Mike
Councilmember Zinkin gave the following parting comments during the October 19th council meeting. "Since it appears that the November 2nd Council meeting will be cancelled, this will be the last time I will be sitting up here as a member of the Council. For the three new members, I congratulate you and wish you well as you attempt to do what is right for the citizens of Oro Valley.
The 4.5 years that I have had the honor to sit here have been many times frustrating and aggravating, but also rewarding. It’s not enjoyable to have a fellow councilmember stand in front of Fry's trying to gather signatures for your recall, nor is it enjoyable to have the mayor advocate for your recall in an op-ed in the local newspaper. The mayor actually stated that if you did not agree with his viewpoint, you needed to check your own morality. Fortunately the morality of the people prevailed and the recall attempt failed.
 |
| Mike Zinkin |
It’s aggravating to have the Town's legal staff fail to fully research a relevant subject and not even mention Legislative Immunity. If this had been accomplished properly, the witch hunt of last December never would have happened.
It’s aggravating to continually raise the subject of the financial shortcomings of the Town's recent real estate transaction, but nevertheless, I will continue to monitor this and report on it.
However, the rewards far exceed the frustrations. It was an honor to facilitate an agreement between the People and a developer which eventually resulted in the passage of a Major General Plan Amendment along the west side of LaCholla between Naranja and Lambert. It was rewarding to help facilitate an agreement between citizens and a developer for the property on the SE corner of Lambert and LaCholla, and another agreement between citizens and a developer for the property along Palisades and First.
Additionally, helping the Tangerine Heights HOA solve a problem they were having with the Town, and helping a family to get the Town to correct the size of a gabion to prevent future flooding were two opportunities that would not have occurred without being a Councilmember.
Being on the Oversight Committee for the Your Voice, Our Future project allowed me to witness as citizens discussed and compromised to formulate the new General Plan. It was a source of pleasure seeing this plan come to fruition over a 3-year period as the citizens formulated a document that would be “ready for prime time.”
The greatest source of pleasure was the fact that I met so many nice, honest people, who truly care about Oro Valley, people I probably would not have met otherwise. The friends I made as a result of being a Councilmember was the greatest reward. I hope to continue these friendships even though I am no longer an elected official.
So, tonight I close a chapter in my life.
Thank you Oro Valley for allowing me to represent you."
