The 2012 Oro Valley Budget: "Let The Games Begin"

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We attended the Oro Valley budget information session this evening at the Oro Valley Town Council Chambers, along with about 70 other people.  Stacey Lemos, the Towns Director of Finance and Interim Assistant Town Manager, presented an 18-slide summary of the current state of finance in Oro Valley.   Greg Caton, Interim Town Manager, and Stacey answered questions.

Here is the presentation: Community Budget Forum Presentation
Here's our takeaway:

• The town has five funds totaling about $58 million in spending.
• The general fund, the most discretionary of all funds, is 45% of this amount.
• The police budget is about 45% of the general fund.
• Greg Caton believes that town spending is "under control" [our words] and that the town can continue to manage through the global economic malaise by:
• Annexing areas where the town can earn sales tax and bed tax revenues
• Seeking special revenue building opportunities such as special events that can be built around the revamped town pool and other facilities
• A continued effort to "right-size" Oro Valley by not replacing positions when employees leave
• Partnerships that will reduce our cost, such as the pending partnership for Coyote Run with the RTA ("Regional Transit Authority")

We like Greg's analysis.  His analysis does not include a recommendation for an Oro Valley property tax. In fact, he really called it what it is. He didn't call it some oblique code word like:  a source of "sustainable revenue"; nor did he refer to some sources of Oro Valley's revenue stream as "economically sensitive." These are also code words for: Oro Valley should have a property tax. NOT.  Greg spoke straight.

We observed the following "dignitaries" in attendance:

• Brendan Burns, Town Council Candidate
• Council Members Solomon, Snider, Waters and Hornat
• Former Council Members Loomis, Dankwerth and Carter
• Police Chief Danny Sharp

Others were there with an "axe to grind":

• Bill Adler wants the town to consider a property tax to fund the Police. After all, to Bill's thinking, everyone in Oro Valley has police protection as their number one priority.
• Helen Dankwerth was there to protect the library. After all, it makes great sense to her for Oro Valley to spend $1million simply to say it has its own library and because our library is so unique.
• Terry Thompson, a member of Friends of Coyote Run, was there also. He didn't ask a question.  Our guess is that he just wanted to make sure that any discussion of Coyote Run supported its turnover to the RTA.

Stacey noted a timetable for Oro Valley's completing this budget by mid May.

"Let the games begin!"
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(View KOLD's report on this meeting)
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