It's a Wrap! Top Stories of 2024

Top five stories of 2024

2024 was a busy year in Oro Valley. Here us out cut at the top five stories. 

1. Celebrating 50 years of community and growth
The Town of Oro Valley commemorated its 50th anniversary throughout 2024 with a series of events that highlighted the community’s history and spirit. The celebrations included a vibrant parade on April 6, featuring over 90 participants from local schools, community groups, and businesses, along with a spectacular fireworks display on April 13 at James D. Kriegh Park. Additionally, on April 27, the town hosted the “50 Trees for 50 Years” community tree planting event, where residents gathered to plant 50 trees across four locations, enhancing the town’s green spaces. The Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce also launched the “50 Businesses for 50 Years” Shop OV campaign, highlighting 50 local businesses throughout the year to encourage community support and economic growth.

2. Robb and Murphy elected to council
In the 2024 Oro Valley Town Council election, two new council members were elected by a vast majority of votes, reflecting strong community support. Elizabeth Robb, a local business owner, and Mary Murphy, a longtime resident and community advocate, bring fresh perspectives to the council. Their addition is expected to influence upcoming decisions on key community issues, including development projects, public services, and fiscal policies. Residents anticipate that the new council members will prioritize transparency and community engagement, ensuring that the voices of Oro Valley citizens are well-represented in the town’s governance.

3. The OVCN’s onslaught on Oro Valley’s historic neighborhood took a new turn
The Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene (OVCN) put its plan to build a massive sports complex on hold, at least for the moment. However, that plan is not dead; it’s simply on hiatus. Instead, they are now pursuing the addition of new facilities to their campus, substantially increasing their footprint. The latest effort is to ask permission for buildings of greater height than currently exists. As we wrote yesterday, it’s a continuing cycle of misery for the residents. This saga will continue into 2025.

4. Another year of nothing for the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
The Town Council did lots of talking about the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve. There was much discussion about plans to do something. The council even agreed to “do something” only to learn that one of those plans — repurposing the abandoned pond into a “desert garden” — was an unattractive alternative. Residents noticed this, and the council temporarily paused the approved plan to take another look at the water feature instead of a desert garden. More on this in 2025. In the meantime, the preserve looks like an abandoned golf course.

5. "OVPathForward" moves forward big time
The town made progress this year in creating its 2026 General Plan, called “OV Path Forward.” A draft vision and guiding principles were developed with the input of thousands of residents. The next step is to flesh out the details around these principles. Working groups will tackle this in 2025.

Honorable mention

There were some other notable happenings this year:

• The fourth annual Rockin’4Heroes concert was a huge success.
• The town implemented an 8.3% increase in water rates, while continuing to use thousands of gallons of water on recreation facilities, earning the LOVE Water Waster Award for the fourth time.
• The town council adopted a $151.2 million budget.
• Oro Valley celebrated the opening of Naranja Park.
• The Arizona Heroes Memorial at the park was dedicated.
• The town ended its contract with Visit Tucson and took over its own destination marketing program.
• The Town Council rejected the tiny homes project in Rancho Vistoso.

And on a sad note
Rick Messina, a well-liked groundskeeper at the Pusch Ridge Golf Course, tragically died from a bee attack in July. Friends of Pusch Ridge Golf raised almost $10,000 to help Rick’s parents.

It was indeed a busy year in Oro Valley.

We suspect that 2025 will be just as busy.

Happy holidays to all.
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Shake Up the Council: Massive Undervoting Signaled Strong Support for Newcomers

Most voters cast only two, and not three votes
In the 2024 Oro Valley Council election, the vast majority of voters made a deliberate choice: Instead of voting for the allowed three candidates, 70% chose to vote for only two. The two candidates they overwhelmingly supported were Mary Murphy and Elizabeth Robb, who together received 4,800 more votes than incumbents Tim Bohen and Mo Greene. This gave them a significant 30% voting advantage in a four-person race. It’s likely that some voters paired Greene with Murphy or Bohen with Robb in their selections, but most decided not to cast their third vote.

Demonstrating a desire for new leadership
The clear message from voters in 2024 was: "We want fresh thinking on the council." Although incumbent Mo Greene was re-elected, it seems to be more due to the availability of an additional seat and a lack of a strong newcomer opponent rather than strong voter support. Greene received nearly 2,000 fewer votes than either of the two newcomers, suggesting that his presence on the council is more a result of circumstance than a strong voter mandate.

Golf Course stance cost Bohen the election
Greene narrowly defeated Bohen by 556 votes, with 542 of those votes coming from the three precincts around the town’s municipal golf courses. Bohen, known for his critical stance on the financial transparency of the town's golf operations, evidently lost support in these areas. However, his position didn’t gain him additional votes elsewhere in the community, indicating that most voters are indifferent to the golf course issue. This outcome highlights a key lesson from this election.

A shift in voter sentiment from the 2022 Election
The 2024 Council election results are a stark contrast to those of 2022, when voters clearly supported the continuation of the current council's direction by re-electing the three incumbents—Barrett, Nicolson, and Jones Ivey—with a 4,700-vote plurality, an 18% advantage in a six-person race. The number of ballots with less than three council votes in the 2024 election was notably higher, with 70% of voters opting not to use their third vote, compared to just 15% under-voting in 2022.

The new members will be seated on council in early November.

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Editor Note: An “undervote” occurs in an election when a voter selects fewer candidates than the number allowed for a particular race. For example, if voters are permitted to choose up to three candidates but only select one or two, those unselected slots are considered undervotes. The undervote is calculated by subtracting the total number of votes cast for all open positions from the total number of votes that could have been submitted. In our analysis, we divided that number by the number of ballots cast to determine the percent of ballots that contained less than three votes.  

