Council To Consider Three Items Tonight That Matter To You

There are three items on tonight’s Oro Valley Town Council meeting agenda that are of particular importance to residents. We have previously reported on the three. Click the links if you want to learn more about each.

Broadening the use of the half percent sales tax

The council will consider broadening the use of the half percent “municipal golf- community center” sales tax subsidy. The resolution if approved, would free dollars from the Community Center Fund to be used to support other parks and recreation uses. This is important to you because it will allow the council to use these funds for activities like the build-out of Naranja Park, improvements at Steam Pump Ranch, and completion of the town’s trails system. These are all top priorities of Oro Valley residents per the survey conducted by the town last year. 

This is not a public hearing. That hearing was held at the last council session. The item had been listed on this agenda as a “hearing”; however, that word is now lined-out in the agenda. It may have been the intention of the town to hold a public hearing; however, it could not provide proper 15-day public notice in the “Daily Territorial” for this to happen.

The council conversation on this should be lively.

Study session on the “Town Manager Recommended Budget”
A study session occurs after the regular meeting adjourns. The session is the council’s first look at the 2021-22 Town Manager Recommended Budget. This session is important to you because it involves how your money will be spent next year. There are two big budget non recurring items. One is a decision on funding a $27million plan to pay down the towns public safety pension liability. The other is a decision on funding $26.7million in parks improvements. This includes municipal golf and community center improvements. Decisions on these and other items will be forthcoming in future meetings. Tonight and continuing tomorrow night, the council will hear about the entire budget. We expect department heads to present their request.

The presentations tonight should be informative.

Expansion of Oro Vista apartments
The expansion of the Oro Vista apartments is for building two two-story buildings built on the dirt lot next to Noble Hops Restaurant, facing Lambert Lane. The lot is currently planned for restaurant use. The request is for council to approve a change to the Master Development Plan for the site area and to approve the conceptual site plan.

The council will only discuss this proposal item if one of them pulls it off the consent agenda. Otherwise, it will get blanket approval. Some, perhaps all of the council members visited the site this past Monday. We will learn what they think tonight.

You can view the full agenda for the meeting here. That also provides a link to the zoom meeting.

Jacobs Unveils $134.5 Million Budget

$134 Million in total spending
Town manager Mary Jacobs introduced her “2021-22 Town Manager Recommended Budget” to the town’s budget and finance commission last week. The budget calls for spending of $134.5 million. $27 million of this is for a non-recurring special payment to the State’s Public Safety Pension System (“PSPRS”) to pay down the town’s unfunded pension obligation. She was directed by council to put this item in the budget.

Will be impacted by council decisions on items in May
According to Oro Valley Finance Director David Gebhart, the budget is tentative because the council is deliberating on key issues that may affect the budget. One of these was the annexation of the Westward Look Resort. This happened last week, after the tentative budget was prepared. Other items include the impact of the possible inclusion of the former Vistoso Golf Course land in the town’s parks system; the impact of the possible approval of the Parks and Recreation Study that calls for almost $28 million in spending; and the possible broadening of use of the half-percent golf/community center sales tax. 

Budget includes federal “bail out” funds  

One item included in the budget is approximately $5 million the town will be receiving next year from a recently approved federal “bail out” program. This allows the town to ‘free up’ funds for other uses. For example, the federal money can be used to pay for town operations, freeing the same amount for use in paying a portion of the PSPRS payment. 

 

Operating spending of $76 million
Expenditures for town operations are $75.5 million. This is $8 million more than projected spending this year. 79% of this is from four areas: The Water, Police, and Public Works departments; and the Community Center. The Water Department generates revenue to cover its cost. The Community Center generates revenue that covers some of its costs.

398 full time equivalent employees

Four departments house 70% of all town employees: Police Department, Public Works, Parks (not including the golf course/community center) and the Water Department. Total number of full time equivalent positions are about the same as this year. 

Capital Spending: $22.8 Million
Recommended capital spending is $22.8 M. This is part of a council plan to spend $92.4m over the next 10 years. Major projects include water’s northwest water recovery program ($4.4m), golf course irrigation ($2.7m), the town’s pavement preservation program ($1.6m) and implementation of the yet to be determined parks master plan amenities ($1.5m). 

Next Step: Study Session Next Week 
The council will hold a study session on the budget on May 5 and 6. It is open to the public via Zoom.