Building Oro Valley's Water Supply... A Team Effort Over Many Years (Part 2)

CAP Water becomes essential to Oro Valley's Water Supply
Oro Valley’s water supply was not created through a single project or decision. It is the result of decades of planning, investment and regional cooperation. In this two-part series, LOVE examines how that system developed. Today, we look at how Central Arizona Project water became an essential part of Oro Valley’s supply.

First came the water rights
The Central Arizona Project canal reached the Tucson area in 1991, but CAP water did not begin flowing into Oro Valley’s system for another 21 years. Before that could happen, the Town had to secure the right to receive it. Oro Valley obtained its current annual allocation of 10,305 acre-feet through four transactions: 1,652 acre-feet with the 1996 purchase of the Cañada Hills Water Company; 642 acre-feet when it assumed management of the Oro Valley Water Improvement District in 1999; 4,454 acre-feet through a 2002 settlement with Tucson at a cost of approximately $5.96 million; and another 3,557 acre-feet through a federal and regional reallocation agreement in 2007.

Tucson Water provided the delivery route
Owning CAP rights did not solve the delivery problem. Building a separate treatment plant and pipeline system would have been enormously expensive, so Oro Valley reached an agreement with Tucson Water. Under that arrangement, Tucson Water recovered and treated CAP water and moved an equivalent amount through its existing system to connections with Oro Valley, a process commonly called “wheeling.” The first connection was completed in 2012, when approximately 1,283 acre-feet of CAP water were delivered to Oro Valley customers and groundwater pumping fell by approximately 1,573 acre-feet—more than 500 million gallons—compared with the previous year. Additional connections completed in 2014 and 2018 increased the amount of CAP water the Town could receive.

Click to enlarge

CAP water changed how the system was managed
Oro Valley did not have to deliver its entire CAP allocation directly to customers. Water not immediately needed could be sent to regional recharge facilities and stored underground. Some could be recovered during the same year to offset groundwater pumping, while water stored for more than a year generated long-term storage credits. Those credits give the Town the legal right to recover an equivalent amount from permitted wells in the future. By the end of 2025, Oro Valley had accumulated an estimated By the end of 2025, Oro Valley had accumulated an estimated 39,908 acre-feet of long-term storage credits. That is equivalent to approximately 13 billion gallons of water, enough to supply about 144,500 typical households for one year, based on the Town’s estimate of 7,500 gallons per household per month.  For customers, the credits function much like a water savings account: a shared reserve for droughts, emergencies and possible reductions in CAP deliveries.

Groundwater remains a key part of the system
CAP water did not eliminate Oro Valley’s use of groundwater. Wells remain an important part of the Town’s water portfolio. The difference is that groundwater is no longer the Town’s only major supply. Oro Valley now relies on a combination of groundwater for drinking-water service, CAP water delivered through Tucson Water or stored and recovered from regional recharge facilities, and reclaimed water [see note] used primarily for golf courses and other large irrigated areas. According to the Town, groundwater pumping declined approximately 56 percent between 2005 and 2022, even as the community continued to grow.

CAP water did not end Oro Valley’s water challenges. It changed them.
The transition took two decades. During that time, Oro Valley created its Water Utility, acquired CAP rights, negotiated delivery through Tucson Water and invested in the infrastructure needed to reduce groundwater pumping and store water for the future. That planning gave the Town a more diverse and resilient supply, but it also tied Oro Valley’s water future to the Colorado River. The Town must now protect both its local aquifer and the distant reservoir system that supports its CAP water. 

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Note: Reclaimed water reduced demand before CAP deliveries began
Between 2003 and 2008, Oro Valley invested $21.8 million in a two-phase reclaimed-water delivery system, financed through what was then the Town’s largest bond issue. The separate “pink pipe” network brought treated wastewater to golf courses, parks and school fields, replacing groundwater and drinking water previously used for irrigation. 

Oro Valley began negotiating with Tucson for wastewater-effluent rights in 2000 and entered a cooperative agreement in 2002. Reclaimed-water deliveries began in 2005 and later expanded through a the newly created and separate network of reservoirs, pumping facilities and signature purple pipes serving golf courses, parks and school athletic fields. Because the reclaimed-water system is completely separate from the drinking-water system, its principal value is replacing potable water that otherwise would have been used for large-scale irrigation. The Town estimates that reclaimed water reduced the use of drinking water for turf irrigation by 26 percent.

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Building Oro Valley's Water Supply... A Team Effort Over Many Years (Part 1)

Oro Valley’s water supply was not built through a single project or decision. It is the result of decades of planning, investment and cooperation by Town leaders, utility professionals, regional partners and residents—an effort we examine in this two series. Today we discuss life before CAP and what led up to its introduction in the Oro Valley Water System.

Before CAP: Oro Valley ran on groundwater alone
Our recent article explained why Lake Powell’s decline matters to Oro Valley. That connection did not exist when the Town created its Water Utility 30 years ago. At the time, Oro Valley relied entirely on groundwater. Every gallon delivered to a home or business came from a well. There was no CAP water in the system, no reclaimed-water network serving golf courses and no large reserve of stored water credits. That system supported the community for years. It was not sustainable indefinitely.

The Town inherited a groundwater-dependent system
Oro Valley created its Water Utility in May 1996 by purchasing the private Cañada Hills and Rancho Vistoso water companies. The new utility had approximately 9,800 connections serving about 26,000 residents. It also inherited separate water systems, different rate structures and wells of varying age and condition. Those systems had to be integrated while continuing to provide reliable water service.

Most importantly, they all depended on the same source: groundwater. That dependence became more concerning as Oro Valley grew. The Town’s population increased from approximately 6,670 in 1990 to nearly 30,000 by 2000. New homes, businesses, schools, parks and landscaped areas placed greater demands on the aquifer beneath the community.

By 1999 aquifer was showing the strain
Former Oro Valley Water Utility Director Alan Forrest later recalled that water levels in the Town’s wells were falling by an average of approximately six feet a year. A well failure during the summer of 1999 demonstrated how vulnerable the system could be. One of the two wells serving the Countryside area suffered a major failure during the hottest part of the year, when water demand was near its peak.
The Town arranged a temporary connection with Tucson Water to help maintain household service and the water needed for fire protection. The immediate crisis was resolved, but the larger problem remained.

Oro Valley needed to diversify its water supply.
Oro Valley had the legal right to pump groundwater. That did not mean the aquifer could sustain unlimited pumping. A 2007 groundwater study later estimated that the aquifer could sustainably provide approximately 6,360 acre-feet annually. Continued growth based almost entirely on wells would increase the risk of falling water levels, declining well production and higher pumping costs.

