As you know, we heard your concerns and this year your District 4 office led initiatives to address both the increasing danger of wildfires and the cost and availability of homeowners insurance. We are proud to report that our request to create a Pima County Wildfire Danger Mitigation Plan (WDMP) has “made progress in advancing (the WDMP)...
No slowdown in activity for the Board of Supervisors this summer. Typically, there’s a lull until after Labor Day, but this has been a sizzling season for issues of importance to the Greater Vail area. First, it was Project Blue, the proposed data center complex located just north of the Pima County Fairgrounds. The Board narrowly approved the...
What do the all of the following properties have in common: the former Bank of America Plaza, the green-tiled former Home Federal Savings tower, the recently-former Southern New Hampshire University building, the former Wells Fargo downtown headquarters, the recently-vacated Respite/Welcoming Center, the former Golden Pins Bowling Alley, the...
Hold on to your wallets, it’s that time of year again when the Board of Supervisors unravel, explore, and discern the mysteries of setting the Fiscal Year 2025/2026 Pima County budget. It seems the deeper one mines into the budget, the more cryptic, or should I say, puzzling it becomes. Each Supervisor has a favorite area of taxpayer-funded...
100! We believe that with this month’s column, we have reached our 100th update to the community via the Vail Voice. All the related clichés about time flying, etc. would seem appropriate. Realizing this milestone, I paused and reflected on our team’s more than eight years of service to the Southeast Region, and how much we all appreciate this...
With horror and disbelief, we learned of the tragic death of Redington resident Paul Clifford, who was acting as a Good Samaritan trying to aid what he was told was a stranded motorist. Last Christmas Eve, in the early morning hours, Mr. Clifford responded to a knock on his door in a remote rural area in the San Pedro River Valley. The Clifford’s...
As all things wildfire remain top of mind, here’s a progress report of our efforts to address the challenges of wildfire mitigation, home fire insurance, and rural fire district funding. Last month, we placed an item on the Board of Supervisors meeting agenda asking the County Administrator to develop a Pima County Wildfire Danger Mitigation Plan...
Watching the Los Angeles-area wildfire news reports has been both captivating and horrifying to all of us in recent days. Like everyone else, I am constantly asking myself what I would do if this tragedy were happening to my family and me. I’m obsessively creating inventories in my mind of what items of value, belongings, and other material...
Our Greater Vail area and Southeast Region have much to be thankful for this holiday season, and so much to look forward to in the New Year. Volunteerism, community dedication, service, and involvement are legendary hallmarks of all our neighbors who call Vail their home with justifiable and great pride. Let’s take a moment to highlight the...
As many of you know, I embarked on my public sector journey during the formative years of the Regional Transportation Authority. Being a new car dealer, I was asked in 2005 to represent my industry’s interests and the general interest of the business community. I also served on the original RTA Citizen’s Advisory Committee. I was designated as the...
