Arizona Town is Tiny in Size, But Big in Political Drama

Mayor-elect has been barred from office over outstanding legal fees

This tiny desert outpost is known for 70-degree winters, an annual gem show that draws thousands of visitors, and a nudist bookstore owner who conducts business in little more than flip-flops and a straw hat.

But these days, the town's most extraordinary feature is its politics.

An American flag sits atop Quartzsite Mountain in Quartzsite, Ariz. This tiny desert outpost is known for 70-degree winters, an annual gem show that draws millions of visitors, and a bookstore owner who conducts business in little more than flip-flops and a straw hat.

For months, officials in Quartzsite—which lies about halfway between Phoenix and Palm Springs, Calif., on Interstate 10—have so far refused to allow the mayor-elect to take office because he owes the town $2,200 in attorney's fees.