It's official... Council adopts 2026 Election ResultOn August 5, 2026, the Oro Valley Town Council adopted the official results of the July 21 primary election. Melanie Barrett was elected mayor with 8,471 votes, while Rosa Dailey (8,661 votes), Rhonda Pina (7,866 votes), and Matt Wood (7,436 votes) secured the three council seats. Each will serve a four-year term beginning November 4, 2026.
Town seeks individual for Budget and Finance Commission
The Town of Oro Valley is seeking a resident to fill one vacancy on its Budget and Finance Commission. The commission advises the Town Council by reviewing the proposed budget, annual financial audit, and other financial matters. The member will serve a two-year term and meet at 4 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at Town Hall. Applicants should have experience in accounting, finance, banking, investments, or a related business field; be available for meetings; and complete the Town’s Community Academy during their term. To apply, contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 520-229-4700 or visit the Town Clerk’s webpage at orovalleyaz.gov. (Source: Town of Oro Valley Media Release)
Oro Valley’s history digitization project moving along
The Oro Valley Historical Society is bringing local history into the digital age, having already created catalog-ready images of more than 600 artifacts, publications, maps, and photographs. Using its new CatalogIt museum software and a donated professional photography light box, volunteers are organizing and photographing the collection for future museum displays and a new online photo gallery, making Oro Valley’s historical treasures easier for the public to discover and enjoy. (Source: Oro Valley Historical Society August Newsletter).
Federal funding in queue for new police department.
The Oro Valley Police Department is slated to receive $4.2 million in preliminary federal funding to upgrade technology and modernize critical public-safety equipment, helping equip the department’s new headquarters for future operations. Secured through the fiscal year 2027 Community Project Funding process, the proposed investment has advanced through committee but must still receive final approval from Congress and the President before the money becomes available. Read the funding announcement.
State Orders ASDB to Correct Student Placement Process
Since LOVE first reported the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s (ASDB) move to the Oro Valley Copper Creek Elementary School, the Arizona Department of Education has found that ASDB violated federal special-education law by predetermining placements for blind, visually impaired, and residential students rather than allowing their individualized education program teams to consider the full range of options. The finding does not mean the new Oro Valley campus or the relocation itself is illegal. Rather, it concerns how affected students were assigned to other schools. ASDB must now work with a state-approved monitor, review each affected student’s placement, reconvene education teams when necessary, and document corrective action by August 28, 2026. The complaint was filed by the University of Arizona Education Advocacy Clinic. Read their report here.
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve Pond restoration begins Monday
We are excited to share that construction is about to begin on the Vistoso Pond Restoration Project on Monday, August 10. To prepare for construction, trail detour and closure signs will be put in place on Tuesday, August 4 and the contractor will be mobilizing equipment and materials to the site throughout the week. (Source: This Week In Parks and Recreation Newsletter, 8-7-26)
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