Tombstone Mayor Jack Henderson didn’t mince words when describing the town’s ongoing conflict with the U.S. Forest Service over water and land rights.

“When I was in the military, I took an oath to protect this country from enemies both foreign and domestic,” Henderson said. “And I think that the Forest Service, with what they’re doing, I consider them a domestic enemy.”

Henderson also said he views the town’s water rights as “under attack,” but that he would do everything he can to preserve those rights.

“The City of Tombstone has held those rights for 100 years and I’ll fight to keep claims to that water and that land for the next 100 years,” he said.

Henderson said this struggle will be one of the biggest facing Tombstone heading into the new year, but that he still has concerns about the town’s economic solvency.

“We have a challenge to increase our revenue,” Henderson said. “Whether that’s tourist revenue, tax revenue, it’s going to be a problem.”

Specifically, Henderson discussed the “trickle down” nature of economics in the state of Arizona, and that as state and county budgets continue to contract, a greater burden is being placed on cities and towns to make up the difference.

“It all comes down to the little cities and local budgets fighting for survival,” Henderson said.

Henderson also said one of the biggest challenges he has faced so far as mayor has been dealing with the slow pace of action on the part of the federal government.

“I just have not come to grips with how long the government takes to do things,” Henderson said. “Nothing happens quickly.”

When asked to detail his accomplishments as mayor, Henderson said much of what he set out to do is still ongoing, but that he was looking forward to continuing to make progress next year.