Guest View: Jack Stinnett ~ How Special Interests have influenced our Town Council elections

Just since 2014, developers and special interests have contributed a quarter of a million dollars to influence the elections of Oro Valley’s mayor and council. So far it has worked to allow their candidates to control our town and approve every developer requested General Plan amendment and rezoning.

Town Council decisions allowing rampant over-development is viewed by many as being a direct result of developers and special interest money buying our small town elections. Below is the sequence of events that has caused our town to fall prey to outside big money influence.

2010 Election
This was Hiremath’s first run for mayor and he funded his campaign at a level 5 times greater than his opponent. Hiremath raised over $45,000, (some from personal loans) and $13,000 from special interests. Despite this advantage, Hiremath won the 2010 election by only 30 votes. His campaign later repaid his personal and family loans.

2014 Election
In the 2014 election, Mayor Hiremath and Councilmembers Hornat, Snider, and Waters ran as a team who knew “what was best for Oro Valley.” Hiremath was opposed by Patrick Straney. Donald Bristow was the only opposing council candidate.

Hiremath-Hornat-Snider-Waters had now learned the campaign finance model, as did the developer, builder, and real estate community. This time, special interests kicked in $59,000 (a four-fold increase from 2010) for a second term of their team who knew “what was best for Oro Valley."

The Top 5 Donors in the 2014 Election were: [click to enlarge]

The special interest funded candidates won re-election. Why was this unheard of level of Special Interest funding needed to fend off two first time candidates -- and two incumbent council candidates who were effectively running unopposed?

2015 Recall Election
In the 2015 Recall election of Hiremath-Hornat-Snider-Waters, special interests once again contributed heavily to keep their council in office. Humberto Lopez (HSL Properties), the HSL Family trust, and HSL employee Omar Morales donated $24,000 to defend Hiremath-Hornat-Snider-Waters against four recall opponents.

Through the October 15, 2015 campaign finance report, Mayor Hiremath alone had raised $104,000 and spent $101,323 to retain his office against challenger Patrick Straney. Despite Hiremath outspending Straney by 15 to 1, Hiremath won with only 51% of the vote.

2016 Council Election
In the 2016 election, candidates Rhonda Pina, Bill Rodman, and Steve Solomon defeated incumbents Zinkin, Garner, and Burns, effectively giving Mayor Hiremath a 7-0 council. Zinkin, Garner, and Burns had refused to accept donations from special interests and were heavily outspent as a result. Once again, the special interest funded challengers won the election.

The result of three special interest funded elections (2014-2015-2016)
During the period 2014 through 2016, special interests funded Mayor Hiremath and our six elected council members to create an unassailable 7-0 council majority. Since the new council took office in November 2016, over 90% of all decisions have been 7-0 votes, with many items agreed prior to council meetings by "consent agenda" and never discussed in public. Not one developer requested rezoning or General Plan amendment has been denied by the Oro Valley mayor and council.

The Top Donors to Mayor Hiremath and the current council from 2014 to 2016 were: [click to enlarge]

2018 Primary Election
Now running for a third term, Hiremath-Hornat-Snider-Waters reported $61,580 in campaign contributions during the 2nd quarter reporting period [April 29 - June 30]. (Editor’s Note: Campaign Finance Reports through August 11th reveal that the incumbents raised an additional $35,581 since the June 30th reporting period.)

Further inspection reveals that over 90% of this amount came from developers, landowners, and other special interests expecting to do business with or in Oro Valley.

As of the June 30th reporting period, the incumbents raised less than $2,000 from Oro Valley residents. That’s not nearly enough to pay for the multiple glossy, multicolor mailers we have received, much less the multiple full page ads in the Explorer.

So when you receive all their promotional material, recognize that it is coming from special interest contributions to influence your vote to keep the status quo for them.

Let’s vote ‘em out.

Editor’s Note: For more information on the updated Campaign Finance Reports, please scroll down to read our Special Saturday Edition that you may have missed since we don’t normally publish on the weekends.

Reader Comments

We thought you might enjoy reading a sampling of comments that LOVE has received regarding the Town Council election along with reader comments that we found on Take Back OV.

•While the challengers are out canvassing neighborhoods in the heat, the incumbents sit in air conditioned comfort while paying a Campaign Consulting firm (Saguaro Strategies $50,000) to run their campaign. Not the People's candidates.

•Please vote for restoring balance to Oro Valley Town Council. Vote for more dialogue, not less. Vote for more influence in YOUR town. Vote for people who have run a grassroots campaign and not a slick, PHX based, professionally run campaign to smooth-over their unpopular track record. Vote for new ideas and new resolve to put OV Citizens first!

•They pull out the same old tired endorsements every election year. Police, fire, some Army general, and some local Reverend. Their endorsements are as stale as their ideas and are meant to draw your attention away from their abysmal record.

•What is built is nothing special. No charm, no added character, just high density housing that clears the desert that makes OV unique only to make it look like anywhere USA. That means it's a zoning and development failure. What’s frustrating is that I feel like we have no power in the situation. It feels like we can go to these meetings over and over again and in large numbers and we can voice our concerns and thoughts, but that’s the end of it. In the end, they don’t care what we want. They just want money.

•The latest spin from the incumbents is a desperate tactic that they use every election year..."Save your Police and SRO." Show me where any of the challengers said that they were going to dismantle the OVPD or end the SRO program. They haven't. It's a completely made up soundbite to scare uninformed residents into re-electing the incumbents. Yet the incumbents accused the challengers of running a soundbite campaign! Two of the challengers have children in Oro Valley schools. Why would they want to get rid of the SRO’s? Why would they want to weaken the police force? It’s nonsense.