Thank You, Tim Bohen

The following is an email that we sent to council member Tim Bohen. Unfortunately, Tim will not be serving on council after November.  We wanted to share with you our perspective on Tim's contribution to our community. Without doubt, Tim Bohen worked for you.
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Dear Tim,

I hope this message finds you well.

I wanted to take a moment to express gratitude for the dedication and hard work you have put in for the community as a council member. No one has ever worked harder for our residents. Your commitment to scrutinizing important issues and representing the citizens of our community is remarkable. Your efforts sparked important conversations and brought attention to significant matters that affect us all. Your willingness to work individually with residents and your focus on being pro-citizen have made a meaningful impact.

Although the results of this election were not in your favor, you did receive 7,600 votes. That is a significant achievement given that you did not have any specific "interest group" behind you. Rather, your voters are the people who live in Oro Valley who actually care about what happens to our community without worrying about how it affects them individually.

You fought through the difficulties of the election with determination and grit, even though you had the cards stacked against you by Steve Solomon and his group. It is unfortunate that the Mayor and Vice Mayor did not endorse you. In not doing so, they become tools of Steve Solomon. Strange bedfellows indeed! They put their self-interest of "looking good” or pandering to staff ahead of the interest of the people of our community.

In the end, town staff are the big winners in this election. They will now be able to act without challenge.

We look forward to continuing our discussions with you about the future of Oro Valley. Your insights and passion for our community are invaluable, and we are hopeful for more opportunities to collaborate and benefit from your perspective.

Thank you again for everything you have done and continue to do for Oro Valley.

Richard

Richard Furash
Publisher: letorovalleyexcel.com
letorovalleyexcel@yahoo.com

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Election Over: It’s Greene, Murphy, and Robb…Here’s Why

It's over
The election for three seats on the Oro Valley Town Council is over. There will be no November election as the vote for all candidates exceeded the threshold required for their election in July. Provisional votes are yet to be tallied; however, the result won’t change. 

Candidates Mo Greene, Mary Murphy, and Elizabeth Robb will be seated on the council in November. Council Member and candidate Tim Bohen will not. The panel on the right shows the numbers as of yesterday.

Now here’s why

This election was Greene Versus Bohen for third place
This election was always going to be a battle between Council Members Mo Greene and Tim Bohen for the third and last seat. In 2020, they were on the same ballot. Greene received 292 more votes than Bohen, securing a second-place finish. 

As of Saturday, Greene holds a 557-vote lead over Bohen, with only a handful of votes yet to be counted. Greene's lead has increased with every added tally. He gets 10% more votes than Bohen. 

Greene did nothing in four years on the council to garner support from the non golf, non community center voters but, because of his focus, he was able to cobble together enough votes to win. 

Bohen was not able to do that. He lacked the backing of any specific interest group or neighborhood. Although he made a difference by working with individuals, that approach alone is not sufficient for winning an election in Oro Valley. To secure additional votes, a candidate typically needs to align with a major cause such as pro-golf, pro-public safety, or pro-business. Bohen's focus on being pro-citizen, without aligning with any specific cause, ultimately led to his loss.

Murphy and Robb Were Likely Going to Be Elected 

Though their efforts and campaign strategies played a crucial role in securing seats for Murphy and Robb, the battle between Greene and Bohen influenced voting significantly. Murphy was a candidate supported by Greene and his supporters. Murphy would garner every vote Greene received. She did even better than that by reaching broader community support by not aligning herself with developer interests, unlike Greene. In this election, one in four Bohen voters voted for her. Robb was going to receive every vote that Bohen got. In addition, Greene and his community wanted her to win rather than Bohen. One in three Greene voters voted for her.

This is not to say they didn't earn their victory
It is merely to note that they were the beneficiaries of the Greene-Bohen competition.

We will provide a further analysis of the election once the vote by precinct numbers are released by the county. We don't expect that for a couple of weeks.
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Murphy..Robb.. Win Big... Bohen and Greene Too Close To Call

LOVE calls it For Murphy and Robb

Newcomers Mary Murphy and Elizabeth Robb have won resounding victories for two of the three open seats on the Oro Valley Town Council.  Combined, Murphy and Robb earned 57% of total votes cast, signaling a desire of residents for new thinking on Council. 

These results are based on Pima County provided numbers as of 3am MST today. Provisional ballots have yet to be counted. Generally, there are not a lot of these and they do not change election results substantially.

Greene leads Bohen for final seat

Incumbents Tim Bohen and Mo Greene are battling for the final seat open seat on council. Greene holds a 403 vote lead over Bohen. Greene's lead is similar to the 298 vote lead he had over Bohen in the 2020 election. 

Much lower turnout than in 2020

Voters cast 41,440 votes for these seats in 2020 versus 31,700 in this election. This latter number is before perhaps 500 or so provisional ballots yet to be counted.

LOVE will provide a more detailed analysis of results when they become final.

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Council Election Day

Town Council Candidate, Elizabeth Robb – A Life of Service

Today we present Oro Valley Town Council Candidate, Elizabeth Robb’s opening statement during the Sun City Candidate Forum held on June 12.
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"My name is Elizabeth Robb, and I have been fortunate enough to have led an interesting life as I was born into a military family.

My father served in Vietnam, and while I was in college getting my Animal Science degree, despite being told “a lady doesn't do that,” I took ROTC and I joined the North Carolina National Guard. My basic training is what brought me out to Arizona, and during Desert Storm, I applied for active duty. I spent three and a half years in Germany as an interrogation platoon leader, as a headquarters executive officer, and as a signals battalion intelligence officer. I then returned to Arizona and got my company command at the intelligence school at Fort Huachuca.

