Pima County’s Heat Safety Ordinance was discussed, adopted, and approved during the August 19 Board of Supervisors meeting and goes into effect in 30 days. Earlier this summer, I predicted a series of developments would transpire. Sadly, I have to report that those concerns were prescient. County government has weaponized heat under the guise of a...
It’s still crystal clear in my memory. Early in my first term after being elected to represent District 4 on the Board of Supervisors, during the winter of 2017, our office’s newly appointed Vail/Corona de Tucson representative Lucretia Free and I were out meeting with area residents. We were stopped and waiting to meet with several folks about...
Our office recently coordinated a Town Hall-style meeting at the request of The Academy Village community leaders. After getting a feel for the type of issues the Academy Village residents wanted to address, our office invited high-level representatives from Pima County’s Departments of Transportation and Development Services to attend and...
District 4 Update – March 2024 Each month, I try diligently to focus on topics that I call, “Vail/Corona de Tucson-centric” and to avoid mostly or purely political issues. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I don’t. This month, I’ll try a hybrid model and see how it goes. Last month I attended the Vail School District’s Vail Pride Day...
During a January Board of Supervisors meeting, two highly irregular agenda items were presented by the District 2 Supervisor that I want to share with you. It’s important that you know about these matters, not only because of their sheer oddity, but because they reflect a profound tone-deafness and optics insensitivity. The first item placed on...
We hope all of you had a joyous Holiday Season, received the gifts you wanted, caught up on some rest, some relaxation, some fun, with lots of family thrown in the mix. Happy New Year from your District 4 Supervisor’s Office! With 2023 in the rear view mirror, now is a great time to embrace our New Year optimism and perhaps start imagining about...
As this goes to press, Vail’s Proposition 402 election result (also known as the canvass) is on the Board of Supervisor’s November 21 agenda for certification, which I expect it will be. With this election season barely visible in our collective rear view mirrors, I think it is safe to say that we learned some important things as a community, as...
The long-awaited court decision on the City of Tucson’s policy of charging water customers who live outside of Tucson’s city limits higher rates is in. It is illegal to price water rates higher for unincorporated Pima County residents than for those who live within the City of Tucson, based on the process the City undertook. For those...
There has been a distinct and disappointing change in how Board of Supervisors meetings are conducted this year, affecting both attendees and Supervisors. At the risk of sounding old fashioned, I believe a Chair should run a meeting in professional and un-biased manner. The current Chair has veered so far afield that I felt the need to address her...
While right about now, I am certain the last thing you probably want to read is another piece about Vail incorporation, it is worth repeating that my office has been consistent in our position of not taking sides – being “agnostic” is the more intellectual sounding term – and we will continue in that vein. I have often said I do...
