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...
We are all familiar with the old adage of when one at first does not succeed, one must keep trying. That certainly applies to our continuing efforts to keep the promise to “Just Fix the Roads.” While preparing for the June 20 Board of Supervisors meeting, we noticed that in the proposed upcoming budget, there were 1,009 vacant Pima County...
This month, I have updates on two issues of significant interest to Southeast Region residents. First, we received the preliminary “After-Action Report” from Pima County’s Office of Emergency Management, charged with investigating the hazmat crisis on Interstate 10 in February that was caused by a tractor-trailer overturning in the median, dumping...
The tumult and drama at the Board of Supervisors keeps churning on, with new issues and conflicts arising at each meeting. Many people, mostly fresh faces, have been exercising their right to free speech during Call to the Public, making their feelings and opinions known publicly and to the Supervisors. This is precisely the part of democracy that...
Your District 4 team is excited tell you about what I think is some terrific regional economic news. Recently, we received word from the County Administrator’s Office that a major manufacturing firm is planning to move to Pima County, and locate very close to our Southeast region. Since non-disclosure agreements are in effect, this transaction...
This month’s column brings news of personnel changes and reunions in your District 4 Office. First, after serving for over a year in a dual capacity as Special Staff Assistant and District 4 Representative for Vail/Corona de Tucson, Selina Valenzuela has accepted a new position in Pima County administration. Though we are sorry to see Selina leave...