I met the man who was eventually going to be my husband, got married, and went into the Army Reserves out in Phoenix. I then passed the national EMT exam, and I volunteered for the Southern Arizona Rescue Association as a rescuer, as a medical instructor, and as a board member.

In addition to raising my own special needs child, I raised two step-daughters, and I was a foster care infant emergency placement home. I ended up adopting one of my placements. He just graduated from CDO High School. I’m very proud of him.

I volunteered for 15 years in the amphitheater school district, doing assorted jobs. I eventually became a classified substitute so that I could continue doing those jobs even after my kids moved on. My boys were active in Boy Scouts, and I participated as a Cub Scout den leader, an outdoor coordinator, a merit badge counselor, and an Eagle mentor. Additionally, I've served as treasurer in five different organizations, and I've run my own successful small business for the last 15 years. Fiscal responsibility is an area where I excel.

I’m not an incumbent so I can't talk about my voting record. I can only talk about the skills I bring and the vision that I have for the future of Oro Valley.

When I moved to Oro Valley 26 years ago, the town covered 28 square miles, and my house was across the street from the southern border of Oro Valley. That border is now almost two miles further south, and the town now covers 36 square miles. I've watched our town grow and I would now like the opportunity to be a part of shaping that future -- together, with you.

I believe my experiences and unique set of skills will serve me well in representing you on the Oro Valley Town Council and guiding the direction of our town for the next four years. I've served my country, I've served my community, and I've served my family. Now I'm ready to serve you on the Oro Valley Town Council.

I ask for your vote on July 30th. Thank you so much for the opportunity to introduce myself to you."

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Your Vote Matters! Discover the Top Candidates for the July 30 Council Election

Your mail in ballot should be in hand

By now, you should have received a mail-in ballot for the July 30 council election, if you requested one. If you have not received a ballot, you should contact the Pima County Recorder to determine where your ballot is. It’s not too late to request a mail-in ballot if you’re not going to be around on June 30 for the election.

You can vote for up to three council members. However, you should only vote for the council members that you want on the council. 

Voting for additional candidates can increase the threshold for the members you want to be elected. This means you can vote for one, two, or three candidates.

We have provided you with briefings on all of the candidates

...except for council member Mo Greene. In his case, we merely pointed to his record of doing nothing on the council during the past four years, except seconding anything Council Member Steve Solomon proposed. 

So, it’s clear to us who the three best candidates are: 

• Tim Bohen
• Mary Murphy
• Elizabeth  Robb

Bringing Bohen back on council is a "no-brainer”. He works tirelessly for the people and even gets in trouble for it; but he doesn't stop working hard to make sure that things come to light. Adding Murphy and Robb brings fresh thinking to a council that often gets stuck in spending most of its time just complementing town staff for simply breathing. Murphy has some interesting ideas regarding releasing the town council from the bondage of making minuscule golf related decisions. Robb adds fresh thinking on how to bring fiscal sustainability to town finances. Together, these three will will bring a new level council involvement. And let's face it: residents don't need not need four more years of a Solomon's "Yes man. ” 

Growth...land use...water...financial sustainability at issue

It's important to look beyond this election to the 2026 council election. That election will result in four seats on the council, including the mayor's seat, being open. We don't know who will run for those seats or if the incumbents will seek a third term. However, we do know that it will be a significant election and that outside developer money likely will pour into pro developer candidates.

The 2026 general plan is under development. Those on council for the next two years will have a significant influence over the final product. Land use will be a big issue. Other current issues include whether the Church of the Nazarene will get a sports facility; or if the town will ever extend reclaimed water to three recreational facilities, thus ending the use of drinking water for irrigation.  By 2026, fiscal sustainability will be a critical issue. Unless the town moves to annex major open areas, which we do not recommend, it will have to learn how to live within its means—something it has never had to do before.

Elections matter. The future of Oro Valley is in your hands. This is one time you can really make a difference. So please take this opportunity to do so.

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From Frustration to Action: Bohen's Fierce Advocacy For Residents

Insightful perspectives directly from the candidates 

This is the third part of our series on the Sun City Candidate Forum held on June 12. Last week, we wrote about Mo Greene's council goals. Yesterday, we featured Elizabeth Robb's thoughts. Tomorrow we feature Mary Murphy.  Today we feature Tim Bohen, in his own words.

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My first four years on council: From frustration to action
"Why did I get involved in this town when I moved here in 2015? It’s because I was frustrated by town government and in particular what I saw as the indifference and lack of engagement from council members.

As a trained engineer, I saw that a dogged approach to collecting information can give you the solutions to problems you do not think that you can get. You’ve got to define the problem properly and then you have to get all the information that is relevant to solving that problem. It shouldn’t be a solution that is worse than the problem or a solution that does not help anybody, but rather it moves you forward."

I am and will always be an advocate for Oro Valley's residents
"A lot of residents brought a lot of their work and their life experience to Oro Valley and I saw a shocking disregard for resident interest by previous councils. I felt like the only ears that they wanted to talk to were developer ears. Developers got everything they wanted. Oro Valley was never supposed to be a huge place. It’s 15 miles from I-10. We have a rural road network here. What is a rural road network? It is a mile between the major streets -- east and west, and north and south."

My goal is to ensure that our town operates with absolute fiscal responsibility
"I wanted the residents of our town to have a council member, at least one, that is extremely knowledgeable about our Town finances. I attended two of your Sun City board meetings where you guys talked about your golf course and restaurant, and the level of oversight I saw from Sun City was far superior to the level of oversight we engage in, in my opinion, for our restaurant and our golf courses. You have your golf course manager here. You're asking detailed questions every month. We have nothing like that kind of relationship in a much more expensive contract.

