The Arizona Daily Sun reports 63-year-old Jerry Nabours was elected mayor Tuesday night.
The retired attorney beat City Councilman Al White by 320 votes in the vote-by-mail election.
With more than 10,000 votes cast, turnout was about 39 percent.
Nabours says his victory is a validation of his conservative fiscal vision for Flagstaff. He has criticized White's policies as a waste of taxpayer money as well as the city's public-private partnerships.
Nabours is suing Flagstaff over an ordinance that requires property owners to pay for repairs of city-owned sidewalks. He initiated the suit in 2009 after receiving a $5,000 bill for a sidewalk in front of an apartment building he co-owns.
The case is awaiting review in the Arizona Supreme Court.
