Bits and Pieces-Election Final

Barrett’s election makes Oro Valley history
Melanie Barrett will become Oro Valley’s 12th mayor when she takes office in November. She is the first woman elected mayor by Oro Valley voters and only the fourth person elected directly to the office. 

Before 1998, the Town Council selected the mayor from among its members. Voters changed that system in 1998, and Paul Loomis became Oro Valley’s first directly elected mayor. Loomis served three terms. He was followed by Satish Hiremath and Joe Winfield, both of whom served two terms. Barrett now begins the next chapter in that history.

Women will hold a record number of council seats
This election also marks another milestone. When the new council is sworn in, five women will serve together on the seven-member governing body: Mayor Melanie Barrett and Councilmembers Rosa Dailey, Mary Murphy, Rhonda Piña and Elizabeth Robb. That will be the largest number of women to serve on the Town Council at one time in Oro Valley’s history. This reflects the increasingly important role women are playing in shaping our community.    

Summer Town elections produce much lower turnout
Approximately 41 percent of registered Oro Valley voters participated in this year’s election. That continues a decline that began after Arizona required municipal elections to be held on the state election calendar. Before the change took effect in 2014, Oro Valley held its primary elections in February or March and, when necessary, runoff elections in May. Turnout in the last competitive mayoral election held under the March-May schedule approached 80 percent. Since elections were moved to the summer, turnout in Oro Valley mayoral elections has averaged approximately 48 percent.

Many factors affect participation. Under Oro Valley’s former election schedule, every registered voter automatically received a ballot, regardless of party affiliation. Now, because the Town election is conducted as part of the partisan state primary, independent voters must request a ballot before they can vote in Oro Valley’s nonpartisan election. That additional step appears to contribute to lower turnout. How many of Oro Valley’s approximately 12,000 registered independent voters requested and returned a ballot this year? The answer may tell us a great deal about future municipal elections.

The campaign is over. Now comes governing
Every election sends a message. The message from this one appears to be that most Oro Valley voters are satisfied with the Town’s current direction. Barrett won the mayoral race decisively, while Dailey and Matt Wood, both of whom campaigned on continuing many of the Town’s current policies, also earned seats on the Council. Although the candidates differed on specific issues, voters generally chose experience and continuity over calls for major change. 

Campaigns naturally focus on differences. Governing requires finding common ground. We are confident that Mayor Barrett will be able to do this. Beginning in November, the new mayor and council will face important decisions involving the Town’s budget, water resources, economic development, public safety and the preservation of Oro Valley’s quality of life. 

The campaign is over. 

The work of governing begins in November.

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LOVE Exclusive: HSL Money Poured Into Rodman and Solomon 2016 Campaign

This is the third of a three part series on the influence of developer and contractor donations on Oro Valley politics. Our first article covered the special funding of the 2014 campaign.  Our second article discussed the special interest donations in the recall election of 2015 and in the primary election of 2018. This final article focuses on the special interest money that poured into the Rodman and Solomon candidacies in 2016. 
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The 2016 election of Bill Rodman and Steve Solomon
2016 was the only year between 2014 and 2018 in which Mayor Hiremath and his council majority were not on the ballot. There were six candidates that year. Three were incumbents. The incumbents raised a total of a few thousand dollars for that election.  Bill Rodman and Steve Solomon raised $47,600.

91% of Rodman and Solomon contributions came from special interest developers and contractors
In 2016, then candidates Bill Rodman and Steve Solomon were introduced to the big money special interests that Mayor Hiremath and his majority had solicited for the 2014 and 2015 elections.  Rodman and Solomon drank from this well of money. They took a huge gulp.

76% of Rodman and Solomon contributions were from HSL Properties
HSL Properties is the company that had so generously donated to the campaigns of Mayor Hiremath and his majority council members.

Somehow, current council members Rodman and Solomon had found the same "pot of gold" that Hiremath had uncovered in 2013; a source so rich that it literally financed all Oro Valley council majority campaigns from 2014 to 2018.

Two building related PACS further emphasized their funding financial dependence on the developer community. Rodman and Solomon each received $1,000 from the Southern Arizona Realtors PAC and $250 from the Southern Arizona Homebuilders Association (SAHBA).

Rodman and Solomon virtually had no public financial support
What is also striking is the lack of general public financial support of either candidate. Solomon received $33.38 while Rodman raised $925 from the public. Seven donors were listed on his report. Only three had residences listed as Oro Valley.

Does the past behavior predict future behavior?
Is it likely that Candidates Rodman and Solomon will raise funds from the special interest community for this election? It is, if past behavior predicts future behavior. We won't know who are their contributors until they file their campaign finance reports. One report is due at the end of this month. The other is due before the August election. Even then, we're not sure that information is accurate. Our review of the election reports revealed that information is sometimes left off of these reports, information that is reported later as amended campaign election reports.

So do stay tuned on this.

We will review and report what we learn when we learn it.
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Source: The campaign financing information in these three articles was from the campaign finance reports filed by the candidates. There were about a hundred of these. A few of them were clear and concise. Many reports, especially those of Mayor Hiremath, were difficult to follow. Sometimes, the information on current contributions was in the wrong column; or the contributions called "campaign to date" were wrong. In some instances the "occupation" of the contributor was incorrect or their affiliated employer was wrong. We don't know nor did we ask if these reports are reviewed and audited by the town. But they should be audited and verified before being accepted.

LOVE Exclusive: How Special Interests Can Corrupt Oro Valley Politicians

This is the first of a three part series on the influence of developer and contractor donations on Oro Valley politics
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Satish Hiremath introduced big money fundraising in 2010
Satish Hiremath introduced Oro Valley to the power of money in small town elections in 2010, He funded his campaign at a level five times greater than his opponent. Hiremath raised more than $45,000:

$20,000 from personal loans, which his PAC later repaid

$13,000 from special interests contributors

$12,000 from family and individual contributors

Hiremath won the election by less that fifty votes.

2013: First time HSL donates to Hiremath campaign
Many more donation were to follow.

2012: End of Innocence
In 2012, Hiremath got a taste of developer money as Diamond Ventures entered the scene.

In 2013, HSL Properties jumped on board (panel right).

This was the beginning of the end of innocence in Oro Valley fund raising. What was once a very pleasant, peaceful community was about to become a Developer paradise. Every general plan amendment and just about every zoning change was approved by council from 2010 through 2018.

