By Steve Christy
It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come together since I took office as your Supervisor in 2017. I feel compelled to convey to all of you in the Corona de Tucson area what we as a community have done during that time. While we have accomplished a great deal, and I’m proud of that fact, I remain very aware that there is so much more that needs to be done. We also are going through strange, difficult and challenging times. Someone put it all so succinctly, “When do the locusts come?”
Our journey together started just after I took office. There had been a tragic fatal car accident on Houghton Road, south of the interstate, that took the life of an area teenager. The community’s outpouring of grief and frustration allowed me the opportunity to quickly hold my first Town Hall at the Andrada Polytech High School. I was able to get high ranking officials from the County, the City of Tucson, ADOT, the Pima County Sheriff, and a number of other officials from various entities in the same room, at the same time, with scores of area residents in attendance. Many folks told me that this was the first event and opportunity they ever had to discuss directly matters relating to the Corona de Tucson area with those who have authority. What transpired as a result of my Town Hall became a productive catalyst that led to so much successful community involvement and communication never before experienced in the Corona de Tucson area.
My proudest accomplishment is the creation of the Southeast Regional Council (SERC). This collaboration of dozens of community leaders all over the southeast part of our district are comprised of a number of “working groups”:
CdT Working Group
SE Tucson Working Group
Vail Working Group
J6/Mescal Working Group
Esmond Station Regional Park Working Group
Restaurant Working Group
Quarry Working Group (CdT)
Transportation Working Group,
devoted to addressing specific areas in our region with Corona de Tucson having its own working group chaired by Glenn Taylor who is helped by Kreg Lulloff, Ed Buster, Mike Robinette, Bill Sobeck, Jay Janicek and others. The Corona de Tucson working group, and the entire SERC, has grown in influence and speaks to the various government departments, entities, and officials on a regular basis and with one, strong, loud and unified voice.
And let me assure you, SERC and its working groups have the ear and attention of the County, the City, the State, ADOT and other government agencies. Many of the members of SERC and its committees and the numerous department heads are on a first name basis and speak directly and frequently with each other. Again, I’m so often told, “Corona de Tucson has never before received so much attention and service.”
Fixing the roads has been my highest priority since my first day in office. With the hard work and dedication of SERC’s Transportation Working Group led by Kreg Lulloff (in Corona) and Dick Katz (in Vail) as chairs, and many others, we have been able to fix almost 70 miles of roads in District 4, with 32 miles of those roads in our southeast region. We have much road repair lined up as there are much more of our area’s roads to repair.
Houghton Road has been a particular passion for me, and no Supervisor has ever given it the attention that it currently receives. Now we are close to the new expansion of Houghton just south of I-10. This will be a fabulous improvement that is very much needed in our community’s transportation system. And I’m sure all of you have seen the other roadway improvements we’ve accomplished in our area and neighborhoods, like Sahuarita and Wilmot Roads. Bill Sobeck, as SERC Roads Liaison with the City and County, has been tireless and instrumental in his efforts to keep improving our community’s roads. I am incredibly grateful to him and his contributions.
I have met regularly with the Santa Rita Foothills Community Association and made the very first pledge of $1,000 for the creation of a “Welcome to Corona de Tucson” sign. Our dialogue with that association has been tremendously productive.
I am the first Supervisor ever to establish a District 4 office staffed by a southeast region leader and business owner, Lucretia Free. We believe it’s best to have “boots on the ground” and “government on the curb” for the southeast region and I’m very proud that my office there is in the same building with the Greater Vail Area Chamber of Commerce. No more trudging to downtown Tucson to meet, address, and solve local issues.
Recently, I voted for and supported a great project in the Corona de Tucson neighborhood that would have provided a local facility for the storage of RVs and other items. The Pima County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve it. Board of Supervisors approval would have tightened zoning restrictions on the property that would prevent such developments such as a hotel, apartments, and other businesses that can be built there now. The Commission addressed all the questions and concerns of the neighborhood entirely. But unfortunately, the Board of Supervisors, at its July meeting voted against the project, denying the necessary zoning approval.
What is so perplexing to me is that my primary election opponent, who touts himself to be “pro-business”, came before the Board of Supervisors and delivered an impassioned speech AGAINST the project, citing “child safety”. And he said this after the Vail School District sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors which stated plainly that it did not have any concerns with the project! Perhaps those of you who believe that this storage facility is a good fit with our Corona de Tucson, as I do, would be willing to contact Supervisors Bronson and Valadez and demand that they reconsider their no votes.
Earlier this month, local business owner, Natasha Herzig of Tay’s, agreed to serve on the Pima County Small Business Commission. We are confident she will bring her strong voice as a passionate advocate for small businesses.
I’ve covered a lot because, as your Supervisor, I’ve accomplished a lot for the Corona de Tucson community and our southeast region. I’m asking for your vote so I can continue to fight for Corona de Tucson. We have so much more we can do together. And, oh yes, I love being your Supervisor. Thank you.