•I noticed on the campaign posters that the incumbent Oro Valley administration has been “endorsed” by Police and Fire. I strongly feel that it is inappropriate for Public Service Organizations and employees to be engaged in City/Town politics.

•If re-elected, he (Hiremath) will even be more abusive to those who dare question him. Look at the town council. They have, over the past 8 years, been extremely abrupt, rude, dismissive, and condescending to residents in council meetings, in public, and especially on social media. It’s who they are. Look at the Steve Solomon issue. He’s the worst yet the mayor is silent. The mayor never holds back on residents, but Solomon’s inappropriateness is acceptable.

Oro Valley citizens launch new website ~ 4OroValley.com

LOVE has just learned of a new website (4OroValley.com) where you can obtain more information about Oro Valley issues.  We're not sure if this new site is permanent or if it is just being maintained during the 2018 Town Council election.

In any event, below is a sample of what can be found on this new website:

Property values increase claim
In Hiremath's full page ad in the Explorer, he seemed proud to say that "Home values have risen twenty-three percent since I took office" (which was in 2010). He must have been hoping that information would garner him some votes. He has repeated that claim several other times. Guess he didn't figure anyone would remember that 2010 was near the bottom of the market and do any follow-up research. Let's get to the truth.

Home values in Oro Valley may have gone up 23% since Hiremath took office in 2010, but according to Tucson.com, home values throughout Arizona have gone up 35% since 2010. That's 50% higher statewide than Oro Valley. And according to Trulia.com, the median sales price in Phoenix has more than doubled since 2010. Perhaps Hiremath's 23% number isn't quite the source of pride he'd like us to believe.

Click HERE to visit the website and learn more.

A Message from Joe Winfield

We found this on the Joseph Winfield for Oro Valley Mayor Facebook Page and thought we would share it with our readers who might not be on Facebook.

A Message from Mayoral Candidate, Joe Winfield

We have had over 24 "Community Outreach" events since May. These meetings have been in the form of Meet the Candidates Events, Neighborhood Home Gatherings, Question and Answer Sessions, Candidate Forums and hundreds of conversations with residents on their own doorsteps.

We have done this to meet and come to know the people of Oro Valley. We have enjoyed meeting you, hearing your stories, listening to your concerns and have done our best to respect differences of opinion.

We are grateful for those who have generously given of their time, efforts and monetary support. We are truly a grass-roots campaign.

We desire to give the Citizens of Oro Valley more of a voice and say in what happens in YOUR town. Winfield, Barrett, Jones-Ivey and Nicolson would be honored to receive your vote. Thank you!

The Oro Valley Election: "You Don't Need A Weatherman To Know Which Way The Wind Blows"

A simple voting decision: Do you like what you see?
We've been following election related discussions posted on nexdoor.com. The discussions are interesting: "The golf course is good." "No. The golf course is bad;" "High paced development is good." "No. High paced development is bad." Some commenters have made up their minds. Some commenters are doing more research.

Here's all the research you need.

Look around you. Do you like what you see? Do you want 4 more years of the same?

If you don't like what you see, if you want a change in the direction of Oro Valley, then vote for the challengers (Winfield, Barrett, Nicholson, Jones-Ivey).

If you like what you see and you want more of the same, then vote for the incumbents.

It's a simple decision

"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."(Watch The Video)

Is Hiremath's claim of community feedback bogus? 

In the May 9 edition of the Explorer, Mayor Hiremath stated that "It felt good to interact with the community while canvasing for signatures." How many signatures did he canvass? 20!

That's right, 20 signatures!

20, according to an analysis by local group takebackov of each Hiremath petition he submitted.

Not much community feedback.

Your Views Don't Matter To Mayor Hiremath
Mayor Hiremath cares little for what the community thinks. He's always felt that way. Watch (at left) Hiremath lecture residents who spoke at the country club acquisition hearing in December of 2014.

Then ask yourself: Do you want 4 more years of this behavior?

Mark Your Calendar: Sun City Candidate Forum

Candidate Forum

Oro Valley Mayor and Town Council Candidates

Sun City Auditorium
1565 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd.

Saturday, August 4th

2:00 to 4:00 PM

Open to the Public ~ Doors open at 1:30 PM

Incumbents being financed by wealthy special interests once again

Synopsis of Incumbents’ Campaign Finance Reports
Campaign Finance Reports through June 30th reveal that Mayor Hiremath and Councilmembers Hornat, Waters, and Snider have received a total of $61,580 in campaign contributions with $50,000 coming from developers, builders, land speculators, and others in the real estate industry.

Mayor Hiremath raised $21,430 in donations.

It’s worth noting that the incumbents have continued to solicit donations from developers and special interests despite knowing that over-development and special interest influence are the major issues that are angering Oro Valley residents.

LOVE readers will be familiar with “the usual suspects” who are once again the top contributors. These include Humberto Lopez/HSL Properties ($14,000), the Kai family ($20,000), and Jeff Grobstein, President of Meritage Homes ($4000).

As you will see in the charts at the end of this article, the top five donors contributed $46,500 accounting for a whopping 76% of the total contributions.

Mayoral challenger, Joe Winfield stated in a press release, “Special Interest influence on Oro Valley land use decisions is the major complaint I hear from voters. I thought the incumbents would reconsider relying on Special Interest money in this election in light of allegations of ‘Pay to Play’ by residents of the town.” Winfield further stated that the challengers promise to neither “seek nor accept contributions from special interests but will represent Oro Valley residents in our council decisions.”