$59,300 in developer money bought the 2014 election
In 2014. Mayor Hiremath and incumbent council members Hornat, Snider and Waters practiced the big money campaign finance model. This time special interest contributors kicked in $59,300. This was a four fold increase from 2010.

2014 Donations to Hiremath Majority

The top five donors (panel left) pumped $59,300 into the campaign of the incumbents. This is 76% of all contributions from individuals.

They did this at a time when these donors had continuing business dealings with the town, dealings that required council approval.

Here's the big one....

August 2014: Hiremath extols concept of community center... HSL becomes a "community partner"
On August 7, 2014, during a 2014 candidate forum, Hiremath extolled the virtue of Oro Valley having a community center.

At that time, LOVE asked if Hiremath had an epiphany. Up to then, the only council member who had even mentioned the need for a community center was current council candidate, then council member Bill Garner.

We reported in 2013: "Council Member Bill Garner has been advocating for a community center for years. His calls have been ignored by the Majority-4. 'I've been investigating a public/private partnership that could put a community center at Steam Pump Ranch,'" 

Now, suddenly, a community center was Hiremath's idea.  According to Hiremath speaking at the forum: "I'm in dialogue with other community partners about maybe doing something of a community center." (Source: Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum) "

The HSL Community Center
The "other community partner" to whom Hiremath had referred was HSL Properties. HSL was negotiating the purchase of the El Conquistador Resort. They needed to shed the golf courses in order to make the deal financially advantageous for them. At the same time, they wanted to retain five-star resort status. This meant that they needed to be able to offer golf.  The deal they cut with the Town of Oro Valley gave them both.

What Hiremath did not say at that forum was that the "community center" was a clubhouse that served the El Conquistador Country Club, that  the country club was part of the deal and that the seller was his biggest campaign contributor. He also failed to share this salient information during LOVE's September interview with him.

The result of all of this was a 2015 Recall Election and even more special interest money. That's our story next time.
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Five Key Election Factors: #5 A "Straight Up" Election

This is the first posting of our analysis of the 2018 Oro Valley Mayoral Election. There will be 5 in total, one each for the 5 factors that impacted the election
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Factor 5: This was a "straight-up" election
The 2018 Oro Valley election was marked with excellent voter turnout, led by an energized electorate. This election was the first since 2006 where two candidates faced-off in election without any intervening factors. It was a "straight up" election. The result: challenger and now Mayor-elect Joe Winfield garnered a whopping 59% of the vote.

The past 3 Mayoral elections (2010, 2014 and 2015) were tainted for three different reasons.
May 2010
Hiremath benefited from what we believe to have been "ballot harvesting". That is the practice of bringing batches of 'voted' mail-in ballots to the polls. It is now an illegal practice.  These ballots are counted after the election. They are provisional ballots.

Recall that Hiremath defeated Mike Zinkin by 30 votes. Hiremath won only because provisional votes, those harvested and dropped at the polling places, broke almost entirely in Hiremath's favor. Strange?Were the ballots influenced in some fashion? Something was wrong, but it never was investigated.

August 2014
Hiremath benefited from a change in the timing of the election. The election was moved from February to August, per state law. Almost 4,000 fewer votes were cast in that election than in 2010. Most independent voters never received ballots. It was a partisan election. The ratio of votes cast in Hiremaths' favor, 62%, approximately mirrored the ratio of registered republicans to democrats in Oro Valley at that time.

August 2015
Hiremath benefited from voter confusion regarding Joe Winfield's withdrawal from the Mayoral race. Winfield had graciously withdrawn to allow support to coalesce around challenger Pat Straney. He withdrew after ballots were printed. Thus, his name was on the ballot. Hiremath barely earned 50% of the 14,800 mayoral votes cast.

The 2018 election was different story
This election was the first time that Hiremath faced a single candidate at a time when "ballot harvesting" was illegal! Add to this the fact that, by 2018, Oro Valley independent voters, with the help of the county recorder and substantial social media notice, actually knew they were supposed to request ballots.  They did so. The result: Mayor-Elect Joe Winfield earned 59% of record number of more than 15,000 mayoral votes cast.
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Next up
Factor 4: You can "dress-up the pig" but it is still a pig

2018 Election In Pictures: "Sea Change"

"Sea Change"
The 2018 Oro Valley Mayoral Election was marked by a major swing in votes away from Mayor Hiremath. This downward swing was a continuation of what happened during the 2015 recall election, an election he won by a mere 400 plus votes.

From 2014, when he easily defeated his opponent, to 2018, when he was resoundingly defeated,  the vote swing away from Mayor Hiremath was more than 5,300 votes. That represents a "sea change" in the way voters perceived the Mayor.

One of the other takeaways from this chart is that Mayor Hiremath's cumulative vote margin in four elections was negative: -232 votes. Yes. Mayor Hiremath won three elections but lost the fourth by such a significant margin that it wiped out  all of his margins of previous election victories.
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Guest View: Jack Stinnett ~ How Special Interests have influenced our Town Council elections

Just since 2014, developers and special interests have contributed a quarter of a million dollars to influence the elections of Oro Valley’s mayor and council. So far it has worked to allow their candidates to control our town and approve every developer requested General Plan amendment and rezoning.

Town Council decisions allowing rampant over-development is viewed by many as being a direct result of developers and special interest money buying our small town elections. Below is the sequence of events that has caused our town to fall prey to outside big money influence.

2010 Election
This was Hiremath’s first run for mayor and he funded his campaign at a level 5 times greater than his opponent. Hiremath raised over $45,000, (some from personal loans) and $13,000 from special interests. Despite this advantage, Hiremath won the 2010 election by only 30 votes. His campaign later repaid his personal and family loans.

2014 Election
In the 2014 election, Mayor Hiremath and Councilmembers Hornat, Snider, and Waters ran as a team who knew “what was best for Oro Valley.” Hiremath was opposed by Patrick Straney. Donald Bristow was the only opposing council candidate.

Hiremath-Hornat-Snider-Waters had now learned the campaign finance model, as did the developer, builder, and real estate community. This time, special interests kicked in $59,000 (a four-fold increase from 2010) for a second term of their team who knew “what was best for Oro Valley."

The Top 5 Donors in the 2014 Election were: [click to enlarge]

The special interest funded candidates won re-election. Why was this unheard of level of Special Interest funding needed to fend off two first time candidates -- and two incumbent council candidates who were effectively running unopposed?