Reclaimed water came first
The first major step was to stop using drinking water for purposes that did not require it. Oro Valley negotiated with Tucson Water to obtain treated wastewater for irrigation. The Town then developed a two-phase reclaimed-water system costing approximately $21.8 million. Beginning in 2005, reclaimed water was delivered through a separate system of “purple pipes” to golf courses and other large turf areas. That change reduced pressure on the aquifer because water used on golf courses, parks and school grounds no longer had to come from the potable groundwater supply. 

Tomorrow: Reclaimed water helped. But, it did not provide another source of drinking water. For that, Oro Valley needed access to Central Arizona Project water.

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Lake Powell's Low Water Level Matters to Oro Valley

Low water level is sending Oro Valley a warning
Oro Valley is not facing an immediate water shortage, but the weakening Colorado River system could reduce the Town’s future flexibility and increase water costs.

Lake Powell’s decline is becoming more serious
Lake Powell is again moving in the wrong direction. The Bureau of Reclamation projects that the reservoir will end the 2026 water year at about 22 percent of capacity. The expected inflow for the year is just 36 percent of average. The reservoir is not merely a recreation destination hundreds of miles from Oro Valley. It is one of the two major storage reservoirs supporting the Colorado River system and the Central Arizona Project water delivered to communities across central and southern Arizona. 

CAP water changed Oro Valley’s water future

Oro Valley began receiving CAP water through the Tucson Water system in 2012. In 2023, the Water Utility purchased its full annual CAP entitlement of 10,305 acre-feet. Of that amount, 2,573 acre-feet were recovered and delivered through the potable water system, representing 27 percent of the utility’s total water production. Other CAP water was used to replace groundwater pumping or stored for future use. By the end of 2023, Oro Valley had accumulated an estimated 34,493 acre-feet of long-term storage credits. Credits are an accounting right, administered by the Arizona Department of Water Resources, that allows the Town to recover an equivalent amount of water from permitted wells when needed.

There is no immediate Oro Valley water shortage
The present situation does not mean that Oro Valley residents are about to turn on their faucets and find no water. Arizona is operating under a Tier 1 Colorado River shortage, but the reductions have fallen primarily on agricultural and other lower-priority CAP users. Municipal and industrial users continue to receive most of their allocations. Oro Valley also has groundwater wells, reclaimed water, storage credits and an annual CAP entitlement of 10,305 acre-feet. That diversified portfolio gives the Town protection against a near-term interruption. 

The first loss may be water stored for the future
The more immediate risk is not necessarily a reduction in water delivered to existing customers. It is a reduction in the CAP water that Oro Valley can recharge and save for later. Water Utility Director Peter Abraham told the Town Council in June that the utility was preparing for a possible 20 percent CAP allocation reduction. He said current customer deliveries could be maintained, but less unused CAP water would be available for storage. That would gradually reduce the reserve Oro Valley has built for future droughts, growth and emergencies. 

NWRRDS improves delivery but does not create water
The Northwest Recharge, Recovery and Delivery System will strengthen Oro Valley’s ability to recover CAP water stored west of Tucson and move it into the Town’s water system. The regional project is expected to provide Oro Valley with capacity to recover and deliver as much as 4,000 additional acre-feet annually. That should reduce groundwater pumping and give the Town greater control over its water deliveries. NWRRDS does not create another source of water. It provides a better way to deliver CAP water, and CAP water still depends on the condition of the Colorado River. 

Lake Powell is a warning, not an immediate crisis
Oro Valley has prepared better than many communities for water uncertainty. It has reduced groundwater dependence, accumulated storage credits and invested heavily in regional infrastructure. Still, Lake Powell’s decline cannot be dismissed as someone else’s problem. A smaller CAP allocation could mean less water stored for the future, greater reliance on groundwater and storage credits, and higher costs for purchasing, transporting and recovering renewable water. Oro Valley is not running out of water. However, the renewable supply on which the Town increasingly depends is becoming less certain and more expensive. That makes conservation, reclaimed-water expansion and careful growth planning just as important as ever. 

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Bits and Pieces-Election Final

Barrett’s election makes Oro Valley history
Melanie Barrett will become Oro Valley’s 12th mayor when she takes office in November. She is the first woman elected mayor by Oro Valley voters and only the fourth person elected directly to the office. 

Before 1998, the Town Council selected the mayor from among its members. Voters changed that system in 1998, and Paul Loomis became Oro Valley’s first directly elected mayor. Loomis served three terms. He was followed by Satish Hiremath and Joe Winfield, both of whom served two terms. Barrett now begins the next chapter in that history.

Women will hold a record number of council seats
This election also marks another milestone. When the new council is sworn in, five women will serve together on the seven-member governing body: Mayor Melanie Barrett and Councilmembers Rosa Dailey, Mary Murphy, Rhonda Piña and Elizabeth Robb. That will be the largest number of women to serve on the Town Council at one time in Oro Valley’s history. This reflects the increasingly important role women are playing in shaping our community.    

Summer Town elections produce much lower turnout
Approximately 41 percent of registered Oro Valley voters participated in this year’s election. That continues a decline that began after Arizona required municipal elections to be held on the state election calendar. Before the change took effect in 2014, Oro Valley held its primary elections in February or March and, when necessary, runoff elections in May. Turnout in the last competitive mayoral election held under the March-May schedule approached 80 percent. Since elections were moved to the summer, turnout in Oro Valley mayoral elections has averaged approximately 48 percent.

Many factors affect participation. Under Oro Valley’s former election schedule, every registered voter automatically received a ballot, regardless of party affiliation. Now, because the Town election is conducted as part of the partisan state primary, independent voters must request a ballot before they can vote in Oro Valley’s nonpartisan election. That additional step appears to contribute to lower turnout. How many of Oro Valley’s approximately 12,000 registered independent voters requested and returned a ballot this year? The answer may tell us a great deal about future municipal elections.

The campaign is over. Now comes governing
Every election sends a message. The message from this one appears to be that most Oro Valley voters are satisfied with the Town’s current direction. Barrett won the mayoral race decisively, while Dailey and Matt Wood, both of whom campaigned on continuing many of the Town’s current policies, also earned seats on the Council. Although the candidates differed on specific issues, voters generally chose experience and continuity over calls for major change. 

Campaigns naturally focus on differences. Governing requires finding common ground. We are confident that Mayor Barrett will be able to do this. Beginning in November, the new mayor and council will face important decisions involving the Town’s budget, water resources, economic development, public safety and the preservation of Oro Valley’s quality of life. 