Synopsis of Challengers’ Campaign Finance Reports
Joe Winfield, Melanie Barrett, Josh Nicolson, and Joyce Jones-Ivey raised a combined total of $28,397 and have done so without any special interest donations.

If elected, this ensures that all their decisions will be citizen-based and not influenced by wealthy benefactors. This will result in future developments adhering to the standards in the voter-approved General Plan and Town zoning codes rather than catering to the whims of developers.

Joe Winfield raised $13,687
     (plus an additional $5000 that Winfield donated to his own campaign for a total of $18,687).

A Comparison Study
56 Oro Valley residents contributed a total of $13,687 to Joe Winfield’s campaign.

Only 6 Oro Valley residents contributed a total of $475.00 to Mayor Hiremath’s campaign.
     (7 residents and $575.00 total if you count the $100 donation from Councilmember Rodman)

Here’s why the incumbents rely on special interest donations:
Only 6 Oro Valley residents contributed to Mayor Hiremath’s campaign.
Only 2 Oro Valley residents contributed to Lou Waters’ campaign.
Only 2 Oro Valley residents contributed to Joe Hornat’s campaign.
Only 4 Oro Valley residents contributed to Mary Snider’s campaign.

Meanwhile…
56 Oro Valley residents contributed to Joe Winfield’s campaign.
27 Oro Valley residents contributed to Melanie Barrett’s campaign.
17 Oro Valley residents contributed to Josh Nicholson’s campaign.
9 Oro Valley residents contributed to Joyce Jones-Ivey’s campaign.

[Click on the charts to enlarge]

Election Schedule

Below is the election schedule for the primary election being held on August 28th. If you want to vote in the Town Council election and you are not yet registered to vote, you will need to register by Monday, July 30th.

If you are already on the permanent early voting list and you are registered as a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or Green Party, you will automatically receive a mail-in ballot. If you are not registered to one of the above parties, you will need to contact the Pima County Recorder's office to request a ballot. The last day to request a mail-in ballot is August 17th.

Additional information can be found in the attached flyer. [Click to enlarge]

Tucson Association of Realtors spreading Town Council election falsehoods

A LOVE reader sent us this screenshot of an email that is being distributed by The Tucson Association of Realtors (TAR) and the Realtor Political Action Committee (RPAC).

The contents of this email are a blatant lie and there are only two possible explanations for this:

• They received inaccurate information and didn’t bother to verify its authenticity before spreading this false information

• Or they are deliberately putting their own spin on the story in order to instill FEAR in their members in an attempt to drum up donations and votes for Hiremath-Hornat-Snider-Waters

Did TAR interview the challengers? No! So how do they know the challengers stances on this issue? On what basis did they draw the conclusion that the challengers “have promised to impose a building moritorium [sic] in Oro Valley if elected?” Did a mole attend one of the challengers Meet and Greets and then inaccurately report back what transpired at that meeting?

Fortunately, we have an accurate report of the challengers’ positions on development. Below are direct quotes from the 3-part article, “LOVE interviews mayoral candidate, Joe Winfield” published on June 5-6-7.

In Part 1 of the interview, Winfield stated:

“In addition, I want to moderate growth. I would approach that by simply putting a moratorium on any amendments or rezonings and letting our community take a breath on the amount of development that has been occurring. I’m not suggesting that we don’t need development or that development would need to stop, but that we would comply and follow the current land use and zoning.”

Winfield suggested only a moratorium on General Plan amendments and rezonings. He never promised a complete moratorium on all building. He said “moderate…take a breath…follow the current land use and zoning.”

First of all, a moratorium is just a temporary halting of an activity, in this case, a temporary halting of General Plan amendments and rezonings. That is a far cry from imposing a complete moratorium on all building.

Does Winfield’s measured approach sound like something that would “have a dramatic impact” on the entire community?

In Part 2 of the interview, Winfield stated:

“I would hope to have made a difference in terms of the development of our community. Admittedly, much of the community is already developed so I don’t know that you’ll see a significant difference but I would hope that there would have been some moderation in development and the type of development.”

Does that sound like a complete building moratorium to you? Does that sound like it would lead to a dramatic impact?

Melanie Barrett’s thoughts on development

“Seek development that is responsive to residents wishes and responsible in design…[slowing] the current pace of developments.” [Introducing Melanie Barrett, LOVE, May 22nd]

Joyce Jones-Ivey’s thoughts development

“Responsible growth that preserves our town’s scenic beauty…Adhere to the guiding principles of the General Plan.” [Introducing Joyce Jones-Ivey, LOVE, May 24th]

Josh Nicolson’s thoughts on development

“Frequent General Plan amendments and rezonings…Right now it seems like developers are getting their way and there’s a group of citizens who aren’t being listened to at all. I believe elected officials have a moral obligation to do what’s best for the community as a whole and for the long-term prosperity of Oro Valley.” [Introducing Josh Nicolson, LOVE, June 11th]

As you can see, TAR and RAPAC are using fear tactics and spin to drum up support for their cause. No one should take them seriously. After all, they can’t even spell moratorium, the very subject of their email! They misspelled it four times!

TAR and RAPAC have a right to support the incumbents but they need to cease and desist with their lies and fear-mongering.