2015 Recall Election
In the 2015 Recall election of Hiremath-Hornat-Snider-Waters, special interests once again contributed heavily to keep their council in office. Humberto Lopez (HSL Properties), the HSL Family trust, and HSL employee Omar Morales donated $24,000 to defend Hiremath-Hornat-Snider-Waters against four recall opponents.

Through the October 15, 2015 campaign finance report, Mayor Hiremath alone had raised $104,000 and spent $101,323 to retain his office against challenger Patrick Straney. Despite Hiremath outspending Straney by 15 to 1, Hiremath won with only 51% of the vote.

2016 Council Election
In the 2016 election, candidates Rhonda Pina, Bill Rodman, and Steve Solomon defeated incumbents Zinkin, Garner, and Burns, effectively giving Mayor Hiremath a 7-0 council. Zinkin, Garner, and Burns had refused to accept donations from special interests and were heavily outspent as a result. Once again, the special interest funded challengers won the election.

The result of three special interest funded elections (2014-2015-2016)
During the period 2014 through 2016, special interests funded Mayor Hiremath and our six elected council members to create an unassailable 7-0 council majority. Since the new council took office in November 2016, over 90% of all decisions have been 7-0 votes, with many items agreed prior to council meetings by "consent agenda" and never discussed in public. Not one developer requested rezoning or General Plan amendment has been denied by the Oro Valley mayor and council.

The Top Donors to Mayor Hiremath and the current council from 2014 to 2016 were: [click to enlarge]

2018 Primary Election
Now running for a third term, Hiremath-Hornat-Snider-Waters reported $61,580 in campaign contributions during the 2nd quarter reporting period [April 29 - June 30]. (Editor’s Note: Campaign Finance Reports through August 11th reveal that the incumbents raised an additional $35,581 since the June 30th reporting period.)

Further inspection reveals that over 90% of this amount came from developers, landowners, and other special interests expecting to do business with or in Oro Valley.

As of the June 30th reporting period, the incumbents raised less than $2,000 from Oro Valley residents. That’s not nearly enough to pay for the multiple glossy, multicolor mailers we have received, much less the multiple full page ads in the Explorer.

So when you receive all their promotional material, recognize that it is coming from special interest contributions to influence your vote to keep the status quo for them.

Let’s vote ‘em out.

Editor’s Note: For more information on the updated Campaign Finance Reports, please scroll down to read our Special Saturday Edition that you may have missed since we don’t normally publish on the weekends.

Councilmember Steve Solomon threatens three Oro Valley women. Part 1.

Over the past couple of months, LOVE has received information about three Oro Valley women who have received threats from Oro Valley Town Councilmember Steve Solomon. Part 1 will discuss the face-to-face threats that he made to two of these women. Part 2 will discuss the email threat that he made to a third woman.

In order to protect the privacy of the two women who were physically approached and who are currently weighing their options for dealing with this situation, LOVE is only going to report on what happened and not release the names of the “victims” at this time.

Solomon vs. the First Amendment
In all three cases, Solomon launched completely uncalled for and out-of-control attacks on all three women due to these women commenting that they believe that wealthy special interest campaign contributions to the current Town Council are influencing Council decisions in favor of these special interest donors. The women have a First Amendment right to state their opinions.

The public incidents
Accounts of these incidents included Solomon acting like a maniac with his face contorted and twisted up as he yelled verbally abusive comments and threatened to sue each woman for slander. He asserted that their comments equated to accusing him of the felony act of bribery. Of note is that no one has accused him or any other council member of doing anything illegal…just unethical.

Hence, we think Solomon doth protest too much. He sure isn’t acting like an innocent person. He’s acting like an animal whose been cornered.

Evidence of developer influence
All one has to do is to look at the Campaign Finance Reports from council elections in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018 and compare it with Town Council meeting minutes to see that the wealthy developer donors have been getting all of their General Plan Amendments and rezoning requests approved despite vocal opposition from numerous well-organized residents who have repeatedly presented valid and well-researched arguments before this Council.

In every single instance, the Council sides with the developers and builders who have funded their campaigns. How can it be that the residents are wrong every. single. time? The law of averages does not support this notion.

What other conclusion can a person draw than to believe that there is a symbiotic relationship between developers and builders who need the Town Council to approve their development proposals and Town Council members who need those special interest donations in order to fund their campaigns.

Solomon puts the “mean” in demeanor
These three women are not the only Oro Valley residents who have made this observation. Numerous Oro Valley residents have made the same comments in Letters to the Editor and also when speaking at Town Council meetings over the past few years.

Not once has any Town Council member felt the need to retaliate by verbally accosting any of these residents or threatening them with lawsuits…until now…until Steve Solomon…and he has chosen to threaten only the women, despite numerous men having made the same observations. We’ll leave it up to our readers to determine why that might be.

LOVE has previously warned Oro Valley residents that Steve Solomon did not have the demeanor to be a council member as we had already witnessed his bullying behavior during his prior brief stint on council from 2010 to 2012. He hasn’t changed and his brutish and bullying behavior appears to have only gotten worse.

How have other Council members handled the same allegations?
As stated above, no other Town Council member has felt the need to retaliate by verbally accosting any of these residents or threatening them with lawsuits. Whenever the topic of special interest donations has come up in the past, the incumbents brush it off by simply stating that the accusations are not true. The only Council member who attempted to defend himself, was Councilmember Joe Hornat who stated with civility that there is nothing in it for him to cater to these special interests. While we appreciate his civility in addressing the topic, we disagree with his conclusions.

An inter-dependent relationship
LOVE will now explain exactly what’s in it for the council members.

Example: Bruce the Builder donates $10,000 to your 2014 campaign because he believes that he can count on you to represent him and his financial interests. If he’s right, Bruce the Builder will recoup that $10,000 donation many times over.

The well-financed councilmembers then vote to approve every development proposal, General Plan Amendment, and rezoning that Bruce the Builder requests over the next four years, allowing him to spread his cookie-cutter homes all over the land. Bruce the Builder’s $10,000 donation served him so well that he will now donate another $10,000 to each of the incumbents 2018 re-election campaigns. Wash, rinse, repeat.

That’s what’s in it for the council members. If they do the bidding of the wealthy special interests who funded their first campaign, those wealthy special interests will continue to fund every campaign. It’s an inter-dependent relationship.

This would explain why it’s the same wealthy members of the development community who donate substantial sums to the incumbents every election season. It’s not rocket science.

