The event started with a Business Expo that highlighted many local businesses from the Prescott Valley and Prescott area. Nearly 400 guests were in attendance to connect with other members of the business community and to learn important town information and plans for the future.
The speakers began with Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO and President, Marnie Uhl who welcomed attendees followed by the Presentation of Colors, the National Anthem sung by Officer April Zicopoulos of the Prescott Valley Police Department, and the Invocation by Chaplain Jerry Ferguson of the Prescott Valley Police Department.
Marnie Uhl reviewed achievements of the chamber throughout the year, highlighting significant moments in anticipation of the upcoming 50th-anniversary celebration. Rodney Jenkins, the Chairman of the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce Board, also shared his remarks on the occasion. Prescott Valley Mayor Kell Palguta delivered his State of the Town Address. The Mayor gave us a glimpse into the 4 main goals of the Vision 2024 Plan, “It’s about protecting our water and open space, ensuring a high quality of life for our citizens and businesses, and attracting high-wage jobs and providing for the long-term financial security of the community,” he said.
The Mayor also unveiled his plan for growing Prescott Valley’s tourism industry revealing that the Town’s new tourism website ExporePVAZ.com went live yesterday on January 30th. “Growing a tourism industry is one way that we can support our local businesses and generate new revenue to help support our community’s needs.”
Lastly, Mayor Palguta noted the growing need for attainable housing options in our region stating, “As we add jobs, we must also be mindful of our housing needs. High housing costs greatly impact those who live in our community. We need to make sure that our teachers, our store clerks, medical support staff, and first responders can all be a part of Our PV.”
In speaking with the CEO of Fain Signature Group, a leading community builder and supporter of the Chamber, Brad Fain notes this community-wide challenge, “This was a strong first inaugural State of the Town, showing leadership’s commitment to improving all aspects of our community. We agree on the need for attainable housing. Prescott Valley needs more dwelling units to meet our existing housing shortage and decrease climbing housing prices. The Arizona Department of Housing reports the state is still short 270,000 housing units. We as a community can come together to make housing more affordable for our region.”
Following the event, Talking Glass Media hosted post-event interviews with attendees, and the recording will be uploaded shortly.