A Message from Town Council Candidate, Melanie Barrett

It has been a pleasure over the course of this campaign to meet so many of you. Oro Valley has so many wonderful people. I look forward to continuing to build relationships with the citizens and to serve the people of our Town.

I am running with a team of wonderful people; Joe Winfield for Mayor, and Joyce Jones-Ivey and Josh Nicolson for Town Council. We are a diverse group of men and women of various ages, races, backgrounds, and even political ideologies, but we are like-minded when it comes to the moral obligation of government to serve the people.

We have a positive vision of Oro Valley as a place where citizens are respected and placed at the forefront of the government.

Special interests and Development
In the past few years the mayor and current council have accepted over $150,000 in campaign financing, all from 5 donors, all of whom are developers. They later vote on these developers’ projects (and buy and maintain money losing golf courses from them). This results in many 7-0 decisions in favor of developers, even when a large number of citizens object to these rezonings. Many people leave Town meetings feeling it was a "done-deal." Since the 2016 election, the council has approved all 14 rezonings that have come before them.

We would prefer moderate growth that is respectful of the community and the environment. Our beautiful natural desert and scarce water resources need to be carefully considered.

We are committed to putting the citizens back at the top of the Oro Valley Organizational Chart, and bringing back respect and transparency, as well as operating without ties to special interests. Our financing comes from ourselves, our families and friends, and the community.

My time on the Planning and Zoning Commission
I began my first year gaining my footing and trusting what I was told by town planners and other commission members who made strong arguments for the proposed developments. Over time, my perspective broadened and I began to realize that things were not as they appeared, and that residents’ voices were not being given enough consideration.

While on P&Z, I fought for parks, for view sheds, for the preservation of plants, and for lanes to be added for schools. I lobbied the planners and the council, fought to protect the “small town feeling” language in the General Plan, and added language about parks and recreation that met the needs of citizens of all ages.

I did vote in favor of many re-zonings that I knew would ultimately be approved by Council no matter what P&Z recommended. I did so in order to add conditions to improve the plan. One of the planners told me I had taken upon myself the role of “chief skeptic.”

In my last year as a P&Z Commissioner, I witnessed the following:

• Town Council ignoring the recommendations of the P&Z Commission if they recommended denial of a rezoning application

• Town Council eliminating the 4-year maximum term limit for P&Z commissioners in order to maintain pro-development votes

• Some of my concerns not being included in staff reports to Council

• Town Council removing conditions that I fought to have included in development proposals

This is when I realized that the only way to change the system was to change the Town Council itself.

Taxes and Fiscal responsibility
In the 8 years of Mayor Hiremath and council's tenure, the budget has grown 59%, though population growth has been around 8% and inflation around 12%. This growth rate is 5 times the rate of inflation.

Taxes have been raised significantly, with the sales tax being increased by 25% and the utility tax doubled. The current Town Council even supported a property tax which was voted down by the citizens. Too much taxpayer money is being funneled into the community center and golf, larger government, and the associated personnel.

The most recent FY 18/19 budget that the council passed in June included a $14M bond, paid over 20 years. The mayor and council claim to have a $1.3M budget surplus. I don’t know about you, but I don’t put $1,400 on my credit card, then look at my account with $130 left and say that I have a $130 surplus. This is akin to what is happening with the Town finances.

We would like to employ disciplined fiscal responsibility with our taxpayer dollars with an eye towards the long-term benefit of our community's future, keeping in mind what we are leaving for our children.

Parks and Recreation
Many of you know that the Town commissioned a statistically valid Parks and Recreation Survey in 2014 regarding amenities residents desired. Far at the top were Playgrounds, Ramadas, and Walking Paths. Out of 34 items, golf came in at 33 and with negative favorability (with 63% of respondents rating golf as “Not important.”)

Six months later, the Town Council voted to purchase a golf course in a deal with their biggest campaign donor, and since then have doubled down on that purchase, throwing good money after bad. We believe that parks and recreation should meet the needs of the greatest number of people and be truly designed for the citizens.

To me, the golf losses are about the opportunity lost. What could we have done with that money instead? To put the scale of losses into perspective, we have lost enough money on Golf to have constructed 57 new playgrounds, or 6 large splash pads (like the one in Marana), or any number of ball fields, but in 8 years the Town Council has not built any of these things.

The FY 2018/19 budget includes a 6 million dollar bond for golf and the community center improvements paid over 20 years, but no money or plans for Naranja Park or any playgrounds or ball fields. My children will be nearly my age before the Town is finished paying for this bond.

The Town Council now says it is “breaking even.” What they mean by this is that the Town has projected that the sales tax revenues will now be enough to cover the losses. This does not account for any capital improvement or the upcoming bond. This is not the definition that was given of breaking even when the purchase was proposed, and the courses are still costing $2.5M per year of your tax dollars, no matter how you manipulate the math.

We want to employ sensible, community driven strategies to stem the golf losses and direct the parks and recreation dollars where they can benefit all our residents.

I am running for Council because I love my Town and I want to make it a better place. It is a challenge – however, I feel deeply about doing what I can to make Oro Valley (and the world) a better place and about being the change I want to see in the world.

The Town Council election is held in the Primary on August 28th.

Read more about Melanie’s campaign issues HERE

Meet the Candidates

Here's another chance for you to Meet the Candidates.

Mayoral Candidate, Joseph Winfield, and Town Council Candidates Joyce-Jones Ivey and Josh Nicolson will be meeting with voters this Saturday, June 23rd from 7:30 AM until 10:30 AM in front of the Community Center.

See the flyer below for more details.