We just wonder why Steve Solomon is the only one who was so threatened by these comments that he felt it necessary to verbally assault and threaten two women (one of whom is elderly).

This is what he does best?
LOVE would like to remind our readers of some of the assertions that Steve Solomon made when he was running for Town Council in 2016.

• I am running for Town Council to bring civility, professionalism, collaboration, and positive forward momentum back to our community and Town Government. [Explorer Newspaper, June 8, 2016]

• Practicing civility and finding common ground are what I do best. [Facebook page, Solomon for Oro Valley Town Council, July 29, 2016]

We’d say that Solomon needs more practice. Does verbally assaulting people and threatening them with lawsuits for engaging in their First Amendment rights sound like the actions of someone who practices civility?

Part 2 will be published later this week and will discuss the threat that Steve Solomon made in an email to another Oro Valley resident.

Bits and Pieces

Beware Of What You Write
There have been some pretty outrageous comments posted by some over the years. The comments have been so outrageous that at one time we closed commenting and blocked some commenters from posting. Our latest move is that we allow commenting for one day only.

Now that the election is over, we expect things to cool down.

Its a good time to reflect on what we write when we comment.

It is the anonymous nature of commenting that promotes outrageous comments. Would people actually say some of the things they say simply if they had to sign their name to it?  We don't think so.

Anonymous commenting does not exempt the commenter from potential liability. There is a case pending in Illinois which illustrates just that.

Essentially, if cause can be shown, the courts can issue orders that compel LOVE, our blogging provider Disqus, and your internet provider to provide information on you. Ultimately, it will be your internet provider who will identify you because it is likely that you use their "IPAddress" when you use their system.

So, our advice is to never put yourself in a situation in which you make comments that are specific to an individual, alleging facts the you can not absolutely prove.

Want to know more? Read the Illinois case to learn more about the law and the process.

Long Realty Reports Oro Valley October Home Sales
"In the Oro Valley area, October 2015 active inventory was 282, an 18% decrease from October 2014. There were 57 closings in October 2015, a 2% decrease from October 2014. Year-to-date 2015 there were 680 closings, a 12% increase from year-to-date 2014. Months of Inventory was 4.9, down from 5.9 in October 2014. Median price of sold homes was $275,000 for the month of October 2015, up 15% from October 2014. The Oro Valley area had 70 new properties under contract in October 2015, up 21% from October 2014." (Long Realty Housing Report, November 2015)

No hand count of any recall election
There was no hand count of any of the Oro Valley recall elections. The Oro Valley Town Council authorized the hand count only if the county to meet four conditions.

"The [Pima County] board of supervisors had directed the elections department to conduct a hand count of one of the races in the Oro Valley recall election as well, but the race was not included because county officials said two of the town’s four requirements could not be met.

The town had asked that the county make certain results of the hand count not be used to affect the election outcome and for Pima County to pay any associated costs.

 The county agreed, but could not meet demands that full assurances were given from the Arizona Attorney General and Secretary of State offices that the county had legal authority to conduct the hand counts, and that if any lawsuits related to the audit were filed the county would be released from the legal claims."  (Source)

Guest View: Shirl Lamonna: Your Right To Vote For Qualified Candidates Overthrown

Voting is out cherished right
The "Right To Vote" is one of the most cherished rights of citizenship in the United States. Women in the Suffrage movement fought hard for this right. Some were arrested and placed in solitary confinement in prison. And when they went on hunger strikes to protest this unfair treatment, they were force-fed for as long as three weeks. The public was outraged and after fighting for voting rights for nearly 100 years, American women exercised their right to vote for the first time in 1920.

Oro Valley Council Candidate Lamonna

Nearly 100 years later, our fight is to ensure the security and integrity of the election process. There are many examples of attempts to steal elections throughout history. For example, 135 percent of eligible voters turned out for an 1844 election in New York and more than 5,000 fraudulent absentee ballots were overturned in the 1997 Miami mayor’s race.

Getting candidate nomination papers right matters
But even before the actual elections, there can be problems with the nomination petitions that are a requirement for a candidate to get on the ballot. In 2014, 396 challenges were filed against nomination petitions for potential City Committee candidates in Philadelphia.

Here in the Oro Valley Recall election, local resident Don Bristow filed a challenge against the nomination petitions of Douglas Burke. Burke is running for Mary Snider’s seat and I am also a candidate for that seat.

Oro Valley resident DoBristow challenged Burke's nomonation papers for good reason: The papers were not right!
Bristow was concerned with Burke’s late entry into the recall election. It simply didn’t make sense as Burke had not been involved in town politics before then. So he requested copies of Burke’s nomination petitions in order to verify the integrity of the signatures. He found a number of signatures were invalid because the people who signed did not live in Oro Valley, were not registered to vote, did not include the required date of signature or had previously signed my petitions.

Bristow also discovered that, in addition to these other errors, the backs of the petitions were entirely missing the State required affidavits. Bristow immediately consulted the Pima County Recorder’s Office and an attorney on the process to file challenges. He filed the challenge in Pima County Superior Court three days prior to the statutory deadline.

There is no dispute: Burke did not follow the filing rules
I contributed to funding this challenge of Burke’s candidacy because, based on the law and Bristow’s fact finding, Burke should not have been allowed to be on the ballot.

Both the Town and the County’s motions to dismiss the challenge were denied. Court documents state “There was no dispute that Burke’s petitions did not have any certification on the back page.” The documents further state that the Town Clerk had discovered the errors shortly after Burke submitted his petitions and left her office, but he was never notified. Burke did not dispute any facts of the case.

Ultimately, the Judge declared the challenge “moot” on the basis that it was filed too late. The Judge chose to ignore the statutory deadline. Instead, he chose to allow the election to proceed as is.

The Judge based his decision on testimony from Pima County that the election had already begun. They had already emailed 30 early ballots to military families overseas of which four had been returned. According to the County, a redo would create a great logistical nightmare!

Therefore, Burke is on the ballot despite court findings that his petitions were missing the required certification.

An invalid candidate should not be on the ballot
I believe in the purity of elections; that it is the fundamental right of every Oro Valley resident to vote and to have their vote count. Invalid candidates should never appear on a ballot regardless of who they run against.

My financial contribution to the court challenge was not with nefarious intent as some would lead you to believe. I was a citizen confronted with evidence of errors and the possibility of electoral misconduct. So I did what I felt was necessary to ensure that your right to vote for qualified candidates was not overthrown.

