Bits and Pieces

Barrett and Bohen "get it."  Oro Valley’s stewardship requires balancing the financial impact of buildout and the sustainability of maintaining a maturing infrastructure

In January, LOVE reported on an independent study of the town's financial future. This study focussed on the impact of a "buildout" on Oro Valley's future. That study concluded that the town's budgets will remain sustainable through the expected residential buildout in 2034. However, the projected financial margin is very tight, leaving limited resources for long-term maintenance and unforeseen costs. Then, a few weeks ago, we reported regarding the town's five year financial projection. This was prepared by staff. That report projected that the town will face financial challenges starting in 2026, necessitating at least $11 million in bond funds to cover shortfalls for major highway projects and rising pavement preservation costs. 

The study and the five year projection address different time frames regarding the town's financial future; but both do emphasize the need for careful planning and spending as the town continues to mature. Given what we observed in the two day TMRB study session last week, two council members, Bohen and Barrett, "get it." And Nicolson is not far behind.

Town Grant Update: $18.1 Million in Progress, $213K Awarded

Town Manager Wilkins added a section in his May report to the council. That section discusses the status of grants sought by the town over the past six months. The report lists eight grants in progress, totaling $18.1 million. $213K has been awarded to date. Most of the pending dollars requested are for three public works bridge projects. $4.5 million is sought for public safety, including a $3 million request for the design of a police station. The town will file a $2 million grant request for the Vistoso Nature Preserve revegetation project in the next fiscal year. (Source: Town Manager May Report to Council, page 32)

Town Financial Update through February: Revenues rise, expenditures driven by capital Projects

"The Town continues to perform as expected from a Townwide financial perspective. Total Townwide revenues are up $7,399,890 through February 2024 in comparison to February 2023. Meanwhile, total Townwide expenditures are greater than February 2023 by $6,388,977. Capital is the primary driver of the increase in spending from the prior year, as it accounts for $4,875,207 of the $6,388,977, or 76%. Personnel and O&M also continue to outpace last year’s outflows through February. Total estimated Townwide Fund Balances through February 2024 are $84,981,826, which is about $4.2 million less than the Town carried into the fiscal year. This reduction in fund balance is primarily a function of the large capital projects being executed and the continued spend down of ARPA and Parks and Recreation bond monies." (Source: Town Manager May Report To Council, page 31) 

Let’s hear it for CDO’s… An Arizona sports leader

The Canyon Del Oro High School sports teams have had an impressive year, showcasing their talent and dedication. While both the baseball and softball teams narrowly missed winning the 3A Arizona State Championships this past week, their effort and skill were commendable. Last fall, the football team triumphed, securing the 3A State Championship. Congratulations to all the athletes for their hard work and for being outstanding representatives of Oro Valley. Your community is proud of your achievements and spirit.

Get ready to rock at OV Battle of the Bands, May 17

"This free concert, which runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m., on Friday, May 17, at the Riverfront Park Amphitheater (551 W. Lambert Lane), features three bands comprised of students from local high schools. The bands will bring their musical talents to a live audience with a three-song setlist...Admission to the concert is free and food trucks will be on site with items available for purchase. It is recommended that attendees bring a lawn chair or blanket." (Source: Town of Oro Valley Media Release).   

Council Votes To "Preserve The Preserve"

Barrett and Nicolson lead the charge for $2 million in funding in 2025
Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett and Council Member Josh Nicolson led a successful effort last week to make the revegetation of the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve a priority in next year’s budget. As a result, the council unanimously approved including $2 million in that budget to begin the revegetation program in earnest.

Council needed to do something because town staff planned to spend next to nothing on the Preserve
Barrett and Nicolson were spurred to action because town staff had decided to fund the Preserve at a trivial level: $200,000 per year in the budget for each of the next five years; $100,000 for ensuing five. That amount is barely enough to keep the weeds at bay. At that rate, Nicolson noted, “I’m gonna be ninety years old by the time we're actually gonna be putting in some capital improvement in the property.” He’s forty today! He continued: “I do think it'd be nice for us to do something now for the people who invested nearly $2 million in the community,” referring to the fact that residents raised money to buy the Preserve.

And the Preserve is a mess
As we reported last week, the current state of the Preserve after two years of Oro Valley ownership is dreadful. One resident speaking at the meeting called it a “Ghost Preserve” because “we don’t know what’s growing there.”

