Monday, August 17, 2020

The 2020 Election: A Tale Of Two Towns

The Oro Valley 2020 council election is official. Tim Bohen and Mo Greene are the new members of council. Steve Solomon is returning for his second full term. It is his third time on council. He was appointed to council in 2011.

The election result is an amalgamation of the total vote count
A peek behind the numbers reveals a town divided.

Greater Oro Valley 
Greater Oro Valley includes the entire town except for three precincts that are located around the community center. Greater Oro Valley has nine precincts that have 24,600 registered voters. Greater Oro Valley includes Sun City, the original incorporated section of Oro Valley, the Oracle Road Corridor, and most of the town west if La Cholla.  Greater Oro Valley is highlighted in yellow in the panel that follows.

Greater Oro Valley elected Bohen, Garner and Solomon. Solomon was a far last choice, barely gaining more votes than Rodman and Greene.

The Town of Oro Valley Municipal Golf
The other part of the town is comprised of those who live around the Oro Valley Golf and Community Center. There are 8,200 registered voters in these three precincts. They voted in overwhelming numbers for Greene, Bill Rodman and Steve Solomon. Bill Garner and Tom Bohen received few votes from these people.

Town of Oro Valley Golf supported special interest money
You would think that the municipal golf folks would have thought more broadly about who should be on council. You would think that they would consider the documented fact that the three they elected are heavily financially supported by the developer community.

These are the same developers who supported Hiremath and his majority for 8 years.

These are the same developers that the people tossed out in 2018

The rest of Oro Valley rejected this money in 2020.

But not the municipal golfers.

Apparently they want over development, more cluster homes, and more homes built in Big Wash so they can keep their "special status"
The municipal golfers got their way in 2019, by overwhelming every town council meeting. They intimidated a council that jumped through hoops to accommodate 36 holes of a golf when the obvious correct answer was 18 holes.

Not satisfied with that win, the municipal golfers tried, with Solomon's help, and failed, also with his help, to recall Mayor Winfield and Vice Mayor Barrett.

Now they went out their way to try to "pack council" with people who will pay for their lifestyle.

Perhaps we need a non binding referendum on the part of the community to settle, once and for all, what all of Oro Valley wants when it comes to municipal golf. None? 18 holes? 36 holes? We need to opine.