The fact that Burke is one of my two opponents in this race is not the point. Rather, I believe that ballots should contain only the names of candidates who follow the rules of submission for nomination petitions. Otherwise, anyone would be able to get on the ballot.

The filing rules apply to all
I followed the filing rules. So did candidates Steve Didio, Ryan Hurtung, and Pat Straney. None of us decided to ignore a submission rule because, as Burke testified, he “didn’t think it applied” to him.

There are some who will always choose to criticize those of us who do the right thing. They would prefer that we “go with the flow” or “go along to get along.” That’s why Oro Valley – in fact the entire country – is so upset with politics today. That misguided attitude leads to disenfranchised residents whose needs are never considered.

So despite the outcome, I stand by my decision to support the challenge and protect the democratic voting process in Oro Valley. I will always adhere to these standards.

I believe everyone should have a choice and a voice. Vote for honesty and transparency in the November recall election. Vote for someone who will stand up for you and work to end the divisiveness in our Town.

I am Your Choice for a Voice
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Don Cox' Triple E Pac Flyer: "Elections Matter" Hits The Streets

Oro Valley resident and chief new candidate attacker Don Cox sent, through his Triple E Pac, a four page mailer alleging "stuff" about the new candidates.  So, we asked the candidates to comment on Cox' assertions and we checked the facts:

Steve Didio
Allegation:
He fought against the reorganization of Coyote Run
Response: "As many of you know, I am the father of a severely handicapped son, Cameron, age 27 (photo attached). My wife Nan and I have dedicated ourselves to putting his needs first in all respects. Cam is our only child, and has brought us many blessings and much pride through the years. It has been an inspiration to both of us watching him overcome the many significant challenges he faces on a daily basis.

Steve and Cam
Using Dial-A-Ride

And many of you have heard me discuss the town’s transportation service for the elderly and disabled, formerly known as Coyote Run, and now called sun Shuttle Dial-a-Ride. Since 2010, Nan and I, along with a strong group of advocates for this service, have worked very hard to retain and continually improve this service for Oro Valley.

The current Mayor wanted to shut down Coyote Run in 2010 and 2011, and “The Friends of Coyote Run” prevented this from happening through hard work and advocacy for seniors and the disabled. We are all very proud of the fact that our actions saved Coyote Run, the jobs of the drivers and staff, and enabled the development of service we have today.
LOVE Fact Check
Didio's response is exactly as it happened. You can read our reports on this as they were written back then.. (Source) Didio had a right to be  upset that the Mayor and his fellow majority so quickly tried to eliminate this service without any consideration of the needy. It was council member Bill Garner who "saved the day" by identifying a source for funding this critical service after the Majority-4 had voted to cut the service.

Ryan Hartung
Allegation:
Did not vote in last town election
Response:  "It's true, I did not vote in the previous election. I'm fairly certain that Don Cox only mentioned the last election because he saw I did vote in the ones before that. The reason I didn't vote in the last election is that, although I did not like what Hiremath, Waters, Hornat and Snider were doing to Oro Valley, I did not feel a connection to Pat Straney and Don Bristow or know if they would be any better. I only vote if I feel I am properly informed or fully support a candidate running. However, having worked with Don Bristow extensively on the recall and with Pat Straney during this election, I have found them to be two of the most informed people in Oro Valley and knowing what I know now I would vote for either of them in a heartbeat."
LOVE Comment
Seems to us that Hartung exhibited good judgment by not voting last August. At that time, he probably was registered as an independent and probably didn't get a ballot.  (See Straney LOVE Fact Check) Not voting in an election when you don't like the incumbents and don't know the challengers demonstrates good judgment.

Shirl Lamonna
Allegation:
Botched a referendum
Response: 
"It is truly unfortunate that the people of Oro Valley did not get to vote on the purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club, Golf and Tennis Facilities. We secured more than 3,000 signatures to make a referendum on this purchase possible - but our effort was thwarted by a simple "serial number." It was a mistake that anyone could have made. Certainly the town clerk could have clarified that "number" meant "serial number" when we first took out the petitions.

The only recourse after the referendum failed was a recall effort. Again, the community came out in droves to sign recall petitions for those who made the decision to buy this financial albatross.

In the end, this election finally gives Oro Valley residents a voice in the matter. I am 'your choice for a voice' in this election."
 LOVE Fact Check
Shirl Lamonna stood up for the thousands of Oro Valley residents who opposed the purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club. She and others spent thousands of hours getting thousands of signatures only to have them rejected because the Oro Valley Town Clerk had, we believe deliberately, knew but did not tell Lamonna or the other organizers the correct serial number to put on the petitions. The clerk could have told her that when Lamonna took out the petitions. Though the court upheld the clerk's right to do that, there is something so wrong about that.

Pat Straney
Allegation:
Lost the last town election for Mayor.
Response:
"That was then. This is now. This is a recall election. It is about the poor judgment of the current mayor in leading the purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club, raising our sales tax to pay for enormous losses and then forcing all of this on the people of our community with yet another 4-3 vote with the support of 3 council members who also have been recalled. They did this after the last election. Their actions and their cavalier disregard of the concerns of many in our community is what makes this election different. The publics’ trust has been violated and as a result this time is going to be different.”
LOVE Fact Check
The August 2014 election was flawed because independent voters did not receive ballots unless they had requested them. Most did not request the ballot:

"The election was remarkable in that voter turnout was exceptionally low. Only 12% of Oro Valley's 12,769 poll eligible voters voted. Only 54% of those who received mail-in ballots bothered to vote. In the 2010 Mayoral election, 14,766 votes were cast. In this election, 9,263 votes were cast. That is a difference was 5,503 fewer votes cast. That is astounding." (Source: LOVE 8-27-14)

Besides, a person who runs for a position a second time, after losing the first time, is demonstrating grit and character, two characteristics critical to the role of Mayor.

Pat Straney and Shirl Lamonna
Allegation:
Sued Town Of Oro Valley for allowing other candidates on the ballot
LOVE Fact Check:
The other candidates did not comply with the rules for filing their petitons. The only  way to insure that candidates on the ballot are valid candidates is for someone petition the courts for a decision.

Candidate Burke did not submit sufficient valid signatures to be on the ballot. Yet, he is on the ballot because the town did nothing but count the number of signatures before approving them. This is all they were legally required to do.

As you will read from a guest view from Lamonna that LOVE will publish Wednesday, she helped finance the suit to protect the integrity of the election process, once again demonstrating that she is quite willing to stand up for the people of Oro Valley.