The campaign is over. 

The work of governing begins in November.

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The Five Factors That Shaped the Oro Valley Council Election

The Council results were shaped by more than vote totals alone
No election is decided by a single factor, and this one was no exception. Our analysis suggests that five factors largely explain the Council race. Candidates with clear, positive messages performed best. The Town’s traditional voting blocks again influenced the outcome. Undervoting changed the mathematics of the election. Higher turnout in the larger Rancho Vistoso Block gave additional weight to the candidates who were strongest there. Finally, personal voter contact and familiarity helped some candidates connect with voters in ways that others could not.

Candidates’ messages mattered
In this election, we believe the messages presented by the five candidates made a significant difference. As we noted yesterday in our analysis of the mayoral race, voters responded positively to Melanie Barrett’s theme that the Town is on the right track. They rejected Mark Napier’s argument that Oro Valley was heading toward financial trouble. Positive messages often have an advantage over negative ones.

Two of the three successful Council candidates, Rosa Dailey and Matt Wood, also presented positive campaigns. Both argued that Oro Valley was moving in the right direction and was well positioned to meet the financial challenges ahead. They asked voters to continue the Town’s current course rather than change it.

Rhonda Piña likewise offered a positive message. She campaigned on experienced, financially responsible leadership that would protect public safety while strengthening Oro Valley’s long-term financial future through thoughtful economic development. Her campaign focused on what she would do rather than on what she believed was wrong with the Town.

Chris DeSimone and Jake Herrington were not elected. They finished within a few votes of each other. DeSimone emphasized efficient government, stronger revenues and annexation but did not clearly explain why he was uniquely qualified to accomplish those goals. Herrington spoke about preparing Oro Valley for the future through thoughtful leadership and long-term financial planning but offered few specifics beyond saying he would listen to everyone. Voters appear to have found the positive, forward-looking messages of Dailey, Wood and Piña more compelling.

Voting blocks remained important
Two weeks ago, we asked whether Oro Valley’s traditional voting blocks would again influence the Council election. The answer appears to be yes. [see panel right]

The Community Center Block consists of four precincts with 5,255 registered voters. The Rancho Vistoso Block consists of seven precincts with 9,535 registered voters. Together, they account for virtually all of Oro Valley’s voters.

The results show that candidates generally received their strongest support within their natural voting base. Rosa Dailey and Matt Wood, both Rancho Vistoso residents, dominated that block, consistently finishing ahead of the other candidates. Their strong performance there created a substantial advantage that carried through the townwide count.

The Community Center Block told a different story. Rhonda Piña performed considerably better there than Jake Herrington or Chris DeSimone. Although none of the three matched Dailey’s or Wood’s dominance in Rancho Vistoso, Piña’s stronger support in the Community Center Block helped separate her from the other two candidates competing for the third Council seat.

Undervoting affected the outcome
Council elections differ from mayoral elections because voters may vote for up to three candidates. Some votrers choose not to use all three votes. Instead, they vote only for the candidates they most want to see elected. This is known as undervoting.

Undervoting matters because every vote cast for another candidate increases that candidate’s total. A voter who is uncertain about a third choice may decide not to cast that vote rather than help elect someone the voter does not strongly support.

In this election, voters cast an average of 2.5 Council votes per ballot. That means many voters selected only two candidates. Based on the voting totals, we estimate that roughly half of all ballots were undervoted.

That pattern benefited candidates who became a voter’s clear first or second choice. It also reduced the total number of votes available to all candidates, making every vote more valuable.

Turnout favored the Rancho Vistoso Block
We measure voter enthusiasm in part by turnout. Overall turnout in this election was 40.4%, below the approximately 43% turnout recorded in each of the previous two elections. Most of that decline occurred in the Community Center Block.

Turnout in the Rancho Vistoso Block reached 41.7%, compared with 38.3% in the Community Center Block. While the difference may appear modest, it represented hundreds of additional voters in the Town’s largest voting block. That gave greater weight to the candidates who were strongest there.

Rosa Dailey, Matt Wood and Melanie Barrett invested a considerable amount of time going door to door, asking residents whether they had voted and encouraging them to return their ballots. Some of that effort was visible on Election Day. The parking lot at the Oro Valley Public Library remained busy throughout the day as voters dropped off their ballots. That sustained ground campaign likely contributed to the higher turnout in the Rancho Vistoso Block.

Personal contact and familiarity mattered
Local elections are personal. Rosa Dailey and Matt Wood (and Melanie Barrett) spent months knocking on doors, attending neighborhood meetings and community events, and talking directly with voters. Those personal conversations helped build trust long before ballots were mailed.

Familiarity also mattered. Rhonda Piña served on the Oro Valley Town Council from 2016 through 2020, giving many voters a record they already knew. Dailey, Wood and Barrett had each established a visible presence in the community over a number of years before this campaign.

In local elections, voters often support candidates they know personally or have seen actively engaged in the community over time. Two candidates had neither of the qualities. Jake Herrington entered the race with less name recognition than the successful candidates. Chris DeSimone (and mayoral candidate Mark Napier) had no established, widely recognized history of involvement in Town affairs before this election. 

What the results tell us
No single factor explains why Rosa Dailey, Rhonda Piña and Matt Wood won election to the Town Council. Together, however, these five factors provide a persuasive explanation of the outcome.

Perhaps the broader lesson is that Oro Valley elections are still won one voter at a time. Social media, campaign videos, text messages and automated phone calls may increase awareness, but they did not replace face-to-face campaigning. Candidates who communicated a clear, positive message, built relationships over time, generated enthusiasm in key precincts and encouraged their supporters to vote were ultimately the candidates voters elected.

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Barrett's Big Win... Why It Happened

A major victory for Barrett

Last week, LOVE reported on Melanie Barrett’s mayoral victory in Oro Valley. She received 57% of the votes cast to become the next mayor of our town. 

Here's our assessment of why it happened

Voters were happy with the results of eight years of effort by Barrett

Melanie Barrett entered the race with a strong record of service and broad support throughout Oro Valley. During her eight years on the Town Council, many voters felt that the Town had changed for the better. Barrett had been involved in the major decisions that shaped the community.

After years of effort and investment, municipal golf went from being a financial burden on the Town to becoming a valued community asset. The Town weathered the pandemic years successfully. Naranja Park, once only a dream, became a reality. Public safety is rated among the best in the state. The roads remain in good condition. The views have been protected. The former Vistoso Golf Course is now preserved in perpetuity.

