Council appoints their biggest supporter to Planning and Zoning CommissionOne of the items on the December 7th Consent Agenda pertained to the appointments and reappointments of citizens to various boards and commissions. The council packet for this item stated, “The PZC [Planning and Zoning Commission] Interview Panel has recommended the following appointment: Don Cox.”
Upon learning of this potential appointment, a group of Oro Valley concerned citizens sent letters to the mayor and council reminding them of the multitude of reasons why Mr. Cox is neither suitable nor deserving of a position in our town hall.
Below are excerpts from the above-mentioned letters:
Letter #1
“Continuing to appoint Don Cox to town boards and commissions, despite numerous moral and ethical transgressions on his part, will send the message that he is ‘untouchable.’ In a town of 40,000 people, there must be a more worthy citizen to fill this position.”
“Adolescent behavior and a constant axe to grind should not be rewarded with a decision-making position in our town hall. To do so will reveal an absolute lack of integrity and ethics on your part.”
Letter #2
“Mr. Cox has twice violated Oro Valley’s Code of Conduct for Board and Commission members. However, the interview committee for the Planning and Zoning Commission desire again to appoint Mr. Cox to the P&Z Commission. This is unconscionable.”
“Mr. Cox’s PAC sent out flyers on two separate occasions that were filled with lies, misstatements, and innuendo. Yet this is the type of individual you desire to have on a Citizen’s Commission. This is irresponsible.”
Letter #3
“I'm sure you are aware of the importance of selecting individuals for the P&Z Commission who will make independent recommendations and decisions…It would be totally unrealistic to believe that Mr. Cox’s decisions would be void of any political, social or peer pressure given your relationship with him…Mr. Cox, through his Triple E PAC, played an active role in the recall election to ensure that you incumbents remained in office…Mr. Cox also supported you newly elected councilmembers in the 2016 primary election.”
“…your votes of approval for his appointment will indicate a willingness to look more favorably upon Mr. Cox because of the assistance he provided during your campaigns. I believe that’s called a quid pro quo.”
Letter #4
“…Mr. Cox, for many years, has written numerous deplorable opinion pieces for The Explorer and for local blogs. It seems that one must be in total agreement with Mr. Cox or he will verbally, personally attack that person. He has been critical of so many Oro Valley citizens. Mr. Cox holds grudges. This lack of respect for others is not acceptable for any Commission member.”
“These attributes of Mr. Cox make him a person who should not be part of planning for the future of our town. In the best interest in the future of Oro Valley, please do not appoint Don Cox to the Planning and Zoning Commission.”
Letter #5
“There is no doubt that this Council owes Don Cox and you want to reward him by appointing him to the Planning and Zoning Commission. His poor track record, temperament, behavior, and lack of fairness should prevent such an action.”
The Gutless Council
Despite these impassioned pleas, not one council member had the guts to pull this item for discussion prior to voting 7-0 to approve Cox’s appointment. Of note is that in the past, members of this very council claimed that they’ve approved agenda items because they did not receive any opposition letters from the public. Now we have a clear-cut case of them receiving numerous letters of opposition and what did they do? They swept the opposition letters under the rug in the hopes that most people would never know the truth.
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