Oro Valley's Heroes: There They Go Again

There they go again
We are always appalled that the police and the firefighters weigh-in on one side in our local Oro Valley elections.

They did it in 2010.

They did it in 2014.

They are doing it again with their expensive post cards in 2015.

It is the same stuff every time.

The Majority-4 "protect us. So we have their backs."

Front of postcard

Back of postcard

The latest entry into politics is a 4-color, 2-sided postcard mailing. The card supports the incumbents.

The text would infer that something terrible is going to happen to the firefighters and the police if the Majority-4 are not elected.

This is not so.

The recall election has nothing to do with public safety.

Town council members have no authority over the firefighters. The firefighters are a separate taxing district. They have no "stake" in the election. We suspect that their support is nothing more than a "red herring" in support of their police brothers.

All candidates have voiced strong support of the police
Nothing bad is going to happen to public safety if candidates Didio, Straney, Hartung, and Lamonna are elected.  To think otherwise is wrong. These candidates have voiced their support of public safety.

How Oro Valley's Fraternal Order of Police skirt the Hatch Act
The police are supposed to be "Oro Valley's Heroes." Yet, their support of one side of this election says that they are nothing special. In fact, this particular postcard shows just how "misleading" they can be.

The law governing a public employees participation in the political process is the "Hatch Act."

There are certain political activities on the part of a public employee that are not permitted. This, according to the Fraternal Order of Police ("FOP").

One could misinterpret that there are Hatch Act violations with the mailing of this postcard.

Yes. The picture on the back of the postcard is that of a female, whose shirt says: "Oro Valley Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #53." She writes an endorsement of the candidates on the postcard's back.

Her name is Shawn Benjamin. She also has a video that you can watch which endorses the Majority-4.  In that video, Benjamin states that she is a retired police officer. She is also an FOP representative. If, indeed, she is retired, then she is not subject to the Hatch Act. She is acting within the law.

One might also think that there is a Hatch Act violation on the front of the postcard. There, we see a person's picture standing in front of a what looks like police car. The individual is wearing a shirt that has the logo of the Town of Oro Valley.  Certainly, one might conclude, this must be a violation of the hatch act.

But wait! Is that really an official Oro Valley uniform? Where, for example, is the badge. How about a hat?  Is that really an official Oro Valley police car? Where's the logo on the car the identifies it as such? Is that really an officer of the Oro Valley Police Department?

The postcard may be legal but it is most certainly not ethical
So, one can reasonably conclude, that there is no legal violation.  But, one could also conclude that there is an ethical violation on the part of Oro Valley's heroes by sponsoring a post card in support of the incumbents that is a clear attempt to deceive and a clear effort to "skirt the law". This would be considered "sleazy behavior" if any ordinary citizen did this. But, when the cops do it, there is a special message saying to all: "This type of behavior is really OK."

Follow the money
Who is on council matters a great deal to the police because they report directly to council and their wage and working conditions agreement is approved by council.

The police are the only Oro Valley town department whose head, Chief Sharp, reports directly to town council. The police have a "memorandum of understanding" ("MOU") that governs their wage and working conditions. Other town employees have no such special agreement. The police "union" negotiates this MOU with the town. Then the council approves it. This MOU was annually negotiated until last year, when the Majority-4 approved a measure to make it a 2-year agreement. The next negotiating cycle begins shortly for a 2-year agreement that will be in effect for fiscal 2017 and 2016.

It's not a good thing when the police take sides
By supporting one group, the FOP, and by inference, the Oro Valley Police Department, antagonizes another group. The police are certainly not hero's to those antagonized.  We doubt that the Oro Valley police will win over friends at the "coffee with a cop" by taking sides in this, or any other election.

Is it ethically wrong for the police to take sides in the Oro Valley election?

You tell us.
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Heather' Corner: Happy Holidays, Oro Valley

It is the end of another year and we've had a great one Oro Valley. From the Fall Festival to the Christmas parade, from elections to the General Plan, it has been a tremendous year indeed. As time nears the end of 2014, and we are doing our part in the hustle and bustle of consumerism, or perhaps struggling to do so, I thought I would share a poignant photograph as we temporarily leave you for our holiday break.

"New Shoes," by Gerald Waller, 1946

Six year old Werfel, living in an orphanage in Austria, hugs a new pair of shoes given to him by the American Red Cross. Published by Life Magazine, the photo shows the excitement of a child from the simplicity, yet necessity, of a new pair of shoes during World War II. May we all be reminded to find pleasures in the little things of life.

I'd like to sign off with a quote I find befitting, taken from one of my family's favorite holiday traditions, "A Charlie Brown Christmas." For those who have not engaged in the cartoon special, Charlie Brown on his quest for the true meaning of Christmas, picks what is undoubtedly the saddest looking tree on the lot. And true to form, the optimistic character of the bunch, Linus Van Pelt, otherwise known as Linus, shares his hope and cheer for the underwhelmed holiday symbol:

"I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love."

Well said Linus. Maybe this holiday, we all just need a little love. So from our L.O.V.E family to yours Oro Valley, happy holiday. We will see you December 29.

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Heather Nenadovich has lived in Oro Valley a total of five years. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Her husband is Canadian so she is a hockey fan by default and so are her two very clever children. When not being a mommy, she enjoys hiking in Catalina State Park, hand building pottery, and gardening. Her favorite things about living in Oro Valley are the towns recognition of art and culture, their commitment to preserving nature and the Christmas parade. (Also anything from GMG Chinese Bistro.)

Bits and Pieces

Solomon For The Incumbents

Former Oro Valley Appointed Council Member Steve Solomon was soundly defeated in the 2012 election by the minority-3.  Solomon had been appointed to council by Majority-4.  Tuesday, Solomon sent an email to his mailing list endorsing the Majority-4.
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You Did "Request" An Early Ballot, Right?

Ballots went out yesterday. You should be getting your's very shortly assuming that you did ask for one. (see right panel)

Nearly 16,000 Independents in Pima County have requested early ballots. This is a record, acceding to the recorder's office. (Source)  This is not surprising to us given that the State of Arizona (foolishly) required no chartered cities, like Oro Valley, to mix partisan primaries with non partisan elections, like the Oro Valley Mayoral and Council elections.
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Roseanne Roseannadana

"Its So Funny I Forgot To Laugh"

The Arizona Daily Star's uber-liberal cartoonist David Fitzpatrick likes to poke fun at Oro Valley:

"Oro Valley. 10,000 Seniors, 3 Safeways, and a speed trap. Oro Valley needs the speed trap. The ticket revenues fund the Viagra Overdose Hotline."