Barrett was able to run on that record. She had also run twice before and received record vote totals. Voters knew her, knew her work and appeared satisfied with the Town’s direction. Her victory suggests that many voters saw her as the candidate best prepared to continue that work as mayor.

Napier got his message across... and voters did not "buy it"

Barrett’s record of success meant that Napier needed a compelling campaign theme to make the race competitive. His message was that the Town would face serious financial difficulty within four or five years, that the problem required immediate action and that he was the candidate best equipped to address it. That argument required considerable persuasion because most voters could not see evidence of an approaching crisis. 

Napier never proved that the Town was heading toward dire financial straits. LOVE published several articles explaining why the available financial information did not support that conclusion. Our assessment was that Oro Valley will face financial challenges as it approaches build-out, as many communities do. Those challenges will require careful planning, but they do not establish that the Town is facing a financial crisis.

Positive messaging works better than negative messaging
Barrett’s message remained positive throughout the campaign. She focused on her experience, her record and her plans for Oro Valley, not on attacking her opponent. Napier, on the other hand, decided sometime in June that his financial message was not gaining enough traction and shifted toward increasingly negative attacks on Barrett. He argued that she was not capable of serving as mayor and that he was far more qualified, asking voters to discount her eight years as vice mayor and her earlier service on the Planning and Zoning Commission. He also tried to blame Barrett for the poor performance of the Oro Valley Marketplace, despite the fact that the property had struggled for more than 17 years. That argument also ignored Barrett’s role in negotiating the agreement with the property’s new owner that is now bringing a hotel, apartments, public spaces and other development to the site. As we observed during the campaign, negative attacks may energize a candidate’s existing supporters, but they often do little to persuade independent voters.

The result: Barrett dominated (almost) everywhere

Barrett’s support extended across all of Oro Valley [see panel right, above]. She received more votes than Napier in 10 of the Town’s 11 precincts. Napier’s only victory came in Precinct 194, the Community Center precinct and the center of the four-precinct “golf” voting block we discussed two weeks ago. Even within that block, Barrett carried the other three precincts, although her margins were narrow in traditional Community Center Precincts 077 and 173. The results show that Barrett’s appeal reached well beyond her strongest areas and into communities that had previously been expected to favor Napier.

Hello...I'm Melanie Barrett

While Napier spent much of the campaign producing videos and posting criticism on Facebook, Barrett was out meeting voters. She walked neighborhoods, attended community events and introduced herself directly: “Hello, I’m Melanie Barrett.” That matters in Oro Valley, where many residents are older and are accustomed to meeting candidates in person. They may not spend much time on social media or follow campaign posts on Facebook. Barrett understood that there is no substitute for personal contact, and her street-level campaigning helped turn familiarity into votes.

Voters’ message was clear: "No Change Needed"
Every election sends a message. The message from this one appears to be that most Oro Valley voters are satisfied with the Town’s direction and prefer steady, experienced leadership over promises of dramatic change. They know Melanie Barrett. They like what she has done. They think she is perfectly capable of leading Oro Valley into the future.

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Tomorrow: The Five Factors That Shaped the Oro Valley Council Election

Bits and Pieces

Trails plan sets long-term direction

The Town has adopted the OV Trails Connect Master Plan, a long-range blueprint for expanding and improving Oro Valley’s trail and pathway system. The plan emphasizes better connections among neighborhoods, parks, schools, businesses and recreation areas. It will also help the Town prioritize projects and compete for grant funding. More than 1,500 public comments and responses helped shape the final plan. (Town of Oro Valley Media Release)

Police warn of the dangers of hot cars
The Oro Valley Police Department is reminding residents that the inside of a parked vehicle can become deadly in just minutes. On an 85-degree day, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach 105 degrees in about 10 minutes. Police encourage residents to check the back seat, keep parked vehicles locked and call 911 immediately if they see a child or pet in distress inside a vehicle. (July-August Crimefigher Newsletter)

Marketplace park opens to the public
North Park is now open at the Oro Valley Marketplace. The new public space includes a playground, splash pad and gathering area for small community events. It is the first completed feature of the Marketplace redevelopment and is part of the first phase of the project, which also includes construction of the 320-unit Encantada apartment community. (July-August Oro Valley Vista Newsletter)

Great Horned Owl visits Rancho Vistoso
A Stone Terrace resident photographed a Great Horned Owl during a nighttime visit to the neighborhood. The Vistoso Community Association featured the photograph as its July “Critter of the Month.” Great Horned Owls feed on rabbits, rodents, snakes and other small animals, helping maintain the natural balance of Oro Valley’s desert environment. (Source: Vistoso Community Association July Newsletter)

Community Center parking project finishes early
The Community and Recreation Center parking lot resurfacing project was completed one month ahead of schedule and under budget. The project included removal of the old asphalt, grading, repaving and restriping. It also added 18 parking spaces and three ADA-accessible spaces, improving access for residents using the Community Center and nearby recreational facilities. (June Town Manager Executive Report To Council)

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Barrett Wins Mayor... Dailey, Pina and Wood To Join Council in November

Barrett to Be Oro Valley’s Next Mayor 

Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett earned more than 57% of the approximately 12,700 votes cast to become Oro Valley’s next mayor. Barrett received more votes than challenger Mark Napier in all but two precincts. Those two precincts comprise the “golf” voting block we discussed last week. Two other precincts that we identified as part of that voting block supported Barrett. A small number of ballots remain to be counted. While those votes will change the final totals, they will not change the outcome.

We Project Dailey, Piña and Wood will join the Council

The Town Council race was more closely contested. Rosa Dailey, Rhonda Piña and Matt Wood are the top three vote-getters. Dailey and Piña hold comfortable leads over fourth-place candidate Chris DeSimone. Wood, currently in third place, leads DeSimone by 520 votes.  Though some ballots remain to be counted, we do not believe enough ballots remain to change the third-place result. We therefore project that Dailey, Piña and Wood will be elected to the Oro Valley Town Council.

Some counting still remains

There is still some counting to take place. We believe the remaining ballots are primarily provisional ballots. These are ballots that, for various reasons, must be reviewed to determine their eligibility before they can be counted.

Look for our full analysis of the election results in about a week, once all votes have been counted.

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Vote Today

REALTORS® PAC Makes $6,400 Contribution to Napier Campaign

Realtor PAC weighs in
The REALTORS® of Arizona Political Action Committee (RAPAC) contributed $6,400 to mayoral candidate Mark Napier’s campaign. That represents about 19.5% of the campaign’s total receipts through June 30. Excluding the $5,056.54 that Mark and Marlene Napier loaned the campaign, the RAPAC contribution represents approximately 23% of the money received from other sources.

