Well, on March 13 my life, filled with moments of shift and course changing, did another 180. Having set my sights on continuing to serve the city I call home, I ran for mayor and lost. I congratulate our new Mayor-elect Christian Price. He will need our support and patience. The road ahead will be bumpy and the passengers will get unruly. It is really the only guarantee of the job.
Residents of Maricopa, thank you for the opportunity to serve you. I truly appreciate the faith you placed in me to guide our city as a member of city council. I have served with consistency, integrity, and passion. I never lost sight of the responsibility and the goal of making Maricopa a better place to live than when I took office in 2008. I believe it is.
I will be ending my term in May and I am wholly certain that the work I did and what I gave to Maricopa was pure. Every decision made was done with integrity and without a cloud. I became friends with some of my council colleagues and was respectful to those I disagreed with. I am leaving the city council with my friend and fellow council member Marquisha Griffin, both of us elected in 2008. We did our job and now it is the time for others to take on that responsibility and continue to build and secure the best future possible for this desert town.
New members of council, the job of mayor and council is neither a joke nor a flight of fancy. It shouldn’t be a stepping-stone and it should never be waved around like a badge of honor or political accomplishment. Serving your community is about humility and courage. Doing the right thing and telling people why you are doing it. Changing your mind if it is the right thing to do and never considering a party line or ideology when deciding what is right for the people of Maricopa. It isn’t for individual or special interest. It isn’t for pride or bravado. Being elected is a solemn gift given to you by the sons and daughters of liberty. It is a historic act that deserves reverence and care, making sure the best of whom you are is committed to the task.
City staff, I am so thankful to every single one of you. You have all helped me to be a better representative! You are the true engine that makes Maricopa run. Each one of you deserves our respect and admiration for the effort you put in every day to make Maricopa a great place to live.
There is a song that my son and I sing. It captures exactly how I feel. “This city, is my city, and I love it. Yes I love it!”
Mayor Price and council, if you need help with anything, give me a shout. As always, I will drop what I am doing and I will be there.
With humility and love,
Carl Diedrich
Council Member
City of Maricopa
Nicely done, Carl!
Carl, Good luck with all future endeavors and thank you for you hard work as a councilman and a resident of Maricopa. We may have not seen eye to eye on some things but I was steadfast in always saying you truly do have a love for this city and that you were indeed a nice guy.
I went to high school with Carl many years back. We didn’t know each other well back then but after each of our lives took us into public service at the municipal level, I began following Carl a bit, especially with his run for mayor. I couldn’t be more impressed with this piece I just read. I’ve worked with quite a number of elected officials at many levels of government and Carl has set an example and a standard that will be hard for others to match and that others should strive to emulate.
Mr. Diedrich thank you for your contributions to the community. I am confused by one of your comments in this article. “It shouldn’t be a stepping-stone and it should never be waved around like a badge of honor or political accomplishment.”
Isn’t that what you did in running for Mayor and on your Vote for Carl website?
Thank YOU Carl!
Although I have not always agreed with some of your stances on various issues, I respect the fact that you put your heart and soul into the job and that is all that one should expect.