SAFFORD — Safford Mayor Jason Kouts succumbed to cancer, passing away at 4:45 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
He was 51.
Kouts served as a City Councilman and Vice Mayor from 2008 to 2012, and then was elected to his first term as Mayor in 2016, a position he’d held until his death.
A lifelong resident of Safford, he was also a high school sports official and had previously served as a volunteer firefighter.
Almost exactly one year before his passing, Kouts announced during a City Council meeting his illness.
“Because I’m open and I live in a glass house, I’d just like to everybody know — staff and the public will end up hearing this — I was diagnosed Wednesday with Stage 4 (cancer),” Kouts said on Jan. 23, 2023.
Despite undergoing aggressive treatment, Kouts was still able to attend and chair more than half of the 27 City Council meetings that took place in 2023 and 2024. He also was on hand to welcome everyone to the 2023 Merry Main Street event, conducting the countdown to flip the switch and light the city’s Christmas tree and other holiday lights.
And he continued work through his business, Kouts and Sons, including ongoing restoration of the historic Safford Theatre in Downtown Safford, a project he volunteered to do to benefit his city.
In a statement issued on the city’s social media, city officials said, “As Mayor, Jason was always passionate about issues facing our community. He was the main driver behind the push to get park amenities built in our community. He also took the lead on increasing benefits and salaries for our employees. Mayor Kouts was instrumental in finding a location for the Samaritan Home within city limits, an issue that had faced our community for many years.
“His position was always that we needed to be a ‘good neighbor’ and do whatever we could to help those most in need. Anyone who spent any time with Mayor Jason Kouts (k)new that he was a passionate advocate for his city and always strived to do what was right,” the statement continued.
A viewing will be held Friday, Feb. 2, starting at 5 p.m., at Vining Funeral Home. A celebration of life will take place Saturday, Feb. 3, starting at 6 p.m., at the David M. Player Center for the Arts.
