Co-authored by Casey Olbermann, Mya Dollin & Krista Dailey

Mayor Dusty Escapule has had his fair share of controversy throughout the past couple of months, but no one said the job would be easy. Previous mayors are proof of that.

Steve Troncale, a councilman from Ward 1 who has lived in Tombstone since 2005 and has been a tourist for more than a decade, said there has always been conflict in the town.

“I have worked in the business world before,” Troncale said. “But government is a totally different ball game.”

Andree DeJournett, who took office as mayor in 2004, said elections in Tombstone are especially difficult in a town of roughly 1,600 people.

“It’s a tough little down,” DeJournett said. “Even when you’re out of office you don’t want to get involved with a whole lot of mischief because you got to live with everybody here.”

Throughout his two-year term as mayor, DeJournett devoted most of his energy and time promoting tourism and working on the town’s landmark status.

DeJournett, who had no previous political experience before taking office, said some of the biggest obstacles that come with the job are the things everyday residents do not see.

“Pleasing the people with ease is never easy,” he said. “Once you get in office, you’re limited to a budget, funding…(and) city land.”

Flashback to 1978 when Gene Harper became mayor of Tombstone and the problems he faced were not all that different from the mayors that came after his services.

Harper, who served two terms as mayor – one in 1978 and another in 1996 – faced harsh feedback from residents when he proposed a building restoration ordinance in 1979.

At the time, Harper explained that it was not his job to represent the 31 business people who signed a petition opposing his ordinance but to represent the community as a whole.

Things got so tense that in a city council meeting in December 1979, he told those present that he vowed to resign unless he received a vote of confidence.

But Harper never did resign. Despite all the obstacles he faced during his first term, the people elected him as mayor once again in 1996.

When he took action that same year to reroute a section of sewer and water lines beneath the surface of Toughnut Street, many residents voiced their disagreement with his decision.

He said many residents, especially business owners, feared the $40,000 project to fix the street would hurt the city’s tourist appeal.

“It was tough,” Harper said. “At the time people were angry with me, but when all was said and done I think most understood why I did what I did, and realized it bettered the town.”

Even today, infrastructure remains a top concern for the town’s government. Troncale said there is no better man for the job besides the current mayor.

“This is a very old town with a lot of infrastructure issues,” Troncale said. “Dusty knows every pipeline, mine shaft and tunnel.”

“I think Gene Harper did an outstanding job as mayor,” Escapule said. “He faced similar problems I’m facing now.”

Escapule, who also served asthe town’s mayor from 20002004, said he decided to run again in 2008 after the encouragement and support from residents.

He said while the news media has been critical of his job as mayor he can’t afford to base his decisions on them.

“I have day to day obligations to the community that I take care of,” he said. “We have other issues in town we need to address that keep the town going.”

DeJournett said the decisions made as mayor are all about what is best for the town and sticking to what is right.

Despite government criticisms, Troncale said the No. 1 thing people in Tombstone need to have is a clear vision.

“Many people here see the town in black and white,” Troncale said. “The mayor and council have a whiter vision for Tombstone.”

Escapule is a native of Tombstone and his family has lived there for three generations.

He said his vision includes helping the town survive during these tough economic times, preserving the town’s historic feel and boosting the town’s sales tax revenue which has actually increased since the last fiscal year.

Because tourism is Tombstone’s only industry, this “whiter vision” involves a firm focus on attracting tourists, Troncale said.

Troncale said former mayor DeJournett and his wife, Shirley, possess that vision. The opening of the Good Enough Mine was part of their plan to expand tourism, which is something he focused on while mayor.

Although Escapule has tough critics, the majority elected him. Troncale described him as an “extremely proactive person, who is an adept and multi-faceted manager.”

Today, solicitation ordinances and street closures are the fuel to the town’s fire. But controversial issues are not new to the town.

“Until you are mayor in office, you don’t know what it’s like,” DeJournett said. “You do (the job) because you want to do it, not because you have to.”