The Town of Cave Creek’s newly elected Mayor and Town Council took their oaths of office in the Cave Creek Council Chambers.
Seven candidates were elected to serve two-year terms on the Town Council during the July 30 Primary Election.
Incumbents Mayor Robert Morris, Vice Mayor Kathryn Royer, Tom Augherton, Thomas McGuire, and Dusty Rhoades. Town Council Members Cynthia Driskell and Joe Freedman are serving their first term. Carefree-Cave Creek Municipal Court Presiding Judge Tara Parascandola officiated the swearing-in ceremony.
The council members selected Town Council Member Kathryn Royer as vice mayor.
For more information about the Mayor and Town Council Members go to the Town’s website at www.cavecreekaz.gov/770/Meet-the-Town-Council.
As a newly elected councilperson, Mr. Freedman submitted the following as a public service bio:
Born & raised in Detroit, Joe takes great pride in his hometown and still is a passionate supporter of the sports teams he grew up with. While living there, Joe worked on the assembly line at that time in the 2nd largest factory in the world (59,000 employees), Pontiac Motors. When Joe was laid off in the recession at the end of the 1970’s, Joe arrived in Phoenix, Arizona in 1981 and has been in Arizona since (44 years).
Joe and his wife Linda (26 years of marriage) have lived in their home in Cave Creek off Highland/71st Street since 2001, enjoying our rural lifestyle. We raised our son Jacob (21) here who attended Cave Creek schools k-12 and is now a junior at Arizona State University.
Joe is a proud graduate of Arizona State University, where he received a degree in Political Science and played on the Rugby Club. During this time, Joe completed an internship working for a first term US Congressman, John S. McCain. Joe then went on to work on McCain’s re-election campaign staff for his 2nd congressional run and his first run for Senate in 1986. After this, Joe decided to find employment in a capacity to engage his deep passion for sports.
Joe went to work for the professional baseball club that preceded the AZ Diamondbacks, the Phoenix Firebirds (AAA Affiliate of SF Giants), which was probably the most fun he has ever had in any level of employment (see Bull Durham) and transitioned into a long career with a NY based company (PSP Sports Marketing) as their Arizona representative working directly with Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Phoenix Suns, Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona Coyotes. Later in Joe’s career, he worked in Cave Creek for True West Magazine and owner Cave Creek resident, Bob “Boze” Bell. After Joe was eligible for social security, he went to work for 4 years at REI and was their resident expert at fitting hiking shoes and was the go-to expert on rim to rim Grand Canyon hiking preparation.
After leaving REI, Joe took a year off and decided it was now time to pursue his life goal & vision of serving his community by running for Cave Creek Town Council. Joe won a very close race and is now ready to make decisions that will best serve the residents of Cave Creek to keep our businesses and community fiscally sound and our rural lifestyle intact.
Joe’s emphasis is on property rights, zoning integrity, and acquiring the remaining state trust land (over 4000 + acres) in our town for the enjoyment of our current and future residents so it does not end up getting rezoned and developed.
