Winfield unveils the “four pillars of local government”,
Mayor Joe Winfield delivered the 21st Town of Oro Valley State of the Town Address last Tuesday at a luncheon at the El Conqistador Resort. Winfield expressed the hope and promise of what Oro Valley is and what it can be.
Four Pillars of Local Government Guide Winfield’s Thinking
Resident’s want both “responsible growth preserving what makes Oro Valley special… the desert and mountain views, open space, quality of the built environment, feeling safe.” To achieve this, Winfield has identified four pillars of local government (see panel). “These pillars are foundational to my decisions and the values that help me stay focussed.”
Winfield’s Assessment
In his address, Winfield measured where Oro Valley stands in relation to each pillar:
Economic Vitality and Fiscal Responsibility
Winfield noted that financial health is critical to a community’s success because it provides the ability to provide the services the community needs. “The town’s financial strength is stronger than ever….results exceeded expectation…We ended the year with $26 million in General Fund Reserves, which is double the required.” Economic growth and community growth is inevitable, he noted. Responsible growth is a strategy based on community values. It is a strategy based on our core functions-the four pillars of government.”
Public Safety Ecosystem
Oro Valley’s public safety ecosystem (police, fire, and other first responders) is “…nimble and responsive-all moving parts functioning together-the result is a community where residents feel safe, and justice is served.” He noted that Oro Valley was named the safest place in Arizona in 2022.
Public Works
Public works is the third pillar. According to Winfield, public works had a busy year: “80 projects and more than 12,000 service tasks and plans including the management of the Steam Pump Ranch historic renovation construction and the $25 million parks bonds projects…The Oro Valley Water Utility delivered 3.13 billion gallons of water…half of the deliveries were supplies other than groundwater… Oro Valley is maximizing its use of reclaimed water and CAP water to ensure a balanced water portfolio.”
Parks and Recreation
Winfield emphasized that the town’s issuance of $25 million parks and recreation bond allowed the town to accelerate building Naranja Park. “This strategy allows us to build the amenities now so that residents can enjoy them long before they would have been constructed without bonding.” The town did so without adding a tax, by pledging half of the existing half percent [community center] sales tax to pay for bond service costs. The town’s proudest accomplishment, according to Winfield, was the conversion of the former Vistoso Golf Course into a permanent nature preserve (Video)
A message of hope
You will want to watch Winfield’s remarks. They will be posted on the town’s web site. We will update this post with the link to that when that posting occurs.
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