NOTE:  Town Council Candidate, Melanie Barrett will be unable to make this event.

Introducing Josh Nicolson, Candidate for Oro Valley Town Council

Introduction
Josh Nicolson was born and raised in Chandler, AZ. He and his wife have lived in Oro Valley since 2012. They have two young daughters. They chose Oro Valley because of the excellent schools and the abundant natural beauty. Nicolson first got involved locally when his neighbors urged him to run for a spot on the HOA board. “That got me paying attention to issues in the community that impacted my neighborhood, and my awareness expanded from there.”

Education and Experience
• Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics from the University of North Dakota in 2005
• Air traffic controller at Tucson International Airport since 2009
• Legislative Representative for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)
• Vice-President of the local NATCA
• Appointed to work with the FAA’s Safety Council to develop risk mitigation procedures
• Board member of Canada Hills Villages 9A and 9C HOA

What I plan to achieve as your councilmember

From Josh’s Press Release: “Decisions aren’t black and white, and I feel like I can take the voice of both sides and find win-win solutions. Right now it seems like developers are getting their way and there’s a group of citizens who aren’t being listened to at all. I believe elected officials have a moral obligation to do what’s best for the community as a whole and for the long-term prosperity of Oro Valley. We also need to consider the fiscal consequences for the generations to come and to make decisions that retain Oro Valley’s special sense of community and beauty that we currently have.”

Campaign Issues
• Frequent General Plan amendments and rezonings
• Mitigating the golf course losses as much as possible
• Recreation opportunities that appeal to a wider range of citizens
• Current Town Council not listening to the citizens
• Wealthy land developers dictating our politics
• Bringing transparency, honesty, and integrity to Council decisions
• Avoiding long-term debt (bonds) by returning to “pay-as-you-go” for a sustainable financial future for Oro Valley

Josh Nicolson welcomes communications with the citizens of Oro Valley and can be reached through his website, www.joshfororovalley.com (Click HERE)

You can also visit his candidate Facebook page at Josh for Oro Valley

LOVE interviews Mayoral Candidate, Joe Winfield. Part 3.

Mayoral Candidate, Joe Winfield, recently sat down with LOVE for an interview. This is our final installment of the 3-part article. Parts 1 and 2 were published on Tuesday and Wednesday. You can find them by scrolling down beneath this article.

What is your vision for the remaining 15% of Oro Valley's undeveloped land?

WINFIELD: When the question of vision comes up, I immediately turn to the General Plan, Your Voice, Our Future, because it lays out the vision for our community and it’s a reflection of all that community input. I feel that I would have a responsibility as mayor to be an advocate for that vision and to protect that vision, to make sure that the decisions that are made are taking us towards that vision, rather than away from it.

If it were suggested that there should be a change, then what would be important to me is that the community would support that change. I would reach out to the community to understand what it is that they wanted to happen for any particular parcel.

What is your impression of the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance? Do you believe it’s what the citizens envisioned and intended?

WINFIELD: The genesis of ESLO goes back, I think over 20 years. It’s a little hard to say if it’s lived up to what people envisioned. At the time, there was a lot more undeveloped land and pristine desert and the hope of many residents at the time was to preserve as much open space as possible.  I would probably say that, now 20 years later, I doubt that it’s accomplished what they were envisioning.

What makes it difficult to answer that is that you would almost have to go back to 1996-1998 and look at an aerial photograph of our community and map those areas considered to be environmentally sensitive lands…what were those lands that we were trying to protect? I think what we essentially have now, 20 years later, are lands to a certain extent that would have been preserved without the ordinance, and for the most part, that’s undevelopable lands…the washes. I would like to think that some open space has been protected, but with the recent development approval in Big Wash, a major wildlife corridor between the Catalina and Tortolita Mountains...if we can’t protect that, than what can we protect? So I suspect that for the folks who were very much invested in the ESLO, I think they would be disappointed in the results we see today.

What was your feeling about the Community Center purchase when it was first discussed in December of 2014 and what is your impression of it now, after 3 years of operations?

WINFIELD: I was on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board when the mayor and council made the purchase of the golf course and clubhouse and I opposed it, and as a result of that, I resigned from the Parks and Rec Advisory Board. I felt it was a betrayal. When we were given a tour of the clubhouse, I was even more astonished that this was being portrayed as a community center because to me it was completely unsuitable as a community center, both from an accessibility standpoint and architecturally it was too compartmentalized and dated. Clearly, to me, the mayor and council didn’t have the community’s interest at heart.

Three years later, I don’t feel any differently. Personally, I think any money invested in that facility is a waste of taxpayer money. I think it will always be unsuitable. Does that mean that it can’t be adapted for use for some other Town purpose? Absolutely. But as a community center? I think we should stop wasting our money and time.

As Oro Valley’s population continues to grow, the demand for water also increases. What will you do to ensure that residential growth does not negatively impact our water supply or increase our costs to obtain CAP water?

WINFIELD: Our ground water tables have been dropping for years and they’re going to continue to drop because of increased development and population. I think this is a serious matter. The golf course is a perfect example of poor water use. That’s the first place we should start as a community. Admittedly, this is a an area that requires some science in hydrology.

We need to take a more serious look at what is sustainable. I think, to a certain extent, we don’t exercise enough humility when it comes to the environment and where we live. I mean, for goodness sake, we live in the Sonoran desert. We’ve been in a drought for a decade or more. There’s nothing we can do to change that other than to change our attitude about water use. It’s more than turning off the water when you’re brushing your teeth. It really has a lot to do with over-development and the golf courses. That’s a good place to start.