Even though you have a restaurant and a golf course here, you're also paying for 45 holes of golf and a restaurant down the road via the half-cent sales tax. That’s about $4 million a year. Divide $4 million a year by 50,000 people, and you're talking $80 a person. You don't realize you're paying that because you pay it in this half-cent sales tax that's attached to everything and that's why I've been such an advocate for having really good oversight over what we spend on that facility."

And I will be sure that you know what is going on
"The final thing I want to do is kind of related to the first two as a council member. I want to be informative. I want to always explain why I think what I think at the council meetings. Why do we have to rely on newspapers and news stations, who's almost never here, to tell us about what's going on in Oro Valley? I think the best source of information for what's happening at a top level are your council members. Your council members should speak freely and in a straightforward way about the financial situation of the town and why we approach things the way we do."

My goal: To make a tangible difference for you in the next four years
"I'm an engineer and naturally curious. I was never involved in local government in any way, shape, or form until I moved here. I experienced real frustrations dealing with this government, and I threw my hat into the ring in 2020. Maybe you see it on the committees for Sun City or Oro Valley. You get involved in things and you see a concrete result for yourself and the people that you represent. I find that enormously satisfying. I really love this job and I ask for the opportunity to continue doing it for four more years."

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Sun City Forum: Robb's Goal Is To "Prevent Bad Decisions"

Insightful perspectives directly from the candidates 

This is the second part of our series on the Sun City Candidate Forum held on June 12. Last week, we wrote about Mo Greene's council goals. Tomorrow we feature Tim Bohen. Thursday we feature Mary Murphy, Today we feature Elizabeth Robb, in her own words.
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Elizabeth Robb: Prevent bad decisions

 “At this stage in Oro Valley’s growth, I believe one of the most important jobs of our town council is to prevent bad decisions. Oro Valley has a wonderful small-town feel, lots of outdoor recreational opportunities, and spectacular scenic views. We need to maintain that."

Responsible growth is imperative

"We don’t need, and you have said you don’t want, five- and six-story buildings. Every Saturday, when I’m selling at the farmer’s market—that’s my business—I see La Posada, the continuous care community, growing in front of me because I’m facing right towards it. And I think to myself, how did we get this giant five-story building in Oro Valley?Preventing decisions like that is one of the reasons I’m running for town council."

Additionally, "We don’t need to rezone all of our remaining commercial land into super-dense, poorly-planned apartments that will negatively impact our water. Many of you signed the petition against the Avilla tiny rental home development proposed on both sides of the Safeway. I attended one of those meetings, and I disagreed with that rezoning also. That’s another reason I am running for town council."

Stop pouring unchecked amounts of money into golf
"We don’t need to continue pouring unchecked amounts of money into golf. Some people pay for their own golf courses. If you look at our municipal golf operations in Oro Valley, we have spent an average of about $2.5 million a year since we acquired the golf course and the community center in 2015. We just spent $9.1 million redoing the irrigation systems, cart paths, and bunkers on two golf courses, and now the 10-year budget projection has almost an additional $13 million planned for the community center. The spending on golf and the Community Center has got to be brought under control and in line with other parks and recreation spending."

We don’t need outside money running our town
“We don’t need outside money funding candidates in our elections to try to force on us what we don’t want or need. This is an important issue. For example, the part-owner of the Oro Valley Marketplace has put an enormous amount of money into candidates running for our town elections in the last several elections, including this one.

After they were not successful in their last election, their apartments at the Oro Valley Marketplace were held to two and three stories. If you’re like me and not in favor of 75-foot tall buildings, it’s important to know who is funding our candidates. I have self-funded my campaign with my own money and small donations because I want to serve your interests, not special interests.” 

Let's reserve our open spaces

"We need to preserve our scenic corridors and outdoor open spaces. Oro Valley's biggest challenge is how we manage the remaining 6% of our undeveloped land because it affects everything. It affects our water, it affects our views, it affects our traffic, and it affects our small town feel."

We need to manage town finances to ensure fiscal sustainability

"Our second biggest challenge is how we're going to manage our finances. I've attended both recent council meetings on the upcoming fiscal year 2024-25 budget and I have a pretty good understanding of how I would approach ensuring we never reach a fiscal crisis. We do not need and should never have a property tax. Oro Valley was built on that principle and I will uphold that."

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Bits and Pieces

Sign Destruction Continues…Police Involved
Council candidates report that all candidate signs were stolen at corners on La Cholla and Lambert and LaCholla and Naranja.  This appears to be vandalism. However, Robb and Bohen’s signs have been targeted and destroyed in multiple locations, including Pusch View Lane and Oracle.  Tuesday night we learned that a Greene sign at LaCholla and Tangering was sliced with the face cut out. A Murphy sign was on the ground in the same area. 

What is going on people? The police have been notified and are currently investigating the incidents. They are determined to catch the culprits.

Incidents are under investigation by the
Oro Valley Police Department

Follow Up: SRO Program Costs Oro Valley $550,000 Annually
In April, we reported that in 2023/24 the town received $90,000 from the Amphi School District for the School Resource Officers it provides to the district’s schools. According to the Oro Valley Police Department the cost of these officers is $639,885 for this year. Though the years are different, our best guess is that the annual cost of the program to the town is about $550,000. 

