Solomon's Postcard: "Who Are You Kidding?"

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By now,  we're sure, you received a giant 8.5" x 5.5" postcard from Appointed Council Member and 20112 Council Candidate Steve Solomon.  The address side shows endorsements by the Oro Valley Police Officers Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.  The content side touts three "accomplishments' of Steve Solomon.

Yesterday, we  posted regarding the value of the endorsements of the police associations: Valueless.

Solomon has been on council as an appointed member since June 10, 2010.

Let's focus now on the accomplishments that Steve touts after nearly two years on council.

1.  Balanced the budget.

• Wrong.  
• Just 7 days after being “appointed” to the Town Council,Steve Solomon voted to approve the FY2010/2011 budget that had an original projected deficit of 1.8 million.
• Illustrating his ongoing budget balancing expertise at the July 21, 2010 Town Council Meeting (a month later),  Council Member Solomon motioned and Council Member Hornat seconded a motion to December 24th and December 31st as paid "vacation" days for all employees  at a cost of $136,000.
• The Same Council (of which Steve was a member) that approved the FY 2010/2011 budget “inherited” from themselves a new FY2011/2012 budget with a projected deficit of $2.6 million. The FY2011/2012 budget is the one he claims he and the Council “balanced”.  Continuing to show his budget expertise Steve, voted to double your utility taxes from 2% to 4% or $1.3 million out of your pocket to help close this new budget gap.  Another way Steve continued to show his budget expertise was to work with the council to look at other ways to cut the budget. A choice recommended by Steve and the Mayor and 3 other members of the Council (except Bill Garner and Barry Gillaspie) was to eliminate Coyote Run from the budget saving $200,000. 
• Balanced The Budget? Maybe on the backs of the taxpayers and at the expense of senior citizens.

2.  Providing for our seniors by saving Coyote Run:

• Wrong.
• The State Funding (LTAF) for Coyote Run was cut on March 10, 2010 three months prior to Steve’s “appointment” to the Council.  To quote Steve on his flyer: “I initiated an agreement with the RTA that provides sustainable funding for our Coyote Run, greatly reducing Town Costs”.   Really, Steve, all by yourself?
• Actually, Council Member Bill Garner saved Coyote Run!  The Town Council originally had the Coyote Run Transit Service on the Town Budget chopping block for elimination in the FY2011/2012 budget. Council Member Garner recommended diverting a percentage of the Town Budget Bed Tax Revenue to fund Coyote Run for the short term (one year) and it was approved.  Mayor Hiremath voted against this motion. 

 Garner, not Solomon, saved Coyote Run!
• Mayor Hiremath subsequently appointed a sub-committee of two councilmen, Lou Waters and Steve Solomon, to identify long-term Coyote Run alternatives. 
• On October 24, 2011, town staff and this sub-committee recommended a Coyote Run alternative funding alternative for FY 2012/2013: The service would be funded by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA).  Surprised? Not.  Mayor Hiremath is Vice Chairman of the RTA.
• At the December 14, 2011 public update on Coyote Run a question was asked: What has the town done to notice the 10,600 seniors impacted by this change? Answer: "Councilman Waters and I got tired of calling people." (Source: Appointed Council Member Solomon). Nice Answer!
• The Intergovernmental Agreement (Amendment 1) for Coyote Run was approved by RTA on January 26, 2012 and Oro Valley on February 1, 2012 for FY2012/2013 (funding for one year only). After that, we've predicted that Coyote Run will disappear!

3. Preservation and Development

• Wrong.
• Canada Vista Homes did donate sensitive lands (Honey Bee Canyon).  But, the fact is that this property a Hohokam ballcourt village.  It was discovered in 1978.  He had no choice but to donate this land since it was not "buildable".   He donated the land in exchange for highly profitable development surrounding it.

Now, here's our list of Steve's accomplishments. These are the ones that he didn't mention in his postcard:

1. Voted to double your utility tax.   That's a "vote" the result of which we get to see every month on every utility bill. 
2. Voted to kill Coyote Run 2011 funding.  Need we say more?
3. Voted, as a member of Council on June 16, 2010, to kill an independent study of police funding.  Did you wonder why the Police Associations "endorse" this guy?  Well, now you know.
4. This January, spearheaded an effort to reduce transparency by moving council and board meeting minutes from synopsis minutes to action minutes.  
5. Defaulted on a major real estate loan; facing a $10 million judgment. That's a fact, Jack.

Steve, who are you kidding?

Exactly nobody.
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