Residents underscored need for real funding
Fifteen residents spoke at the meeting. They emphasized the urgent need for increased funding and focused efforts to restore the Preserve to its original desert beauty and ecological integrity. They urged the Town Council to prioritize its redevelopment, advocating for strategic investment to transform the area into a vibrant natural space representative of Oro Valley's beauty. They highlighted the importance of native seeding, revegetation, and infrastructure repair. They also called for equitable funding and decisive action to fulfill the potential of the preserve as a valuable asset for the community, emphasizing its role in enhancing Oro Valley's recreational offerings and preserving open space.

The Conservation easement holder recommended getting started now
John Welch, the representative of Archeology Southwest, the manager of the conservation easement on the property, spoke at the meeting. He said that it's time to update how we restore nature, focusing on less toxic ways to control invasive species and erosion. He believes that the town needs to complete the Vistoso master plan, making it current and consistent with the easement requirements, and that it should take action to fix urgent issues in the preserve. He believes that doing this will make it sustainable long-term and attract outside funding.

All Council Members supported the funding
At the meeting, Council Member Tim Bohen expressed the general consensus of the council. Addressing the residents directly: "You made an investment of your time, your will, and your energy, and it's really time for the Council to act. I don't think that the motion goes far enough. If there's going to be support for it, I think we should do it for at least three years… So I will support the motion, and I'm super grateful for the money that you put in. It's time for the town to start investing, and I hope we can do even more than this motion proposes tonight."

Next step: Reviewing and approving a realistic plan
In a few week, the council will hear the consultant, Sites Southwest, plans for the Preserve and the cost. Past plans presented have been grandiose. Portions have been in violation of conservation easement requirements.

Vice Mayor Barrett set the tone for that discussion: “We don't want a super expensive plan that's expensive because it involves lots of paving, additional trails, and other things that aren't consistent with the conservation easement.” 

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Guest View-Don Cox: Council Inaction on Growth-“Lean Years Are Coming”

A friend forwarded a copy of a recent post on this blog. After reading it, I felt compelled to submit some thoughts of my own about the post and the Town of Oro Valley in general.

That post was penned by Mike Zinkin. If you have been around the Oro Valley for 20+ years, you probably know that Mike and I have had a few differences over the years. What may surprise you is that in the past couple of years, we have discovered that we agree on many issues. In fact, he and I have been featured jointly on the Jim Horn’s Oro Valley Podcast” in recent weeks. So at this time, I want to ‘dovetail’ on some of his commentary.

In the past 5 years, the governance of Oro Valley has taken a well oiled financial machine, the envy of the vast majority of the municipalities in the United States and placed it on the road to financial failure. Unfortunately we have now moved into the fast lane of that road.

The current Town Manager’s proposed FY 2023/2024 budget is nothing more than documenting the stated desires of the Town Council in writing, and then assigning a cost to it. It does not address the needs of the town. Rather, it reflects the personal desires of the town council members. A “splash pad” did not come from the residents. it came from Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett. A “Pump Track” did not come from the Town residents. It came from, Councilman Josh Nicholson. 

About 3 or 4 months ago you were given a clear ‘red flag message’ when the Director of Public Works, Paul Kessler, announced at a Town Meeting that the estimated cost of the ‘projects’ on the Town Council wish list, which was to be paid for by that $50 million non-resident approved bond, was closer to $100 million. How does Winfield and crew, make a $50 million error on a $50 million bond? The answer to that question is simple. It’s fiscal irresponsibility!!

I have spent a great deal of time examining the Oro Valley proposed FY 2023/2024 revenue budget. It’s available on the Town website for all to see.

Here are some direct quotes from the Revenue Summary: 

“Local sales tax is expected to show gains over the FY 22/23budget, but a slight decline when compared to with the FY 22/23 actual revenue.”
Translation: Our sales tax revenue is going down

“This is largely attributable to construction sales tax, as permitting activity has slowed from the highs we saw during the COVID -19 pandemic.”
Translation: We are building fewer homes. Where have you heard that before? Yours truly!!! 

“The Town is projecting 119 single family residential (SFR) permits for FY 23/24 compared to the 171 SFR permits budgeted for FY 22/23. Commercial development revenues are expected to decrease based on projected building activity.”

Translation: “Commercial follows residential.” We have no residential growth therefore we have no commercial growth.  

Now my friends, is the 1600 hundred pound elephant in the room

The current Town Council majority has not approved a single residential development in Oro Valley (with the exception of a 64 +/- project that was already approved by Pima County before it was annexed)! No new commercial development has been approved in the same period. The exception to the latter statement is the Marketplace re-development which they gutted for no logical reason. The 2018 campaign promise of a “Moratorium on Growth”, which was later denied by Melanie Barrett, has become a reality.