Do you support the Main Streets project?

WINFIELD: I don’t support the Main Streets project. I think it’s folly. What I do support is a more walkable community, making things more pedestrian, making our streetscapes as pedestrian friendly as possible. I said this when we were doing the General Plan…that this idea of a Town Center, the water has gone under the bridge with that. Our town is what it is. I think it’s a lovely town. We don’t have a Town Center and that’s OK, many communities don’t. But many towns that do have a Town Center, the shops are boarded up. So Main Street is a planner’s folly.

LOVE interviews Mayoral Candidate, Joe Winfield. Part 2.

Mayoral Candidate, Joe Winfield, recently sat down with LOVE for an interview. Part 1 was published yesterday. Part 3 will be published tomorrow. (If you missed Part 1, you can find it below this article.)

What do you like about Oro Valley?

WINFIELD: I was in the Landscape Architecture program at Arizona State University and learned that the program wasn’t accredited but that it was accredited at the University of Arizona (U of A) so we moved to Tucson. We fell in love with the mountains, the Catalinas, the Santa Ritas and so forth.

When we had the opportunity to return back to Tucson about 20 years ago, we had 6 children at the time, so of course schools were important to us and that’s what really drew us to Oro Valley.

In addition to that, the mountain views and close to home recreation. Wherever we’ve purchased a home, we’ve looked for trails, parks, and similar amenities because we enjoy the outdoors and being physically active. Certainly, the schools were first, but the beautiful mountain views, the open spaces. Having graduated from the U of A in Landscape Architecture, the Sonoran desert plant palette is something I love.

What are your hot button issues with the town?

WINFIELD: My hot button issues go back to about three years ago when the Your Voice, Our Future General Plan was nearly finished. I have to applaud the Town for YVOF because it was so impressive, the amount of community outreach that was done. Public involvement, that’s at the heart of what I’ve been doing for 25 years, and I was impressed with the effort made to involve the residents in the planning process.

So consequently, because I was so pleased with the effort to involve the residents, I was equally disappointed and felt betrayed, that once the Town passed the General Plan, we had no more than approved the plan when the mayor and town council began to make amendments to YVOF. We had just made this great effort to involve the community and then it was as if all that public effort was being cast aside. So, for me, it was such a betrayal and so counter to my own personal values.

Closely tied to that was the announcement of the purchase of the golf course.  My issue with it was how it was presented to the community, especially how it was veiled in terms of a community center. I felt it was taking advantage of the community because I, for one, had been an advocate of a community/recreation center. But when the mayor and council presented the golf course and clubhouse as our community center, we toured the facility and it was such a disappointment. It was so unsuitable, in my view, as a community center. It was not accessible, it was dated architecture from the 1980’s, it was very compartmentalized, it wasn’t open, and the spaces weren’t inviting, and I thought, what a tragedy that this clubhouse is being pawned off onto us as a community center.

My other hot button issue is the survey that was done, the “statistically valid survey."  The Town commissioned a survey to determine what amenities and facilities the residents wanted in their parks.  At the top of the list were playgrounds, play structures, and ramadas.  But how did the Town respond?  They purchased a 45-hole golf course, they developed large treeless parking lots at Naranja Park and James D. Kriegh Park, and they installed large park monument signs, all of this stuff, even an archery range. I don’t have anything against archery, but archery was not even on the list. So to me, these are all examples of how out of touch the mayor and council are with the community and instead are pushing their own agenda or the agenda of Special Interests.

What is your vision for Oro Valley in four years, after your first term?

WINFIELD: I would hope that after four years of my term as mayor, that there would be an increased feeling of goodwill in our community.

I would also hope, as I already mentioned, that there would be new accessible play structures in Naranja Park and James D. Kriegh Park and that those would be facilities that children and families and others would enjoy.  Having adequate ballfields so that families do not have to travel outside of Oro Valley for practice is important to me.  We did our fair share of driving kids to Catalina simply to practice baseball and other sports.  That needs to change.

One of the things that’s always concerned me since we moved to Oro Valley is the polarization between the retired community and the non-retired community and I would hope that we could somehow bridge that and that we could see ourselves as one community.  It’s been interesting to me as I’ve been canvassing and talking to individuals, I’ve been surprised that some of the senior members of our community have also felt somewhat abandoned and feeling that there haven’t been the programs and facilities they desire.

I would hope to have made a difference in terms of the development of our community. Admittedly, much of the community is already developed so I don’t know that you’ll see a significant difference but I would hope that there would have been some moderation in development and the type of development.

LOVE interviews Mayoral Candidate, Joe Winfield. Part 1.

Mayoral Candidate, Joe Winfield, recently sat down with LOVE for an interview. We will publish the interview in three separate articles over the next three days.

Why do you want to be mayor of Oro Valley?

WINFIELD: I don’t believe the community is being well-served by the current mayor and council. In particular, I would like to give more attention to our Parks and Recreation program, specifically, providing amenities for children and families. I also value living within our means. I‘m concerned about the escalating budget of the Town and believe that we can do a better job at reigning in costs. I’m concerned about the community’s voice not being heard. I've heard from many individuals expressing frustration about being ignored by their elected officials and I can empathize because I've felt that way, too.

