New governor outlines priorities for Gila River

Betty Beard
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 27, 2006 12:00 AM

GILA RIVER RESERVATION - William Rhodes, the new governor of the Gila River Indian Community, on Thursday called for a smaller tribal government and the need to fix an unspecified "crisis" in the community.

He said his priorities are to improve the community's schools and reduce the high school dropout rate, create a Council of Elders to help elderly people and enable Gila River residents to be screened for health problems.

He also called for more economic development to take advantage of the community's proximity to the Phoenix area.  

Without elaborating on the crisis, he said: "Our challenge is to end the crisis without decimating vital community services, and by next month I will release the details of my plan to do that."

He also called for a government "that is smaller, lives within its means and does more with less."

Chief of staff Greg Mendoza declined comment on the crisis.

Before he left office, former Gila River Gov. Richard Narcia, said the tribal government employment in the past decade had grown from about 500 employees in 17 departments to about 1,390 employees in 83 departments. The Gila community has about 13,000 residents.

Rhodes did not address non-reservation issues, such as the proposed South Mountain Freeway that many Ahwatukee Foothills residents would like to see on the Gila River Reservation.

About 1,400 people attended the two-hour inauguration ceremony, including representatives of most of the Native American communities in the state, U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker and Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman.

Messages of congratulations were broadcast from the White House and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano.

Rhodes, 73, the father of 10 children, was born in Phoenix and served in the Navy. He is a Korean War veteran.

Rhodes worked for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and served as Gila River lieutenant governor and on the Community Council. He has been chief judge for the Gila community since 1999.

Children from St. Peters Indian Mission School on the reservation guided Rhodes and other new leaders in a procession into the ballroom at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort.

"We expected 50 (students) to volunteer and 150 volunteered," said Sister Martha, the principal.

Pastor Fernald Gonzales, 65, a longtime friend, said: "We are all for him. He will be a real good leader because of the experience he had before."

The celebration continued Thursday night with dinner, dancing and fireworks.