Sandbags available during Monsoon season
Last week marked "… the official start of monsoon season, and the Town of Oro Valley wants to make sure residents are monsoon ready. The Town will once again provide free sandbags to residents who may need to protect areas of their homes from storm runoff. Sandbag pickup is located at 9451 N. Egleston Drive, which is behind the fields at James D. Kriegh Park. Sandbags will be available beginning Monday, June 17, through September 30, 2024. The lot is accessible from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. "(Source: Town of Oro Valley Media Release)

CDO shared use path closures to enable water flood control
This week, the Pima County Regional Flood Control District began a Cañada del Oro (CDO) Wash Levee Augmentation Project along share use path.  There will be intermittent closures from N. La Cañada Drive to N. Oracle Road, with completion expected by November 2024, weather permitting. Following the 2020 Bighorn Fire, sediment build-up decreased the wash’s capacity, necessitating this project to restore capacity and enhance flood protection for nearby homes and businesses.  (Source: Town of Oro Valley Media Release)

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Sun City Forum: The Bizarre Council Goals of Harry Greene

Insightful perspectives directly from the candidates 

At last week’s Sun City Candidate Forum, candidates shared their visions for a spot on the council. Today, we present current council member Mo Greene's thoughts. We will share the thoughts of other candidates in future weeks.

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Candidate Mo Greene's approach in his own words

"My approach to the town council job has really been tempered by these other life experiences. Being a doctor makes you see things differently. The ADA part I talked about. When I was playing tennis, seeing people who couldn't get around as well, that was an important thing."

Greene sees his approach in the creation of the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve

",,,when Rompsen been pulled away from the golf course up here, the residents, like yourselves, rallied. They said, we're not going to stand for this. We're going to keep this, We're not going to have our property values destroyed. And they, and the Conservancy, and eventually the town came together to say, we're going to turn this into a park. We're going to make it something absolutely special. And so that's what's happening. And in just a few more years, we will be able to look to that as a real gem in the south. Well, I think I've babbled on about long enough, so I'm really interested in your questions and what you have to say."

Editors Note: Council Member Greene's  only role in creating the Preserve was voting in favor of it.

Greene also painted a portrait of former
Police Chief Danny Sharp and gave it to him
at a council meeting in 2020

His approach includes giving people plaques and paintings

Realizing that he was babbling, Greene, in a most bizarre move, abruptly concluded his remarks by giving a plaque to Joy Newton, the Sun City Candidate Forum panel moderator. He said: "I'd like to close my remarks with what's on this plaque. It's from Edward Everett Hale, who is a person from the Boston area. 'I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I'm not going to refuse to do the something I can do.'" He turned to Newton and added, "I present this to Joy because she's that kind of person, and I'd like to ask for your support this fall."

Editors note: It appeared to us that Greene played some role in planning this forum. As we noted, Greene presented Newton a plaque; and at the end of the meeting, with an astonished Newton looking on, Greene closed the meeting. 

Greene's two main goals for the next four years are not related to local government

"I have two long term issues that I'm interested in. One is having a rail system from here to Phoenix and on to LA. And the second is to have sustainable water for the rest of our lives.... And I'm spending a lot of time looking at the desalinization and spending a lot of time talking to my friends, actually from Israel, who have helped flourish the desert in the south area around them. And it is possible. It's very expensive. It requires a lot of energy. But the water could be brought into the CAP water system. At which point we would have water for as long as we and our grandchildren would live." 

Greene advocatess for high density use of town's remaining undeveloped land

Six percent of the town is yet to be developed. At the Forum, when asked how this land should be used, Greene noted that that land should be used for high density housing. He states the following with no justification of fact. 

"We need senior housing. They don't need necessarily or we don't necessarily need big mansions. We need places where we can live and flourish. In the meantime, after that we need some long-term care facilities or congregate living spaces. On the end of that, we need some hospices and other places where people can go as we age. We need to really be careful and thoughtful about what we do." 

Greene does not challenge or perhaps understand information given him by staff

During his four years on the council, Greene has accepted information provided by staff without question. His inability or unwillingness to challenge information he gets was clear at the forum. In answering a question about housing needs in Oro Valley, Greene quoted numbers from the internet without understanding them. "Right now in Sun City there's 407 homes for sale. The average price is $317." When questioned, he said, "Not in Sun City? I got this off the internet, so it could be wrong." Simple logic should have told him that 25% of the homes in Sun City are not for sale and that $317 was probably $317,000.

LOVE's Thoughts: Even after four years on council, Greene has no idea of what the real issues are that Oro Valley is facing...but he is a really accomplished artist!

Taken all together, Greene’s thoughts are disconnected from the issues that face Oro Valley and the need for responsible government. His approach is focused more on personal anecdotes and broad visions than on practical solutions for the town’s current challenges. His ideas, like advocating for a rail system to Phoenix and desalinization projects, fall outside the scope of local governance. Moreover, his push for high-density housing development without substantial justification raises concerns about potential influences from his developer campaign contributors. But, as you can see from the panel above and from a 2014 LOVE article, Greene is a very accomplished artist.

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The Desperate Tactics of Candidate Harry "Mo" Greene

Faced with a record of doing nothing during his four years on council, Mo Greene chooses the low road

Candidate Mo Greene has seemingly concluded that he cannot compete with candidate Tim Bohen on a straightforward basis. Both are current council members. Both are vying for a seat on council. Bohen is running on the issues.  Greene, on the other hand, has resorted to going after Bohen in a most unusual way.

Greene "plays the victim"

Greene has resorted to portraying himself as a victim, alleging to one reliable source that Bohen has threatened to kill him. This claim is ridiculous. If Bohen had indeed made such a threat, Greene would have reported it to the police immediately. Filing police reports on Bohen is a common tactic used by his compadre and current Councilmember Steve Solomon. Greene has not presented any evidence to support his accusation. And he has filed no such report.  Greene was "so afraid" of Bohen that he asked for, but did not get, police protection at last week's Sun City candidate forum.  Trust us. Greene survived nicely. Just like Bohen's supposed threat, nothing happened. It's all smoke.

...cover up four years of doing nothing on council

The core issue for Greene is his lack of accomplishments on which to campaign. During four years on the Town Council, he has achieved virtually nothing, as evidenced by the panel at right, listing his accomplishments. 

