Rick Miller poses in front of a Nikola truck at the Coolidge manufacturing plant. Via City of Coolidge.
By Jacob Dorsey | Pinal Central
COOLIDGE — During the Coolidge Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Aug. 21, retired City Manager Rick Miller gave a “Decade of Success” presentation covering a lot of the work that he presided over during his tenure as city manager.
When Miller entered the role he and the City Council completed a strategic plan with six major policy statements: having a clean and safe city, expanding the city economy, revitalizing historic downtown, establishing a high-performing city organization, managing growth and creating a more livable city.
Coolidge Municipal Airport, previously Coolidge-Florence Municipal Airport, presented a number of issues for many years prior to Miller’s employment. Coolidge faced serious consequences from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requiring removal of the old underground fuel tanks and replacement with two above-ground fuel tanks that are compliant to EPA rules.
The annexation of the airport was an important development that had been unsuccessfully attempted multiple times until Miller’s out-of-the-box thinking finally pushed it through. The annexation has allowed Coolidge to collect full construction sales tax, revenue from land leases increased 470% and the airport continues to expand. The airport, which used to be a drain on tax dollars, is now closer than ever to breaking even.
“I have known Rick Miller for over 25 years in his various positions of leadership throughout Pinal County. He is a problem solver, and an affable guy who always tries to do the right thing even when it is hard. He will be missed but his legacy of great projects and leadership is deep. Rick is someone we all look up to and so thankful to have gotten the chance to work with him.”
-Jordan Rose, Rose Law Group Founder and President