"Oro Valley. It’s so new. The only thing built in the last century are the residents. And they’re constantly having to repair their plumbing."

"Oro Valley. Oro is spanish for gold. Where’s the gold? All 327 Urology clinics."

And how about this knee-slapper:

"Oro Valley is a gold mine for traffic cops. The number one excuse? “I’m late for my colonoscopy.” The number two excuse? “Number two.” I’ll give the motorcycle cops credit. They’ve learned to write tickets fast. (Source)

Obviously, "Fitz" has a fixation with human plumbing!

As Roseanne Roseannadana (Gildner Rander of SNL) use to say: "It's so funny I forgot to laugh."
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High Visibility Enforcement (HiVE) August Deployments - Oracle Road at Magee and Suffolk

ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (July 28, 2014) - The Oro Valley Police Department (OVPD) will continue with its High Visibility Enforcement (HiVE) efforts during the month of August on Oracle Road at the Magee and Suffolk intersections. OVPD hopes to increase awareness and reduce collisions related to inattention, following too closely and failing to yield to other drivers. The Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) will continue to participate and support the education/enforcement efforts.

OVPD and PCSD will deploy motorcycle officers on the following dates:

• Aug. 7, 2014:   7 - 10 a.m. 
• Aug. 12, 2014: 4 - 7 p.m. 
• Aug. 19, 2014: 7 - 10 a.m. 
• Aug. 21, 2014: 4 - 7 p.m. 
• Aug. 27, 2014: 4 - 7 p.m.

Motorists are asked to be aware of the additional enforcement activity and drive safely.
(Source: Oro Valley Police Department)
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8.62 Acres For A Cool $2.4 Million

Do you have your checkbook ready?

The Southwest Corner of Linda Vista and Oracle is for sale for $2.4 million, $356,000 per acre.  The land is across from the GFRD station. "Also can be sold with adjacent parcel of 5.51 acres located at the SW Corner of Linda Vista and Oracle Rd". (source with pictures)
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"UPDATE: Melissa Ann Gordy sentenced for sexual exploitation of a minor

A Real Sweetheart, This One

ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (July 29, 2014) - On July 28, 2014, Melissa Ann Gordy, 44 years old, was sentenced for crimes that occurred in Oro Valley beginning in March 2012. Gordy accepted a plea agreement and was sentenced to 40 years in prison and a lifetime of probation for the following crimes: Two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor under the age of 15 (Class 2 felony); One count of sexual exploitation of a minor under fifteen in 2nd degree. (Class 3 felony)."

In 2012, "the grand jury indicted Melissa Gordy on the following charges: 11 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor under the age of 15 (class 2 felony); child abuse (class 4 felony) and one count of evidence tampering (class 6 felony). " (Source: Oro Valley Police Department; KGUN 9)
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2014 Election: Majority-4's Oro Valley's Special Interests

Five special interest groups participated in the 2010 election. These interest groups endorsed and provided funding for the Majority-4 in their 2010 election. We expect that they will participate once again.  For your reference, here is who they are:

SAHBA

SAHBA is the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association. They represent 350 building industry member companies with nearly 5,000 employees.  Their mission is to advocate for public policies and develop activities and services that further the home construction industry."  David Godlweski, a contributor in 2010 to the campaigns of the Majority-4, is SAHBA's president. You may know SAHBA from the annual spring home show that they follow.

SAHBA has considerable "skin in the game" in relation to Oro Valley politics.  They seek candidates who will look favorably on the requests of their members for zoning changes or for general plan amendments.

SAHBA is in the process of endorsing candidates. Their candidate questionnaire asks questions such as:

• What do you feel is the role of home building in Oro Valley’s local economy?
• What will you do to encourage new home construction and economic development if elected to Council?
• Looking ahead, how will you measure or define success in terms of your efforts to encourage new home construction and economic development?
• What does affordable housing mean to you? 
• If elected, what will you do to create and protect affordable housing for working class families in Oro Valley?

We suspect that SAHBA will endorse candidates by early July. We suspect that they will endorse Majority-4.

Firefighers

There were a number of firefighter groups that endorsed and supported candidates in 2010.  These include: The IFFA, the Avondale Firefighters, Firefighters of AZ, United Pima Firefighters and Yuma Firefighers.  (Our Previous Report)  They supported some, if not all, of the Majority-4.  We expect them to support them again.

We have no idea why firefighters have a stake in Oro Valley elections. They have a separate board and are separate from town control.  Could it be that they are providing a reciprocal financial donation for the Oro Valley Police Officers Association?

OVPOA

The Oro Valley Police Officers Association  ("OVPOA") endorse the Majority-4 in 2010. Their stake in the 2014 election is obvious.

The OVPOA follows a specific game-plan as published in "Police Union Power, Politics, and Confrontation in the 21st Century: New Challenges, New Issues." (previous posting).  According that text, OVPOA should only endorse incumbents who score high in their previous council term.  Is there any doubt that the Majority-4 will score high?

Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce

The Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce endorsed the Majority-4 in 2010.  The Chamber changed its name in 2012.  The Chamber is prohibited by agreement with the town in lieu of receiving $30,000 per year, to participate in political activities. So, we do not expect them to endorse any candidate.

Local Advertising Circular 

The local advertising circular endorsed the Majority-4 in 2010. We believe that they will endorse them again in 2014.  The local advertising circular's stake in the game is two-fold. First, it is their need to please their advertisers, who are businesses.  Second, it is to get inside information and cooperation from each member of the Majority-4.
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Our Conclusion

Here's what we do expect this time around.  Mayoral candidate Straney and council member candidate Bristow will seek only the support of one special interest group, you the citizens. Otherwise, they will neither seek nor will they accept endorsement of special interest groups.

Majority-4's "proven leadership" will continue to serve the special interests.

Bits and Pieces

Bizarre

Oro Valley State Representative Adam Kwansman made the most bizarre appeal to his colleagues this week.  In supporting a bill that would allow state single family homeowners to keep poultry at their homes, Kwansman begged fellow legislators to pass the bill because it would be good for his relationship with a girl.  Was he joking? Who knows?  (Source)
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Oro Valley Elections: Always Rancorous

We thought you'd enjoy this old-time negative campaign add that appeared in the local advertising circular in 2004. The advertisement "names names" and "fear mongers."