Desperate to come up with something he did, he grabs onto the work of others...

Last week, at the Sun City Candidate Forum, Greene was so desperate to demonstrate that he actually did something in his four years on council that he claimed credit for an elevator that is being added to the community center. It was not his idea. The idea came from former Oro Valley resident Jim Horne, who embarrassed the council into doing something in 2022.  Interestingly, Candidate Bill Rodman made a big deal about it during his failed campaign in 2022.

It took until March 1, 2023, for the council to act to approve an elevator. The motions needed for this were made by Vice Mayor Barrett and seconded by Council Member Nicolson.  All seven Council Members, including Bohen and Greene, voted to approve. The vote was the extent of Greene's involvement. 

The only notable action Greene took in his four years on council was to second every motion made by Councilmember Solomon.

Tomorrow: "Candidate Greene Discusses His Goal's on Council and More..."

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Guest View-Jack Stinnett: “Mo” Greene’s Shocking Ties to Developer Donations

Accused Price Fixer, HSL Properties, bas been a fixture in financing Oro Valley candidates since 2014
Since 2014, their practice has been to invest in the campaigns of development-friendly candidates. Their goal is to displace non-aligned, self-funded candidates on the council, none of whom were development-inclined. 

This approach reached a zenith in 2016 when HSL-funded council members Steve Solomon and Bill Rodman were elected to the council by outspending and defeating incumbents Mike Zinkin and Bill Garner.

The HSL strategy of financing candidate campaigns paid off for them
Since buying the El Conquistador resort in 2015, HSL Properties has developed apartments along Oracle Road. In addition, it has 500 apartments approved for their Oro Valley Marketplace development and is Oro Valley’s largest rental landlord. HSL is currently charged with price fixing rents.

Residents said "No" to developer campaign financing in 2018
Oro Valley residents voted out HSL-supported candidates in the 2018 council election and in 2022 rejected the HSL candidates once again. This occurred despite more than $81,000 of HSL-directed donations to mayoral candidate Sharp and council candidates Rodman, Hurt, and Erceg.

These donations included $32,000 from four HSL family trusts, which constitute campaign finance violations. That matter is currently being investigated by the Pima County Attorney.

Solomon and Greene, HSL-financed current council members, championed high-rise apartments for the Oro Valley Marketplace in 2022
Re-elected in 2020, council member Steve Solomon was the HSL spokesman for their proposed five and six-story apartments at the Oro Valley Marketplace. Dr. Harry “Mo” Greene, newly elected in 2020, provided the necessary second for Solomon’s pro-HSL Oro Valley Marketplace motions and voted with Solomon to approve the Town West / HSL plan for these apartments. Fortunately, the Winfield majority voted down the Solomon-Greene motion and approved two and three-story apartments at the Marketplace. These apartments will be adjacent to the Tangerine Road and Oracle Road scenic corridors.

Now, HSL funds Greene’s re-election campaign
In the first quarter of this year, HSL’s owner and employees contributed $13,050 to “Mo’s” re-election campaign [panel above right]. None of the contributors are residents of Oro Valley. The second quarter campaign finance report may show more.  Even, then, there will be a campaign finance report filed after the election. That may contain more.  For example, Greene reported an added $4,500 recived  from HSL officers and employees after the 2020 election. 

With council member Solomon’s recent announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2024, it looks as if Dr. Greene, if re-elected, will likely be the HSL spokesman on the Oro Valley Town Council. So look for HSL funded campaign ads and thousands of mailers supporting “Mo” and attacking his opponents to help re-elect their main man.
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Editor Note: No other candidate has accepted donations form the development community.

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Respect Campaign Signs: Vandalism is a Felony

Substantial damage to Robb and Bohen signs

It's political season in Oro Valley, and with it comes the unfortunate act of vandalizing candidate signs. We want to remind everyone that tampering with a sign is a felony, with penalties that can include imprisonment, fines, and a permanent criminal record. The cost of replacing damaged signs, often rendered unusable due to damage, adds up. Let's respect the democratic process and each other's property.

In the area of the OVCN

The damaged sign are located in the area of the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene (OVCN). This raises questions about whether this is a general political statement or specifically targeted at those opposing the Concordia Buena Vista group's ongoing effort to prevent OVCN's efforts to build sports facilities in their peaceful neighborhood. We say this because signs opposing the church's efforts have been vandalized in the past. The perpetrator was found by the OVPD.

Regardless of the motive, such acts undermine our community's values and carry serious legal and financial consequences.

Police will be involved

Representatives from the campaigns of Robb and Bohen, whose signs were damaged, and Council Candidate Mary Murphy, have all condemned these actions. We have not spoken with candidate Mo Greene, who is a member of OVCN. These incidents have been reported to the Oro Valley Police, who will investigate and pursue remedies once responsibility is determined.

Let's work together to ensure a fair and respectful political season in Oro Valley.

Meet Council Candidate Elizabeth Robb

Meet Elizabeth Robb in her own words

We met Elizabeth Robb last week with the purpose of providing insights to our readers about who she is and why she decided to run for a council seat in the July election. Here is what she had to say. The words are hers...the subtitles are ours.

A Passion for Education and Community

 "Since the boys were in elementary, I jumped in… started helping with the school, whenever and wherever they needed help and with the PTO. I also got involved with Cub Scouts, I started helping in the High School as a classified substitute teacher."

