December 2014
On December 17, 2014, the Town Council, with a 4-3 vote, approved an increase of our sales tax from 2% to 2.5%. The ordinance (14-17) states that the purpose was to fund/supplement the needs of the newly purchased Community Center, with its 45 holes of golf, 2 swimming pools, tennis courts, and a 1980 style building. The ordinance clearly states that this new tax would generate “approximately $1.6 - $2 million dollars annually.”
November 2018
In November 2018, with over-development and golf losses being the two major issues, the Town’s voters decided to elect a new Mayor and Town Council. Mayor Winfield was elected with 9,242 votes and three new council members were elected with 8,000+ votes each. The newly elected Council majority pledged to do something about the golf losses.
What followed were numerous contentious meetings that included approximately 400 citizens who were passionately opposed to closing any of the existing 36 holes.
November 2019
In an attempt to soothe the pro-golf-courses crowd, Mayor Winfield moved on 11/20/2019 that:
“All golf course repairs and improvements to be funded on a pay as you go basis from the Community Center Fund. No bonding will be undertaken for community center improvements.”
In addition, the motion stated that, “Oro Valley will retain a $100,000 minimum reserve in the Community Center fund.”
How approximately 400 citizens were able to overturn the will of over 9,000 citizens is beyond me.
Fast-forward to 2021
The half cent increase in the sales tax is now producing about $2.7 million. This is $700,000 more than what was initially stipulated in the 2014 ordinance. So, what does our “fiscally responsible, citizen-centric” Town Council do? Instead of lowering the sales tax to continue to meet the original needs of $1.6 - $2 million, they decide to use the additional revenues (your tax dollars) to consider bonding.
In May 2021, Mayor Winfield motioned that the additional monies be utilized to BOND for all park improvements including exterior community center and golf course improvements.
So, in the 18 months from November 2019 to May 2021, our Mayor/Council switched gears and decided that now we are going to BOND for Community Center and Golf improvements. This is in direct opposition to what the same Mayor/Council mandated in November 2019. Where did the bonding idea come from?
The code of ethics for the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA), of which our Town Manager is a member , states in Tenet #6 to: “Recognize that elected representatives are accountable to their community for the decisions they make; [ICMA] members are responsible for implementing those decisions.”
Remember that the additional $700,000 currently being generated from the half-cent sales tax is your money. This tax could have been reduced and still continue to be utilized for its original purpose…to supplement the Community Center Fund. Now YOUR money is going to be used to make golf course improvements. Why? Because without additional bond monies, the Community Center debacle that came to us in December 2014 was bound to fail. Without bonding, the money is not there for building and golf improvements despite all of the past assertions that the half cent sales tax would cover all costs.
Time to retire the Town motto
As a result, Oro Valley should retire their motto that we are a “Community of Excellence.” Oro Valley is being run by the staff (who are not accountable to any Citizen). The staff originates and organizes all proposals and is not carrying out Council decisions. It seems that Oro Valley has become just like any other community, taking every cent possible from its Citizens and spending it irresponsibility.
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Mike Zinkin and his wife have lived in Oro Valley since 1998. He served on the Oro Valley Development Review Board from 2005-2009, the Board of Adjustment from 2011-2012, and the Town Council from 2012-2016. He was named a Fellow for the National League of Cities. He was a member of the NLC Steering Committee for Community and Economic Development and a member of the Arizona League of Cities Budget and Economic Development Committee. He was an Air Traffic Controller for 30 years. Mike has a Bachelor’s degree in history and government from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education from California State University, Northridge.
