This is our fourth article regarding the 2027 TMRB. The first article covered revenues. The second covered spending. Yesterday, we covered personnel. Today we cover the thoughts of the candidates for Mayor and Council in this year’s election regarding this budget. We asked them: What is your reaction to the proposed budget?Here are the responses of the two Mayoral Candidates.
Barrett is focused on making sure this budget builds toward long term fiscal sustainability
Vice Mayor Barrett is unable to reply to our question because the budget is currently under consideration by the Town Council. However, we can get some sense of her thinking on the budget from her remarks during the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget study session. Barrett focused on long term fiscal sustainability issues, including reserve levels, recurring operating costs, and capital funding as Oro Valley approaches buildout. One area she focused on in particular was maintaining the council’s long standing policy of dedicating 5% of General Fund revenues to capital needs. Barrett stated that “in a community where you don’t have lots of new things being built and as you approach build-out, that 5% becomes all the more critical.”
Napier sees the TMRB as a warning sign
Mayoral candidate Mark Napier views the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget critically. Napier wrote: “The recommendations for 2027 include deferment or elimination of capital improvements totaling $11.6 million, $1.5 million reduction in PSPRS excess contributions, a freeze on new hiring and direction to reduce O&M costs by 0.5%. Even with these steps we still may need to tap the fund balance for an additional $1.3 million. All this will be required to simply balance the budget, as required by state law.”
Here are the responses of the five council candidates.
Dailey describes the TMRB as conservative and balanced
Council candidate Rosa Dailey described the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget as a conservative response to current economic conditions. Dailey wrote: “The Town Manager’s Recommended Budget (TMRB) for fiscal year 26/27 reflects a balanced and conservative approach that proactively anticipates and manages softening town revenues in our current economic environment and adjusts discretionary spending accordingly. The plan prioritizes and maintains current service levels and aligns spending with revised revenue expectations.”
Barrett is focused on making sure this budget builds toward long term fiscal sustainability
Vice Mayor Barrett is unable to reply to our question because the budget is currently under consideration by the Town Council. However, we can get some sense of her thinking on the budget from her remarks during the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget study session. Barrett focused on long term fiscal sustainability issues, including reserve levels, recurring operating costs, and capital funding as Oro Valley approaches buildout. One area she focused on in particular was maintaining the council’s long standing policy of dedicating 5% of General Fund revenues to capital needs. Barrett stated that “in a community where you don’t have lots of new things being built and as you approach build-out, that 5% becomes all the more critical.”
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Mayoral candidate Mark Napier views the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget critically. Napier wrote: “The recommendations for 2027 include deferment or elimination of capital improvements totaling $11.6 million, $1.5 million reduction in PSPRS excess contributions, a freeze on new hiring and direction to reduce O&M costs by 0.5%. Even with these steps we still may need to tap the fund balance for an additional $1.3 million. All this will be required to simply balance the budget, as required by state law.”
Here are the responses of the five council candidates.
Dailey describes the TMRB as conservative and balanced
Council candidate Rosa Dailey described the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget as a conservative response to current economic conditions. Dailey wrote: “The Town Manager’s Recommended Budget (TMRB) for fiscal year 26/27 reflects a balanced and conservative approach that proactively anticipates and manages softening town revenues in our current economic environment and adjusts discretionary spending accordingly. The plan prioritizes and maintains current service levels and aligns spending with revised revenue expectations.”
DeSimone sees the TMRB as evidence of growing fiscal pressure
Council candidate Chris DeSimone viewed the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget critically, describing it as evidence of growing long term fiscal pressure and the need for changes in council direction and oversight. DeSimone wrote:"Since my kickoff event in January, I have been pointing out that our wonderful town has financially painted itself in a corner. Flattening revenues and increasing costs is a sad reality of our situation. A budget that features cuts in capital improvements, cuts to the public safety pension excess contribution and dipping into the Town's reserve funds to balance the budget shows the need for a new mix of mindsets on the council and willingness to manage staff more closely."
Herrington emphasizes long term sustainability
Council candidate Jake Herrington emphasized long term fiscal sustainability and economic development. Herrington wrote: “I believe the 2027 budget discussion should focus heavily on sustainability. Oro Valley cannot rely forever on residential growth alone to support future service demands. We need to continue strengthening and diversifying the commercial tax base, supporting redevelopment and reinvestment along key corridors such as Oracle and Ina Roads, and identifying strategic economic opportunities that will generate long-term revenue without placing unnecessary burdens on residents.”
Pina observes revenue pressure in the budget
Council candidate Rhonda Pina described the proposed budget as challenging and focused on the need for careful expense management. Pina wrote: “The proposed budget is challenging as presented by the town manager. There is acknowledgement of decreasing revenue trends and a need to manage expenses effectively.”
Wood emphasizes the budget's balancing of revenues and expenses
Council candidate Matt Wood expressed support for the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget and the Town’s annexation efforts. Wood wrote: “The Town Manager prepared a balanced budget for 2026/27 and the Council is pursuing an annexation along Ina that would bring in significant sales tax revenue. I think this is an excellent start. We need to continue to work on a long term balancing of expenses and revenues, but small incremental increases in revenue and working on reducing the sales tax leakage losses will go a long way towards fiscal stability.”
Herrington emphasizes long term sustainability
Council candidate Jake Herrington emphasized long term fiscal sustainability and economic development. Herrington wrote: “I believe the 2027 budget discussion should focus heavily on sustainability. Oro Valley cannot rely forever on residential growth alone to support future service demands. We need to continue strengthening and diversifying the commercial tax base, supporting redevelopment and reinvestment along key corridors such as Oracle and Ina Roads, and identifying strategic economic opportunities that will generate long-term revenue without placing unnecessary burdens on residents.”
Pina observes revenue pressure in the budget
Council candidate Rhonda Pina described the proposed budget as challenging and focused on the need for careful expense management. Pina wrote: “The proposed budget is challenging as presented by the town manager. There is acknowledgement of decreasing revenue trends and a need to manage expenses effectively.”
Wood emphasizes the budget's balancing of revenues and expenses
Council candidate Matt Wood expressed support for the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget and the Town’s annexation efforts. Wood wrote: “The Town Manager prepared a balanced budget for 2026/27 and the Council is pursuing an annexation along Ina that would bring in significant sales tax revenue. I think this is an excellent start. We need to continue to work on a long term balancing of expenses and revenues, but small incremental increases in revenue and working on reducing the sales tax leakage losses will go a long way towards fiscal stability.”
Our conclusion: Candidates differ more on urgency than the challenge of fiscal sustainability itself
Our conclusion: Candidates differ more on urgency than the challenge of fiscal sustainability itself
What appears to distinguish the candidates is less whether they believe long term fiscal sustainability is a challenge for Oro Valley and more how urgently they view that challenge and whether they see the Town Manager’s Recommended Budget as an appropriate response.
- Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett, Rosa Dailey, and Matt Wood generally view the TMRB as a prudent step toward managing long term financial sustainability as Oro Valley approaches buildout.
- Jake Herrington focuses more heavily on broader long term planning, redevelopment, and diversifying the Town’s commercial tax base to prepare for slower future revenue growth.
- Rhonda Pina feels that the budget shows immediate revenue pressures. She stops short of describing the situation as structurally unsustainable.
- Mark Napier and Chris DeSimone view the current budget much more critically, describing it as a warning sign requiring stronger corrective action and signaling changes needed in long term fiscal priorities and council direction.
Taken together, the responses suggest broad agreement that Oro Valley faces important long term financial decisions ahead, even though candidates differ on how immediate the challenge is and how the Town should respond.
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