As an example, look at the General Plan, Your Voice our Future. There was considerable time and effort put into reaching out to the community, soliciting their ideas. Other members of the community then took those ideas and articulated them into a vision and goals, policies and objectives that speak to a variety of elements of our community, such as the character of our community, the physical character, what it should look like, and that translates into land use and zoning. I’m concerned that the mayor and council are not listening to the community. They’re not listening because of the amendments that they’ve made to the General Plan and the numerous zoning changes.

Those are some of the specific things that have drawn me into the race and why I want to serve as mayor.

Why do you believe that you will be a more effective mayor than Satish Hiremath?

WINFIELD: I believe I’ll be a more effective mayor for a variety of reasons.

(1) I’m a very people-oriented person. I enjoy working with people. That includes individuals who don’t necessarily share my point of view. In fact, I value different points of views and perspectives. I spent much of my career working with communities convening various organizations and groups to help find common ground, to help facilitate conversation, to go through a planning process in terms of identifying a vision, goals, and objectives, and working together to implement those ideas. So I’m very comfortable working with a variety of groups and individuals and inviting conversation. Working in a collaborative community-based manner is important to me and I believe as a mayor that this is a skill-set that can be very valuable in terms of bringing all stakeholders to the table.

(2) I also have, over my career, been responsible for managing budgets. I pride myself in working within budget. In fact just recently, when working for the Forest Service, the budget historically had challenges. They developed a pattern of deficits and since I’ve been serving as a Recreation Staff Officer, I was able to turn around a $600,000 deficit into a $1 million dollar surplus. So I’ve worked with budgets and I value and honor the fact that it’s taxpayers money. I look for opportunities to work efficiently, effectively, and to provide the public with a good value for their money.

(3) I’ve also worked hard over my career at leveraging dollars. In fact, for about 20 years, I had a relatively small budget because the intent was for us to find the funding, whether that was through grants or other non-federal sources. And then by acquiring those grants or working with organizations, we were able to leverage funds so that $1.00 would turn into $3.00 or $5.00 because of investment coming from various sources. The idea was really to have as little government funds in the project as possible. It was a partnership approach bringing private funds and public funds together.

What is the first thing that you will try to do as mayor?

WINFIELD: There’s really a number of things I’d like to do but I think one of the first things is to bring a play structure to Naranja Town Park and James D. Kriegh Park. When I was on the Parks Advisory Board, there was a survey that was done in our community and there was a list of items that individuals who responded to the survey said was important to them. At the top of that list was playgrounds and play structures. To me, it’s a shame…I think it’s been maybe 15 years since we had a new play structure in our community.

In addition to that, the golf course is something that needs attention. The current mayor and council have been entrenched in their original decision. They seem to be doubling down on continuing to invest significant monies into the golf course. I think that the path they are on is not the path we should be on. But I believe there are solutions. A good place to start is the National Golf Foundation Study and working with the community to reach a sensible solution that protects property values and provides an amenity for all residents to enjoy.

In addition, I want to moderate growth. I would approach that by simply putting a moratorium on any amendments or rezonings and letting our community take a breath on the amount of development that has been occurring. I’m not suggesting that we don’t need development or that development would need to stop, but that we would comply and follow the current land use and zoning.

I think another area that I would want to focus on is the town budget. It’s increased significantly during this mayor and council’s tenure…83%. To me, it’s irresponsible and I would want to begin immediately looking at the budget. I would recommend a hiring freeze for 90 days to take stock of the current organizational chart and determine what positions are absolutely necessary and what positions we may be able to live without and bring the budget back to a more reasonable level.

Part 2 will be published tomorrow.

Introducing Joyce Jones-Ivey, Candidate for Oro Valley Town Council

Introduction
Joyce is one of nine siblings whose parents instilled in them the value of honesty, integrity, hard work, and treating others with dignity and respect. She has been married for 40 years to Jesse, a retired Los Angeles Police Officer and they have one son. Joyce grew up in Altadena, CA. She was employed as a Registered Nurse Practitioner for 42 years before retiring and moving to Oro Valley in 2016.

Education
• Associate of Science in Nursing; Pasadena City College, 1974
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Nurse Practitioner; California State University, 1977
• Bachelor of Divinity, Suffield University, 2005

Experience
• 7 years – Boehringer Manheim Sales Rep.
      Primary responsibility was as Contract Negotiator for LA County Health Care System
• 5 years - Small business owner (Arts and Crafts store)
• 7 years - Nurse Manager for OB-GYN Unit at Harris County Health Care System
• Registered Nurse Practitioner for 42 years

What I plan to achieve as your councilmember
• Keep Oro Valley a safe and family-friendly community
• Maintain the Town’s financial stability
• Responsible growth that preserves our Town’s scenic beauty
• Adhere to the guiding principles of the General Plan
• Represent you and your concerns with honesty, integrity,
      and transparency
• Be the voice of the community

Campaign Issues
• Citizens being ignored and treated rudely by the mayor
      and council
• Making the Town Council more accountable to the citizens
• Town Council approving developments that do not adhere to the General Plan
• Solving the Town’s golf operation problem
• Councilmembers receiving substantial campaign donations from local land developers

Read more about Joyce at her Website HERE  (www.jjonesivey4ov.org)

Facebook: Joyce Jones-Ivey for Town Council

Introducing Melanie Barrett, Candidate for Oro Valley Town Council

Introduction
Melanie Barrett grew up in San Diego and moved to Oro Valley in 2009. She has been married to Nick Barrett for 15 years. They have four children, three of whom attend local schools.   She is an avid reader and photographer who loves the natural beauty of the desert.

