GOLDEN VALLEY - Without the assistance of its volunteers, the Incorporate Golden Valley incorporation committee might have failed in its attempts to gain enough petition signatures to try to take the issue to the ballot.

Those volunteers were honored with a light luncheon and certificates of appreciation on May 19.

"We're here today to celebrate the victory we've reached so far," said IGV Chairman Henry Peairs Jr. "This is a presentation of awards and a chance to break bread with all of you."

He said the petitioning phase was complete, but the effort to bring a town government to Golden Valley isn't over.

"To make it brief - the board has accused me of talking too long - thank you, thank you, thank you," he said.

Volunteer Ralph Eaton, who tied with board Secretary Patricia Randolph to turn in the first full petitions, offered some advice.

"If and when this gets to the vote, we need to flush the market with flyers encouraging and reminding people to vote," he said.

The board agreed increased promotion is the plan, and said a phone campaign likely will be the main thrust.

Petition sub-committee Chairman Randy Cone said the IGV turned 341 petition signatures over to the Mohave County elections office on May 7, two weeks before the May 21 deadline.

Board Treasurer Gordon Hoover said the committee needed 257 signatures. Of the 341 turned in, a first examination eliminated some, leaving 314, still a comfortable margin. The secretary of state now has to review the signatures.

"But they can't postpone indefinitely," Cone said. "They have that time limit."

"We'll know more in a couple of weeks," Hoover said.

"Your committee and the volunteers have done a tremendous job," Eaton said. "I commend all of you."

Hoover said the county Board of Supervisors legally has six months from the date the petitions were turned in to take action and possibly give the committee a date for the ballot referendum that will place the incorporation decision squarely in the hands of the registered voters living inside the proposed town limits.

Presenting the certificates of appreciation, Peairs said, "This is just a little thank you for working with us. I'm proud to stand up here and present these certificates to the board and to you. You all did a wonderful job."

Randolph also gained recognition as the volunteer who gathered the largest number of petition signatures, and the board as a whole presented a certificate of appreciation to Peairs, who received a round of applause from those in attendance.

If the issue goes to ballot and passes, Golden Valley would become only the fourth incorporated community in Mohave County, the fifth-largest county in the state. The other three cities are Kingman, Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City.

Dolan Springs residents have taken out at least two incorporation petitions in the last two years, but neither effort got beyond the preliminary petitioning stage.

According to state statute, cities are incorporated communities with more than 2,000 residents. With more than enough residents in the proposed incorporation boundaries, Golden Valley would be designated a city.

The IGV board will meet monthly until the incorporation question reaches the ballot. For more information, call Peairs at 279-1537.