A business owner of "Elizabeth's Garden"

Robb reminisces about the humble beginnings of her agricultural venture, highlighting her passion for farming and entrepreneurship.  "Elizabeth's Garden started with a garden overflowing with tomatoes... and it's gone crazy from there. Now I've got a whole general store." You have likely have seen her at the town's Saturday Farmer's Market, 

A LOVE of Oro Valley

"The army brought me out here. Then I went to Germany for a couple of years. Then I came back and met my husband and stayed…We already knew we liked this school district. And then we looked at Oro Valley and the area around. I was like, you know, this is perfect." 

A focus on supporting public safety

”We have a fabulous, wonderful, safe community. We've got a great police department. We've been supporting them well. And we need to keep doing that.”

Preserving recreation and open space

 “Oro Valley is a great place for outdoor recreation, and it needs to stay that way. There’s so much fun recreational outdoor activities that people can do of all levels.” Robb reeled off a list to us" "…the aquatic center….playgrounds… parks…archery…Steam Pump Ranch…movies…bike events...We’ve got pickleball, we've got the weight facility that's in the community center, which my son is using. And then we've got all the trails in the mountains and all the trails around town, bike paths. ...You want to find something to do they offer all those classes.”

Assuring our water supply

“We have enough water available as long as we don't overbuild. We need to stay within what our water supply is, keep our water use reasonable, try to preserve it. We live in a desert. And there's lots of issues coming up with water and I don't know any good solutions to, but we'll try and find the best one we possibly can.”

Ensuring responsible development

"No development is not realistic... but we can't have completely out of control development that's going to change the atmosphere and the feel and the function of Oro Valley."

A decision to make a first hand difference

"Over the past three years, I’ve watched the events surrounding the [Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene] request for a sports complex rezoning. I’ve gained insight into how our town operates from this and from my experience in building our garage and interacting with planning and zoning. As a result, I’ve been paying closer attention to Oro Valley's affairs, recognizing various zoning issues and studying town agendas. I realized there's an opportunity for positive change, and I know I can help. My background as a company commander and involvement in brigade and battalion staff have equipped me with experience in meetings, planning, and working with diverse groups. Additionally, my involvement with various committees and organizations, such as PTOs and Boy Scouts, has honed my skills in organizing people and achieving objectives."

Want to learn more?

You can learn more about Elizabeth Robb? Visit her campaign website.

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Bits and Pieces

When it comes to legal advice, Oro Valley is looking more like Tucson

Oro Valley was established with the explicit intention of maintaining independence from the City of Tucson. It is ironic the Town Council reengaged the services of Jonathan Rothschild and his firm. Rothschild, a two-time former Mayor of Tucson, previously demonstrated lack of regard for Oro Valley, as seen in a video clip we posted when he, at one of his Tucson council meetings, he said: "You guys are going to turn into F..ing Oro Valley." 

Despite this, the current council has chosen to involve him in various matters, including the Oro Valley Village Center Economic Development Agreement, the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene rezoning request, and negotiations for the entitlements at Ross Rulney's Vistoso Highlands Drive upcoming apartment project.  Additionally, either Jonathan or his son serve as a parliamentarian at council meetings and provide legal advice during Council meetings. 

With the arrival of a new town manager, one might have expected that the town council also would have taken a fresh look at outside legal advice alternatives. But they did not do so.

July 30 is now the primary date

The primary date for voting in the Oro Valley Town Council election is July 30th. This is a state-mandated change from the August election date. If you are a registered Independent, you need to order a ballot by calling 520-724-6830; otherwise, you will not receive a ballot. Additionally, you can use this number to have your ballot sent to you if you are an Oro Valley registered voter, regardless of party affiliation, but will not be available to vote in person. 

It is likely that the election will be decided in the primary, so there will be no November general election for the council.

Candidates must make sure that signature petitions signatures collected on or after February 9, 2024 have the July 30 Primary Election date and not the original August 6 date. If signatures are challenged, the court [not the Town of Oro Valley] will make any determination about the validity of those signatures. Be safe: Only sign nomination petition forms with the July 30, 2024 Primary Election date so that your signature will count.

Larceny-Theft is Oro Valley's most serious crime by far

A ten year(2013-2022) look at Oro Valley serious crimes shows that Larceny-theft is more than 82% of all Oro Valley serious crimes. They are the bulk of "Part One" crimes (These crimes include both violent and property crimes). This category encompasses a wide range of theft activities including, but not limited to, thefts of bicycles, motor vehicle parts and accessories, shoplifting, pocket-picking, or the stealing of any property or article that is not taken by force and violence or by fraud.

Fortunately, personal crimes such as home burglary, home invasion, housebreaking, and car theft are much less in occurrence, comprising 9% of all violent crimes.  Still, there is an average of 57 of these each year. So... do keep your home and car locked with nothing of value in it.

Lake Meade and Lake Powell water levels improving

Two years of normal winter monsoons in the West have improved the water levels in both Lake Meade and Lake Powell. Both lakes are at about 35% capacity. The entire system sits at 43% capacity. This is before the winter snow melt from the Rocky Mountains.

The system is a long way from recovering from the 20 year drought.  However, this is a start.

Tucson Bicycle Classic is back this month

The Town of Oro Valley is pleased to announce the return of the Tucson Bicycle Classic to our community on Sunday, Feb. 25, from approximately 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Oro Valley race route will be around Naranja Park (810 W. Naranja Drive) and is expected to bring more than 500 professional riders. Some street closures and traffic restrictions will be in effect to ensure the safety of both participants and spectators. Click here for a map.