Napier participated in questionnaire and interview
LOVE asked Napier about the contribution. He told us that he believes he completed an RAPAC questionnaire and participated in a panel interview. He said the questions covered his professional background, public administration, issues facing Oro Valley and his general understanding of real estate issues. 

Barrett says "No" to PAC contributions
We spoke with Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett. Her campaign-finance report shows no PAC contributions. She told LOVE she does not recall whether she was ever contacted by RAPAC. Even if the organization had contacted her, she said she would not have accepted its financial support. Barrett has never accepted PAC contributions in any of her three campaigns because she believes doing so allows her to answer only to Oro Valley residents. 

The value RAPAC get from supporting Napier...

Napier told us that his priorities are:

• Development consistent with existing zoning

• Building heights that do not detract from the Town’s appearance

• Development compatible with surrounding neighborhoods

• Responsible and sustainable development of Oro Valley’s remaining open residential land

We do not know whether any of those priorities align with RAPAC’s. You can do your own assessment by comparing them to those listed in the panel above. The size of the contribution suggests that either RAPAC saw an alignment between its priorities and his or that it expects to receive some other value. 

...could be "access"

Napier told LOVE that any suggestion that the contribution could influence him was “patently absurd....I made no commitments to the Realtors PAC other than to listen." This commitment to listen does assure RAPAC that its views will be heard if he is elected mayor. Whether that opportunity alone explains the $6,400 contribution remains unanswered.

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Will Social Media Spell The Difference?

Social media, videos, robocalls and texts reshape campaign outreach
Campaign signs were once the primary way candidates reached Oro Valley voters. Event today, they remain highly visible throughout town. This election, however, has brought a broader outreach effort. Mayoral candidate Mark Napier and council candidates Chris DeSimone and Rhonda Piña have invested substantially in digital advertising and campaign media. Their reports identify approximately $19,300 in social media advertising, campaign social media and broadly described advertising services. Additional payments were made for websites, video production, consulting, signs and campaign materials. The reports do not separately identify how much was spent on automated telephone calls or campaign text message

Will social media make a difference? Will it sway voters? Will it change the voting blocs we discussed yesterday?

Social media may move the needle a little
There have been relatively few studies focused specifically on municipal elections. Research from larger elections generally finds that political advertising on social media has limited and inconsistent effects. One experiment involving approximately two million voters examined an eight-month digital advertising campaign during the 2020 presidential election. On average, the advertising neither increased nor decreased turnout. The researchers concluded that even a large digital campaign was likely to have only modest mobilization effects. Other research suggests that social media may be more effective at increasing visibility and reinforcing the views of existing supporters than at changing the minds of undecided voters.

Robotexts may work better as reminders than as persuasion
One study involving more than three million voters found that a simple text-message reminder increased turnout by about 0.3 percentage points. That is a small effect, but even a small increase could matter in a close local election.  Research examining text messages intended to change voters’ candidate preferences has generally found little or no measurable effect. The evidence suggests that texts may be more useful for reminding supporters to vote than for persuading them to support a particular candidate.

Robocalls have shown limited results
Randomized studies have generally found that prerecorded political calls have little effect on either turnout or candidate preference. They are relatively inexpensive and allow campaigns to contact many voters quickly, but reaching a voter is not the same as persuading one.

Negative advertising presents another uncertainty
Research on negative campaigning has produced mixed results. Attacks may affect attitudes toward the candidate being criticized, but they can also cause voters to react negatively toward the candidate making the attack. Other research has found that negative advertising is not necessarily more effective than positive advertising. Much depends on whether voters consider the criticism credible, relevant and fair. Repetition may make a claim more familiar, but familiarity does not necessarily make it persuasive.

These methods may make a difference at the margins
Social media advertising, robocalls and robotexts can increase a candidate’s visibility, reinforce the views of supporters and remind people to vote. They appear to be less reliable at changing firmly held opinions.

In a close Oro Valley election, however, even a small effect could influence the outcome. We will know next week whether this extensive outreach made a measurable difference.

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Next Week We’ll Learn Whether Past Elections Foretold the Outcome of the 2026 Election

Past two elections revealed a geographic voting pattern
The results of Oro Valley’s Mayoral 2022 and Council 2024 elections suggest that where voters live may help explain how they vote. In both elections, a group of precincts centered in Rancho Vistoso voted differently from four precincts that include and surround the Town’s municipal golf courses. The candidates and issues changed, but the geographic divide remained.

Rancho Vistoso provided Winfield’s winning margin in 2022
In the 2022 mayoral election, Joe Winfield narrowly defeated former Oro Valley Police Chief Danny Sharp in the Mayoral election. This result was a bit surprising because Danny Sharp was a well-known, well respected figure in our Valley for many years. Sharp carried four precincts by a combined 920 votes. Winfield overcame that deficit by carrying  seven other precincts by 1,251 votes. His strength in Rancho Vistoso and the surrounding precincts provided the margin needed for his 285-vote townwide victory. That was close!

The 2022 council vote showed the same divide
The 2022 council race followed a similar pattern. Melanie Barrett, Joyce Jones-Ivey and Josh Nicolson won a majority of the council votes in nine of the Town’s eleven precincts. Their strongest support came from Rancho Vistoso. Their weakest results came from the precincts that include the Town’s two municipal golf courses, although they still received almost 48% of the vote there.

The same pattern appeared again in 2024
The 2024 council election produced another geographic split. Mary Murphy and Mo Greene received their strongest support in the golf-oriented precincts. Elizabeth Robb and Tim Bohen performed better in the Rancho Vistoso-oriented precincts. Murphy also received strong support in the Rancho Vistoso precincts. Robb received strong support in the community center precints. The election also produced substantial undervoting, as many residents used only one or two of their three available council votes.

A pattern is not a prediction... but tomorrow we will know more
Two elections do not establish how Oro Valley residents will vote in the future. Candidates, issues and turnout change from one election to the next. Still, the results of 2022 and 2024 suggest that Oro Valley has two identifiable geographic voting coalitions. And, as the panel shows, one is much larger in terms of voters than the other. The 2026 election will show whether that pattern continues or whether voters create a different one. 

Tomorrow: Will Social Media Spell The Difference?

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Deputy Town Manager Cornelison Leaving Town For New Career

A major move

Oro Valley Deputy Town Manager Chris Cornelison has confirmed that he is leaving the Town after sixteen years of service. Cornelison will become a financial advisor with TCI Wealth Advisors, a local firm. He told LOVE that serving the Oro Valley community has been a privilege and that he looks forward to continuing to help people in a more personal, one-on-one role.