Education and Experience
• Bachelor’s degree in English, Brigham Young University, 2004
• Graduated Magna Cum Laude, BYU Law School, 2007. Served on the Law Review.
• Oro Valley Planning and Zoning Commissioner, 2015-2018.  Vice-Chair, Feb. 2017-May 2018.
• Active participant in creating the Your Voice, Our Future 2016 General Plan.

What I plan to achieve as your councilmember                                                    

• Place the residents of Oro Valley before special interests and outside interests       
• Improve parks and recreation opportunities
• Pursue conservation opportunities
• Return to the Guiding Principles of the voter-approved General Plan
• Seek development that is responsive to residents wishes and responsible in design

Campaign Issues
• Protecting our desert environment
• The current pace of developments
• Resolving the financial problems of the Town-owned golf courses
• Residents not being allowed enough participation in Town decisions
• Lack of transparency on the Town Council
• Town Council accepting campaign donations from developers, creating a conflict of interest

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You can read more about Melanie at her website HERE

The website is still in development so please check back weekly.

Facebook: Melanie Barrett for Oro Valley Town Council

Introducing Joe Winfield, Candidate for Oro Valley Mayor

Introduction
Joe Winfield has lived in Oro Valley for 21 years. He’s been married for 38 years and has seven children and nine grandchildren.  The following is a brief insight into Joe's background and what he plans to achieve as Oro Valley's Mayor.  In addition, Joe provided a list of the key issues he believes that our community is facing.


Education and Experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from U of A in 1985
• Arizona licensed landscape architect
• 34 years of planning, design, and project management for the National Park Service and              U.S. Forest Service
• Small business owner for 20 years

Joe Winfield

• Served 3 years as HOA president
• Committee member for both the 2006 and the 2016 Oro Valley General Plan
• Vice-Chair Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Advisory Board 2014-2015 (resigned in 2015 in opposition to the golf courses purchase)

What I plan to achieve as your mayor     
• Restore trust in Town government and build community    goodwill
• Improve parks for residents and their children
• Champion the voter approved, “Your Voice, Our Future”    General Plan
• Empower Oro Valley boards and commissions
• Increase fiscal discipline
• Resolve the continued financial drain of the Town-owned golf courses
• Treat citizens with respect and genuinely listen to their concerns and ideas

Campaign Issues
• Never-ending General Plan Amendments and Rezonings
• The hyper-growth rate and type of development in town
• Affinity for taxes and long-term debt to solve self-inflicted problems
• Poor management of the Town’s financial resources
• Misguided focus on sports tourism
• Golf courses purchase and no foreseeable end to continuing losses
• Architectural suitability of the Community Center
• The steady growth of Town government
• Underperformance in conserving water resources
• Disregard for resident input when making decisions
• Developer campaign contributions influencing Council decisions
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You can read more about Joe at his website: www.joewinfieldmayor.com
Joe also has a facebook page: Joseph Winfield for Oro Valley Mayor

Meet the Candidates

Mark your Calendars

Meet the Candidates

Oro Valley Library

Wednesday, May 23rd at 5 PM

Come meet Mayoral Candidate, Joe Winfield and Town Council Candidates Melanie Barrett, Joyce Jones-Ivey, and Josh Nicolson at the Oro Valley Library on May 23rd starting at 5 pm. They will be discussing the future of Oro Valley and listening to your concerns.

UPDATE: Josh Nicolson has a prior commitment and will be unable to attend.

Press Release: Statement from Joseph Winfield, Candidate for Mayor of Oro Valley

"Oro Valley, May 2 – My family and I announce my candidacy for Mayor of Oro Valley. On Thursday, May 3, at 8:30 a.m. in the Town Clerk’s office, I will file the necessary forms including the maximum number of valid signatures (689) to become an official candidate for Mayor in the 2018 Primary Election.

I thank all of the Circulators who helped gather signatures and especially the Oro Valley registered voters who signed my nomination petitions helping me qualify as a mayoral candidate.

It has been extremely gratifying to talk one-on-one with hundreds of Oro Valley residents to learn about your concerns and hopes for the future. If I am fortunate enough to be elected as your mayor, I will work diligently to preserve and enhance our quality of life with integrity, inclusiveness, and hard work.

Our family returned to Tucson in 1996 and chose to live in Oro Valley because of the Amphitheater School District’s reputation for excellent schools and teachers, stunning views of the Catalina Mountains, and close proximity and access to outdoor recreation.

I have a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Arizona and have been employed by the National Park Service and Coronado National Forest for over 34 years. Early in my career I was fortunate enough to be introduced to community-based decision making. I highly value this collaborative approach and when employed properly, unleashes creative boldness and energy to achieve a community’s vision.

As wonderful as the Town of Oro Valley is, I believe “it’s time for a new direction.” What do I mean by a new direction? I believe we need to:

• Moderate growth and conform to land use and zoning designations that contribute to the feeling of a “small-town” and “neighborly feel."

• Break the pattern of “tax and spend” and reverse the explosive growth of town government.

• Employ sensible strategies to curb golf losses and move towards community amenities everyone can enjoy.

• Respect the “voice” of residents by being transparent, attentive, and inclusive.

• Preserve our natural, cultural and recreational inheritance for our enjoyment now and into the future.

• Respond to the recreation needs of children, adults and seniors of all abilities.

I welcome your thoughts about the new directions outlined above and other ideas you may have about how to help Oro Valley become the community we can all take pride in. Please go to joewinfieldmayor.com to volunteer, donate funds, and learn more about why you should vote for Joe Winfield on August 28."
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