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Bits and Pieces

Zinkin steps back

Former council member and community activist Mike Zinkin has decided to step back from Oro Valley politics. He will not be running for council in August.  "Since 2005, I've been actively involved in Oro Valley affairs, and now it's time for me to step back and allow new voices to emerge as vigilant observers."  Mike does plan to continue his focus on the massive waste of water that Town uses to irrigate two parks and a golf course. "I will continue to critique the excessive misuse of Oro Valley's drinkable water. This waste is avoidable."  (Source: Email to LOVE)

No end in sight for Town's waste of drinking water

At the moment, it seems that the town council is not focused on this drinking water waste. They're not going to consider extending the reclaimed water system to these southern areas of the town.  We think they're waiting to see what the State is going to do regarding purification of this water and its reintroduction in the drinking water system. In the meantime, over the years (and there will be many of them), the town is going to continue to waste many millions of gallons of drinking water. "With the end of 2023, it's clear that throughout the year, the Town squandered 74,275,000 gallons of our drinking water on their properties. To put this in perspective, this amount could have supplied over 10,600 homes, considering the average household's monthly usage of 7,000 gallons. For comparison, the Canada Hills Community Association comprises about 3,100 homes." (Source: Zinkin Email to LOVE)

Tarris' "Centennial" Trip begins Sunday

Oro Valley resident Tim Tarris and Buchanan Bleeker are on their way around the world in a single engine plane, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first flight around the world. Love will follow the 32 plus day event. Read more about Tim's exciting adventure Tuesday.

Firefighters endorse Murphy for Council

The North Tucson Firefigthers union has endorsed Mary Murphy for town council. They note in their January 20 letter: "You have proven to put public safety at the top of your priority list, and we thank you. Your advocacy for and the understanding of public safety issues is commendable. We believe your experience and authentic desire to better your community makes you a strong candidate for this position. Additionally, your commitment to making sure our town is safe has been unwavering. We look forward to working with you in the needs of the community." (Source: January 20 letter to Mary Murphy)

50th Anniversary Celebration in progress

"The Town of Oro Valley proudly announces its upcoming 50th Anniversary on April 15, 2024. The Town invites residents to join in a year-long celebration filled with exciting events and collaborations with local businesses as we reflect on half a century of history, growth and community.  From community events to historical and arts exhibits, a diverse range of activities has been planned, including a 50th Anniversary Parade on April 6 and a special community celebration on April 13."  Learn more here. (Source: Town of Oro Valley Media Release)

Council Election Campaigns Begin (Updated January 5, 2024)

Update as of January 6

There  six people have picked up candidate packets for the election from the town clerk. They are: Harry "Mo" Greene, Mary Murphy, Tim Bohen, Elizabeth Robb, Sarah Lee-Davisson and Mike Zinkin. Zinkin has informed us that he will not seek a council seat. Greene, Murphy and Bohen are running. We have no confirmation on the status of Davisson and Robb.

Council Candidates are collecting signatures to get on the ballot
2024 Oro Valley Town Council election is underway. There are three council seats for election. These seats are held by current council members Bohen, Greene,and Solomon. Greene and Bohen have announced for reelections. There is a third candidate, Mary Murphy, a former member of the town's Board of Adjustment. 

LOVE plans to cover the election from start to finish

...as we did the when these seats were up for election in 2020. We herby offer each candidate the opportunity to used LOVE's Guest View program to introduce themselves and communicate directly with you. We will also provide links to their web sites (right column) as they become available to us.

468 Signatures required to get on the ballot
Candidates must submit at least 468 valid elector signatures in order to be on the ballot. The signatures ("nomination papers") must be submitted by April 8.  Unlike previous elections, we expect that all candidates will use online as well as in-person signature gathering. 

You can sign an online petition for a candidate, starting the process here. Online requires a valid drivers license or your entering in personal data. Once you have done this, you will be presented with a list of all candidates in the state who are seeking to get on the ballot for other elections. Scroll until you find the Oro Valley election.  You are allowed to sign the petition of up to three Oro Valley candidates. And we encourage you to do so.

Positive campaigns by all candidates...
The 2020 election for these council seats was  marred by dirty tricks. The tricksters were current council members Solomon and Greene. They hired a political consulting firm. They mailed glossy "hit pieces" on candidate Bill Garner. Greene solicited the help of former police chief and former mayor candidate Danny Sharp. Sharp in a glossy mailer was in police uniform when he asserted that Garner was anti-cop. The town issued a letter to Greene to remove that picture. (link to 7-14-20), 

Wait. There's more. Solomon also went so far as to slap stickers on his campaign sign, saying that he was going to "Preserve Vistoso". This implied that that Solomon was endorsed by the group, "Preserve Vistoso". He was not. In fact, Solomon was anything but supportive.  He was one of the people who wanted to parse the entire golf course for development.

Would be "a breath of fresh air"
New candidate Mary Murphy has pledged that she is going to run a positive campaign: "I look forward to running a very positive campaign focused on ways in which I can best serve our wonderful Oro Valley community!" We know that candidate Tim Bohen will do the same. We don't have any confidence that Greene will do the same, the third announced candidate.  We suspect that he will focus his election efforts on going after Bohen, if Solomon is also on the ballot with him. We hope that that will be a failed strategy because we don't think people should be elected because they've slammed the other candidate.

Campaign Financing: "You are judged by the company you keep"
Special interest contributions have dominated campaign funding of pro-growth candidates since 2010. In 2020 we wrote Big money buys access, referring to the substantial special interest funding of the last Solomon and Greene campaign. Since then, both have voted in favor of every proposed rezoning, most of which have been rejected by the council majority.  This, as opposed to Tim Bohen's 2020 campaign which was much more modest in funding and all contributions came from residents. Will the same happen in 2024? In Bohen's case, we know it will.  We suspect Solomon,, if he runs, and Greene will do as they did then.  We have no idea of Mary Murphy's campaign financing plan. In any event, we will be watching when the first meaningful campaign finance reports come out in June.

More to follow as we learn more
Our plan is to keep you informed of any developments as they happen during this 2024 council election season. So stay tuned for more.

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