A long career with the Town
Cornelison joined the Town of Oro Valley in 2010 and rose through several management positions, becoming assistant town manager in 2017 and deputy town manager in 2021. He also served as interim town manager from 2022 until Jeff Wilkins became town manager in 2023.

A major contributor
During his tenure, Cornelison became one of the Town’s most visible senior administrators. His responsibilities included budget preparation, capital projects, parks and recreation, golf operations, public works, land matters and the redevelopment of the Oro Valley Marketplace. As deputy town manager, he oversaw Information Technology, Parks and Recreation, Public Works and the Town Clerk’s Office.

Cornelison also led a review of the Town’s 457 retirement plan about five years ago. This is a tax-advantaged savings plan offered mainly to state and local government employees.The initiative resulted in a new plan and improved services for Town employees. In 2025, he received the ICMA Credentialed Manager designation, recognizing his professional experience and commitment to local government management.

Sets a new direction
Cornelison’s move into financial advising builds on his interest in helping people plan for their futures. He said he looks forward to continuing to serve the community in a different way. We wish him well.

Presents town an opportunity to consider structure of town manager's office
Cornelison’s departure creates a natural opportunity for the Town to reconsider the structure of the Town Manager’s Office. Senior management positions shape how responsibilities are divided, how departments communicate and how decisions move through the organization. A vacancy at this level allows the Town to determine whether the existing arrangement still reflects its current needs.

That question is especially relevant as Oro Valley approaches build-out and faces slower revenue growth. The deputy town manager position may remain important and may ultimately be filled. The vacancy also provides an opportunity to consider whether the same duties, reporting relationships and management structure should continue unchanged.

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Read more about Chris and his work in Oro Valley here.

Oro Valley Is Not Marana: Town Comparisons Need Context

Marana is not Oro Valley’s model
Oro Valley officials, town staff, council members, and candidates often look to Marana when discussing growth, economic development, revenue, land use, and public services. That is understandable. Marana is nearby. It is active. It is growing. It is often in the news. But proximity does not make the two towns truly comparable.

The two towns are different in important ways
Marana is much larger than Oro Valley. It has more room to grow. Its 78,000 acres are more than three times Oro Valley’s 23,000 acres. Its planning area is also more than three times larger than Oro Valley’s. Much of Marana is flatter and easier to build on. Interstate 10 also passes through Marana, giving it direct access to a major transportation corridor. That helps support highway-oriented commercial development, logistics-related uses, employment centers, and larger-scale projects.

Oro Valley does not have Marana’s I-10 location advantage. It has no direct I-10 frontage. The Tangerine Road corridor runs about 10 miles from I-10 in Marana to La Cañada Drive in Oro Valley. 

That means Oro Valley’s economic growth strategy must be different from Marana’s. Oro Valley’s future economic development must be shaped around its own geography, limited land supply, mature residential character, and community expectations.

Community values shape community choices
Both towns value quality of life, but they express that value differently. Marana’s General Plan emphasizes managed growth, economic development, infrastructure, parks, trails, downtown revitalization, open space, and conservation as the town prepares for continued expansion. Those values may sound familiar to Oro Valley residents. The difference is context. In Oro Valley, building height matters more. Density matters more. View protection matters more. Compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods matters more. These values are central to Oro Valley’s identity because most major land-use decisions now occur next to, or near, established neighborhoods.

Marana is also Oro Valley’s partner
None of this means Oro Valley should ignore Marana. In some areas, the two towns should work together. Water is one example. Oro Valley, Marana, and Metro Water District are partners in the Northwest Recharge, Recovery and Delivery System (NWRRDS), a regional effort to recover stored CAP water and deliver renewable water supplies to each service area.

Tourism is another example. Oro Valley and Marana have partnered on regional bicycling promotion, the Tucson Bicycle Classic, Project Echelon Gran Fondo, and the M.O.V.E. Across 2 Ranges hiking event. Transportation is another shared interest, as shown by the Tangerine Road corridor, which connects I-10 in Marana to La Cañada Drive in Oro Valley. These are useful partnerships because the interests are regional. They are different from using Marana as a benchmark for what Oro Valley should become.

Lessons are useful. False comparisons are not.
Marana is not wrong for making Marana decisions. Oro Valley would be wrong, however, to assume that Marana’s path is Oro Valley’s path. The better approach is simple. Learn from Marana where the lesson applies. Partner with Marana for mutual benefit. But measure Oro Valley by what fits Oro Valley, not by what fits Marana.

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Bits and Pieces...Election Style

Napier overlooks Barrett’s ten years of hands-on Oro Valley experience

Melanie Barrett has served this community for more than ten years. She first served on the Oro Valley Planning and Zoning Commission. For the past eight years, she has served on the Town Council and as Vice Mayor. During that time, she has been directly involved in the Town’s budgets, land-use decisions, water policy, public safety funding, parks and recreation planning, road maintenance priorities, annexation discussions, and long-range financial planning. She has not watched Oro Valley from the outside. She has governed it. (Watch KGUN 9 Barrett interview here).

That is why a Mark Napier campaign video is so hard to take seriously. In the video, Napier compares his background to Barrett’s by describing her as a “part-time elected official” and listing only “Town Council Member” under her professional experience. That is campaign framing. It is not a fair description of what Barrett has done for Oro Valley. 

Napier has significant professional experience. That is not in dispute. The question for voters is what kind of experience matters most in this election. Napier offers outside executive and law-enforcement experience. Barrett offers direct Oro Valley governing experience. She knows the Town’s issues because she has been working on them for years. To say that she lacks the experience to lead Oro Valley going forward is not just unfair. It is ridiculous. It is patently absurd.

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A commenter on Napier's facebook page had a visceral reaction to his video: "Ignoring someone’s accomplishments and achievements while also putting down stay at home moms is wild. But hey, I can do it too. Without the whole degrading various moms all over town… that’s gross dude." The commenter included a visual which we is on the panel at right. Enjoy.

DeSimone says that a photo of a six story building could jeopardize future "Uptown" annexation efforts
In a campaign video, council candidate Chris DeSimone said that a building shown in some competitors’ campaign materials is not in Oro Valley. He alleges that the building pictured is part of the Uptown redevelopment of the former Foothills Mall in unincorporated Pima County. DeSimone argued that using that building to warn voters about tall buildings in Oro Valley could make future annexation discussions with the developer of Uptown, Bourn Companies, more difficult.

We just do not see the problem.