"Oro Valley Candidates 2004 and the town council candidates they support are driving down the road to property taxes. By opposing commercial development in Oro Valley, they are cutting off sales tax revenue that Oro Valley needs to fund critical services."

With ads like this, it is no wonder that only a few want to run for town council or mayor.  Who would want to deliberately set themselves up for this insanity?

Fact is, the thing that will drive Oro Valley to the need for property taxes is the drastic over expansion of the town budget, an over expansion like Oro Valley is going to see in 2014-15
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Campaign 2014: Raising Campaign Capital-A Case Study

In the 2010 Mayoral campaign, a then unknown dentist named Satish Hiremath funded a mayoral campaign at a level of about 5 times greater than his opponent, now Council Member Mike Zinkin.  By the time the campaign was completed, Hiremath had accumulated $45,684. (Source: 2010 June 17 campaign report).

Since the 2010 election, Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath has continued to keep is PAC operating.  He has raised $8,245 while in office.

Hiremath's PAC is an example of how some politicians keep their PAC's operating well past their election as a means of continuing to build there financial power for future elections or to repay their campaign debt.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

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Candidate Loans and Family Money: $20,010 or 44%

Hiremath contributed $20,010, in personal and family money. This was 44% of funds raised as of the completion of the campaign.

The initial starting place for most campaigns are personal loans and family money.  Hiremath loaned his campaign $18,000. This has not been repaid. Individuals contributing to his campaign who share his surname contributed $2,010.

Special Interests: $12,935 or 28%

Special interests are those who have a specific vested need to have those they support elected.  In Hiremath's case, it is the developer, real estate and firefighter communities.  Most of the individual special interest contributions and all of the special interest contributions were from outside of Oro Valley.

The most intriguing of the PAC contributions came from firefighters.  None of those PACs who contributed serve Oro Valley. The IFFA, the Avondale Firefighters, Firefighters of AZ, United Pima Firefighters and Yuma Firefighers contributed to Hiremath's campaign.  Some contributed to the campaigns of Hornat, Waters and Snider.

We used the term "intriguing" because Oro Valley is served by a fire tax district.  Firefighters have no stake in the outcome of the Oro Valley election.  We wonder: Were these funds contributed on the the urging of the OVPOA?

The Oro Valley Community: $11,437 or 25%

Residents (not family and not special interests) of Oro Valley contributed 25% of total funds raised by the conclusion of the campaign.  By zip code:

• 85737  $6,271
• 85755    2,511
• 85742      820
• 85704   1,875

The remaining 4% of contributions were from contributors living outside Oro Valley.
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Since the campaign, the Hiremath For Mayor Committee has raised $8,245.  Over 80% of this from the group we have termed "special interest." For example, HSL Properties related individuals contributed $1,380 of this.   During his tenure, Mayor Hiremath voted to approve, for construction, the HSL Apartments that are now being built next to the Basis School.
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The fundraising activities of the Hiremath For Mayor Committee is one example of how to raise funds for office.  Only a quarter of the donations need come from the local community.  The rest can come from family and from special interests if, indeed, you wish to become beholden to special interests.
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The Politics Of The Recall Run To The 2014 Elections

Yesterday, in our posting "Hiremath Orchestrating Zinkin Recall", we spoke of Mayor Hiremath's lead role in the Council Member Zinkin recall attempt. We identified the reason he is going after Zinkin.

However, we did not state that it is imperative that the majority and their special interest friends, the Oro Valley Police Officers Association ("OVPOA") and the development community, open Zinkin's seat for election.

The recall is not about Zinkin. Its never been about Zinkin.  The recall is about opening a council seat for election.   Zinkin's recall is a "means to that end." The end goal is to reduce the minority from 3 to 2 on the 7-member council, opening 4 seats, plus a Mayor, for election in 2014.

Its about continuing absolute control of Oro Valley.

On January 1, Thelma Grimes, editor of the local advertising circular, published her opinion on Oro Valley council matters.  The piece speaks mostly of the recall effort and of some of the assertions against Zinkin.  Grimes made one significant observation:

"On the minority side, councilmembers Brendan Burns, Mike Zinkin and Bill Garner are often a vote short of winning on issues from the budget to spending and management of the Oro Valley Police Department." 

She is a bit wrong.  The minority is always a vote short. This is because the majority-4 never break rank.

What Grimes fails to state is that it is precisely because the minority is one vote short of winning on all issues that majority have to get rid of Zinkin!  Zinkin is the most outspoken of the three minority members.

The majority are up for election in November.  If they lose just one seat to the minority view, then they minority will be the majority.  Priorities could change.  For example:

• There could be a study of police operations and the department itself could be shifted from reporting to council to reporting to the town manager.   
• There could be more stringent  enforcement of Oro Valley's sign codes. 
• There could be interpretation to the general plan as a policy statement that is to be followed, not one that is to be "worked-around".   
• There could be a revitalization of Oro Valley's investment in is social infrastructure (Have you seen Steampump Ranch lately?  Its an embarrassment.)  
• There would not be a "jump on the bandwagon" approach to economic development, an approach which puts "current market demand" above all other decision criteria. 

These are different priorities than those displayed during 4-years of council control of the majority-4. Their priority is economic development and protecting the police department.

If the majority and their special interests can get rid of Zinkin, however, then they will have a better chance of keeping the status quo. What is the status quo? As one reader shared with us:

"As tough as 2013 has been in different ways for each of us, I think it's been a tough year for Oro Valley.  Many would look at the mild surplus in the budget, and be pleased; I look at the deficit in social programs, and am disappointed.  Many would highlight the aquatics center, and be pleased.  I look at the decline in quality of service at our Library ( the transfer of which contributed in part to the dollars for the swimming pool ) and feel let down... Many would look at Securaplane and be satisfied with growth; I look at the very ordinary architecture of a very highly visible structure, and wonder what happened to our "scenic corridors". Many would note "signature" events, such as the El Tour, and be happy with the influx of tourist money.  I look at the disgraceful condition of Steam Pump Ranch and the piecemeal approach to the Naranja Town Site, and wonder "what could have been".

2014 is a year in which the owners of Oro Valley, you, will have the opportunity change the town's priories, if you wish to do so.   The loss of a valuable member of our council and a seat that today, truly does belong to the people, will make that change much more difficult to achieve.
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