Mayor Hiremath's Final Address Presents His "Legacy of Leadership"

Outgoing Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath delivered his ninth and final "State Of The Town" address on Friday. The address, held at the El Conquistador, was sponsored by the Oro Valley Chamber Of Commerce.

The mayor themed this speech to present a "Legacy of Leadership" that he believes that he brought to Oro Valley.

"I want to talk to you about the legacy of leadership we have developed here in Oro Valley and how you should expect that type of leadership from all elected officials of who holds that office." The legacy: "Leadership is about making mindful decisions, though unpopular and then being able to withstand the criticism until success is achieved." Hiremath asserted that "Most people fail [to reach their goal] because they were not determined or they did not persevere... Successful leaders find their way around the obstacles.""

A packed room awaits Mayor Hiremath's remarks

The mayor presented the state of Oro Valley in the context of this leadership legacy.  2018 accomplishments include:

• Two July sporting events  brought approximately $400,000 in revenue to the community
• The improvements to the sporting fields that are currently in progress at Kreigh Park
• The upcoming ribbon cutting on a phase of construction completion of Tangerine Road
• An upcoming "community celebration"
• A $2 million 2018 budget surplus
• A video created by the Oro Valley Economic Development Department that depicts a life in the typical day of someone who lives and works in Oro Valley
• "Simple View", locating its corporate headquarters in Oro Valley

According to the Mayor, Oro Valley's financial health has been strong: "We have completed every fiscal year in the black for the past seven years." He asserted that Oro Valley has built an outstanding team of the "best and the brightest" town employees. "Council is responsible for setting direction; but it is your town staff who make it happen." He lauded the town's executive leadership team: "Together we have built a house with a very strong foundation."

As the talk closed, the Mayor spoke emotionally. He thanked his parents, who, due to his Mothers' health, could not be there. Tearfully, he spoke: "It's tough not having them here. They are the ones who instilled in me at a very young age an obligation to make my surroundings better than when I arrived. That's exactly what I've been trying to do."

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