First, Oro Valley residents have made clear that they do not want tall buildings in Town. Oro Valley’s zoning rules limit building height. Future development inside Oro Valley would be subject to the Town’s zoning and land-use approval process. If the Uptown property were ever annexed, existing buildings and previously approved development rights would only be affected if the Bourn sought new approvals, changed the project, or agreed to different terms as part of an annexation agreement. And these exceptions could be granted as part of the annexation agreement.

Second, Uptown is part of Oro Valley’s long-range annexation discussion, but it is a very long-term target. It is not contiguous with Oro Valley’s current boundaries. Arizona annexation law requires the territory proposed for annexation to be contiguous to the city or town. According to the Town Council’s January annexation discussion, annexing the former Foothills Mall area first would require annexing residential areas that together include roughly 2,500 residents. That would be needed just to bring the Town’s boundary to the mall. It would also make the annexation more complicated, more expensive to serve, and dependent on broad residential participation. 

Residents in that area have not shown interest in becoming part of Oro Valley. LOVE reported in 2020 that the last time the Town tried to convince the Foothills Mall area to join Oro Valley, it received a “resounding no.”  That history matters. It means Uptown may be worth watching as a long-range possibility, but it is not the Town’s practical near-term annexation strategy.

DeSimone says other candidates "might be afraid to answer tough questions"

In a separate campaign posting, DeSimone asserts that he has been more available to voters than the other candidates. He says he is “the one candidate of the seven total” who has held the most public events to encourage input and conversation. That would be a legitimate campaign point if documented. He goes further, saying that the “lack of public engagement” by some competitors “should worry the voters” and suggesting they “might be afraid of answering tough questions.” DeSimone says he will continue meeting with residents monthly if elected and hopes one or two fellow council members will join him. 

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Napier Says Oro Valley Marketplace Lacks Vision and Leadership… But Is He Right?

Does Napier's claim "hold water"?
A campaign video posted on mayoral candidate Mark Napier’s site states that “The Oro Valley Marketplace is not living up to its potential due to failed leadership and no long-term vision for its development.” The claim is not substantiated. It is simply an assertion. The video gives the impression, especially to those who do not know the Marketplace’s history, that the empty storefronts, and there are many, are the fault of the current Town Council.

History says otherwise
LOVE has documented the Marketplace since its inception. Indeed, LOVE’s founding grew out of the efforts of residents who opposed Town financial support for the center. They did not like the agreement the Town made with the developer, Vestar. Vestar was to receive an estimated $23.2 million in rebated sales tax revenue over the center’s first ten years.

These residents fought to place that choice on the ballot so residents could approve or reject it. Bedazzled by the promise of an “upscale” mall like La Encantada in the foothills, and with the support of the Paul Loomis-led council, 58% of residents, in March 2006, voted in favor of the Town’s financial support for the center. They did not get that upscale mall. A subsequent Arizona Supreme Court ruling sharply restricted such arrangements by requiring that public payments provide direct and proportionate public benefits.

The Marketplace was troubled from the beginning
LOVE chronicled this history through 2019. We concluded that the Marketplace was doomed from its inception because it was not an economically feasible venture. Even with ongoing government support, it was, at best, only marginally successful. The only council that could be blamed for its failure, if any council could be blamed, would be the council in office when the decision was made to financially support the center in 2005. Indeed, the Marketplace would never have been built at that time had it not been for the financial support to which the Town had agreed.

The Marketplace struggled throughout its history. There were always vacant storefronts. No upscale stores located there. Its gross revenues fell far short of the plan. After ten years, the center had generated $16.4 million in sales tax revenue for Vestar. That was far less than the projected $23.2 million. Store after store failed. Remember Dick’s Sporting Goods? Best Buy? Ashley Furniture?

During most of those years, from 2010 to 2018, the Town was overseen by the Hiremath Council. That council included current council candidate Rhonda Piña and Joe Hornat, a vocal Napier supporter. The Hiremath Council did nothing to fix the plight of the center. And, really, what could it have done?

The Winfield Council inherited the problem
By 2019, the first full year of the Winfield Council, there were 22 open businesses and 23 empty storefronts. By October, the Marketplace had a new owner. Vestar sold the Oro Valley Marketplace to Town West Realty. The reported purchase price was $45.15 million.

Town West presented a new vision
Town West had a vision. It planned to transform the Marketplace from a primarily retail center into a mixed-use development. Town West believed that only a mixed-use development could provide the density needed to make the shopping center successful. The Town Council agreed. From 2022 to 2023, Town staff and the council worked with Town West to shape the redevelopment into a plan that could revitalize the Marketplace.

Council shaped it the Oro Valley way
The initial proposal from Town West contemplated approximately 730 apartments in two six story buildings. They sought numerous exceptions from the Town’s existing height and setback requirements. These exceptions were not consistent with the Town’s General Plan. Nor were they consistent with what residents wanted. The initial plan included a “public-private partnership” that would have required the Town to underground a wash and build and maintain an entertainment center.

After much work, the final agreement allowed 320 apartments in two three-story buildings, with the buildings limited to 39 feet. It also included a hotel. The agreement added an important condition: The agreement added an important condition: The hotel in Area 4 must receive its certificate of occupancy before certificates of occupancy may be issued for any apartments in Area 4. The initial recreational amenities would be the responsibility of the developer rather than becoming a Town-funded obligation. If the project succeeds, the council can later decide whether it wants to underground the wash to accommodate another hotel and food-court-type concepts in the entertainment district.

Redevelopment is now moving forward
Drive through the Marketplace and you can see that construction is in progress on the north side of the property. It includes one of the two approved apartment buildings, the hotel, intersection and pedestrian improvements, and the neighborhood park. Surf Thru Car Wash is ready to go on the south side. There is also a new restaurant where Red Lobster used to be. 

Napier should explain his alternative
If Napier does not see that as leadership, then we ask: What would he have done, and would it have achieved a better result? We believe that question is legitimate. We see a center that is being revitalized and is on the move again. We see a center whose redevelopment plan was shaped with the input and effort of Town staff and council. We see that as leadership.

But Napier’s video does not agree. So we wonder: What would he have done differently to make this redevelopment a reality? Would he have approved six-story apartment buildings? Would he have approved 720 apartments? Would he have committed millions of dollars in Town money upfront to fund the entertainment center?

Those are legitimate questions Napier ought to answer instead of simply trying to rewrite history.

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“Neighbor Joe” Makes a Good Story But It Does Not Explain Oro Valley’s Finances

A simple story with a serious accusation
Mayoral candidate Mark Napier recently compared Oro Valley to his fictional neighbor Joe, a man who misses his income forecast, withdraws money from savings, postpones home improvements, and reduces maintenance because he cannot afford it. Napier concludes that Joe is in financial trouble and says the Town is being managed in the same way. He then accuses candidates who disagree of being “in denial for personal and political reasons.” It is an effective campaign story. It is not an accurate explanation of Oro Valley’s finances.

Yes. town's financial pressures are real
Napier is right that Oro Valley’s revenue outlook has weakened. The Town substantially reduced its sales tax forecast after collections fell below expectations. The fiscal year 2027 budget took action. Council removed or deferred approximately $11.6 million of proposed capital spending. None of this spending was essential. Council directed General Fund departments to reduce operating and maintenance spending by one-half of one percent. It reduced excess police pension contribution by approximately $1.5 million while maintaining a fully funded police pension, These are real adjustments; responsively done. 

Click To Enlarge

But, let's get the facts right
But Napier does not see it that way. Instead, his "Neighbor Joe Story" says the Town missed its “income projections” by 12.5 percent. That wording makes it sound as though all Town revenue fell 12.5 percent below budget. It did not. The figure applies only to projected local sales tax revenue. As we have previously explained in several articles, much of that shortfall resulted a construction project that did not begin when Town staff assumed they would. It was a timing issue. It is not evidence of a permanent, long-term revenue decline. Yes, the staff forecast miss was substantial, and staff should be held accountable for it. However, a shortfall in one major revenue category is not the same as a 12.5 percent shortfall in all Town income. 

In fact, the approximately $4 million shortfall represents about 3.7 percent of the Town’s anticipated total revenues.

A Fund balance is not a rainy-day account
The “Neighbor Joe Story” also says the Town regularly takes large sums from “long-term savings just to balance the budget.” That description treats every reduction in the General Fund balance as evidence that the Town is living beyond its means. This is where Napier gets it wrong. A municipal fund balance is not merely a household savings account. It includes money available for planned capital transfers, debt service, and other authorized uses, as well as the amount needed to satisfy the Town’s reserve policy. A decline in the General Fund balance does not necessarily mean the Town has dipped below its required reserve or used emergency savings to pay routine operating expenses, any more than a change in your bank balance means you are going broke.

Which projects and which maintenance?
Also in the “Neighbor Joe Story", Napier says that the Town is delaying or canceling “very significant improvements” and scaling back normal maintenance because it lacks the money. He does not identify which capital projects have been deferred, why they are essential, why they were deferred, or how the delays affect residents. Nor does he identify which maintenance work will not be performed. 

It has been the history of Oro Valley budgeting that proposed capital plans routinely change as projects are reprioritized, redesigned, rescheduled, or moved outside the five-year planning period. A change in proposed capital spending is not, by itself, proof that the Town cannot afford to maintain its essential infrastructure.

A household comparison has limits
A household analogy can make a complicated issue easier to understand, but only when the comparison accurately reflects the facts. A municipality operates multiple funds, receives revenues that are legally restricted to specific purposes, transfers money between funds, pays debt service, and finances assets that may serve residents for decades. Oro Valley’s finances cannot be accurately evaluated by treating the General Fund as a checking account and the entire fund balance as personal savings.

Questions require more than an analogy
Napier has raised fair questions about revenue forecasting, capital priorities, spending discipline, and long-term financial planning. Those questions should be debated. However, declaring the Town to be in serious financial trouble requires more than comparing it to an overspending homeowner. It requires identifying which recurring expenditures exceed recurring revenues, which deferred projects materially affect residents, which maintenance needs are going unmet, and when the Town is projected to fall below its required reserve. The “Neighbor Joe Story" provides none of that.

Challenges are not the same as mismanagement

All candidates agree that Oro Valley faces financial challenges. Sales tax revenues have flattened, staff badly overestimated the timing of major construction projects, and the Town must carefully manage spending as it approaches build-out. Those are legitimate election issues. They do not, by themselves, prove that the Town is financially mismanaged.

The most troubling part of Napier’s “Neighbor Joe” story is his suggestion that those who disagree with his conclusion are “in denial for personal and political reasons.” There is no evidence that Melanie Barrett, during her eight years on the Town Council, ever acted out of personal or political interest in assessing the Town’s finances. Voters deserve a fuller explanation of why Napier would imply otherwise.

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Happy 250 America...

America is turning 250! 

LOVE wishes all of our readers a safe, happy and memorable Fourth of July.

Oro Valley will mark the occasion Saturday with America’s Birthday Bash at James D. Kriegh Park. Join friends and neighbors for an evening of community celebration, entertainment and patriotic fun.

Remember to vote. Nothing could be more patriotic.

250 Years and Counting!

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Bits and Pieces

Council approves next year’s budget

Last week, the Oro Valley Town Council unanimously approved the Town’s final budget for fiscal year 2026-27. The budget sets a maximum expenditure limit of $127.99 million and includes the Town’s General Pay Plan and ten-year Capital Improvement Program. The projected ending balance across all Town funds is approximately $47.85 million. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

Council Member Murphy opposes use tax without an efficiency audit
Also last week, the Oro Valley Town Council approved a 2.5% use tax by a 4-3 vote. The tax generally applies to taxable business purchases from out-of-state sellers when an equivalent local sales tax was not collected. Vice Mayor Barrett and Councilmembers Murphy and Nicolson voted against the measure. Murphy told LOVE: “I will never vote for a new tax without an operational efficiency audit. It does not mean that I believe we aren’t operating efficiently, but I absolutely believe our residents and businesses deserve us to do our due diligence before ever enacting a new tax.” Council had first approved the tax in January, but that action became void after the Arizona Department of Revenue failed to update the Town’s tax code within the required period. The tax takes effect July 1.

Floodplain update protects access to insurance and disaster aid
The Oro Valley Town Council unanimously approved updates to the Town’s floodplain and erosion-hazard regulations. These changes keep Oro Valley in compliance with state and FEMA standards, helping preserve residents’ access to federally backed flood insurance and the Town’s eligibility for disaster assistance and flood-mitigation grants after a major storm.

Oro Valley plans a larger July Fourth celebration
Oro Valley will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary on July 4 at James D. Kriegh Park from 6:00 to 9:20 p.m. The free event will include live music, food trucks, children’s activities, a beer garden and fireworks beginning at 9 p.m. Parking will be available at the Oro Valley Aquatic Center and Canyon del Oro High School. Residents should note that pets, outside alcohol, smoking, glass containers, personal shade tents and personal fireworks are not permitted. Coolers are allowed but may be inspected.

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