From the time of Council approval, it takes an average of 3 years for projects to start generating construction sales tax. Construction sales tax is currently running about $6,000,000 a year. Translation: This Town Council majority has created an eight year void in the Construction Sales Tax pipeline. That’s $6 million a year that is going away for a minimum of 8 years. And that money is not replaceable.

Prepare yourselves for some very lean years in our immediate future if we don’t come up with a way to generate more income for the Town.

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Don Cox moved to Oro Valley in 1997.  He has served on various town committees including an extended stint as a chair and vice chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission.  He is a member of the Oro Valley Optimist Club and the Arizona Youth Partnership.

Council Appropriates $3.2 million More For Naranja Park Buildout

Council appropriated $3.2 million reserves for Naranja Park Buildout
On November 16, the Oro Valley town Council appropriated $3.2 million to “complete” the build out of Naranja park amenities. The approval is exactly what Town staff wanted and includes all of the value engineering changes town staff recommended.  In addition, the council earmarked $509,000 of development impact fees to cover the overrun.

Bond project items that will not be funded at the moment are detailed in our posting of November 16. These will be subject to “pay as you go” spending. 

Nicolson: Sports Tourism is "front and center"

One of the key areas considered by the Council was sports tourism. This concept was introduced to council by former Mayor Hiremath. Councilmembers Nicolson and Jones-Ivey want a world-class pump track that can be used for competition. They think that it will bring people from out of town who will stay in the hotels that have yet to be built. During the one hour discussion, Nicolson, focused only on the pump track. He spoke of nothing else. Clearly, Nicolson wants his pump track.

Musette Drive Connection from Tangerine

Barrett: Borrowing was a good deal when we did it

Vice mayor Barrett commented several times during the meeting to justify why borrowing money to finance the park was good idea. The town received a favorable interest rate on the $25 million in borrowing. The amount of funding to build out the amenities was estimated to be $33 million. Yes. The amount ballooned to well over $50 million, Barrett noted. 

Mayor Winfield claimed that there was no way to predict the overrun

According to Winfield, the original estimate was provided by an engineering firm. This is not the case. It was provided by a Parks Consultant. In addition, the council was advised on several occasion by Public Works Director Keesler that there were materials shortages and that costs were rapidly inflating. 

Solomon: Council ignored statistically valid survey regarding parks priorities

Councilmember Steve Solomon said the same thing that he has said every time this subject is on the agenda. His assertion is that the amenities that are being built don’t follow what people want because they don’t in any way sync with the statistically valid survey that the town did 18 months ago. No one asked for a skate park. Or a splash pad. Residents want trails. Solomon is correct. But that ship has sailed!

Bohen: Last election validates doing this

Councilmember Bohen pointed out that we had a recent election of four people. These are the same four people who proposed the bond. They were reelected. Obviously, the community felt they were doing the right thing.

Greene voted "no" but gave no reason

Councilmember Mo Greene did not vote for the measure. He did not state the reason why he voted “no” since he did not speak. Our guess is that he was caught off guard when Solomon voted in favor. Generally, Greene votes the way Solomon votes.

Winfield's "sleight-of-hand" succeeds

Mayor Winfield is giddy over the fact that Naranja Park is going to be completed. He achieved what former Mayors Paul Loomis and Satish Hiremath were not able to get done. Both Loomis and Hiremath proposed that the town issue bonds that would be paid via a secondary property tax.  Residents voted “no” on that. 

Winfield, on the other hand, circumvented the entire “property tax thing” by issuing a bond that will be serviced from the existing sales tax. A rather clever sleight-of-hand. Oh yes… Winfield and his council also abandoned the “pay as you go” funding for parks improvements. This is a policy that his council at one time affirmed and that all council’s have followed.  The reason that policy prevailed is that is unwise to borrow to fund “wants.”

The "thing in the punch bowl:" Town has no idea what it will cost to maintain Naranja Park

What is lost in all of this is what it is going to cost to maintain the new Naranja Park. Ongoing maintenance cost of the facility has never been considered by this Council  This despite the fact that town ordinances require estimating maintenance cost before committing to build any facility. That is simply smart fiscal management. It is important to know what it is going to cost to maintain a new facility because that cost is borne in future budgets.

Four More Years? Yes or No? It’s Up To You

Oro Valley votes for mayor and council tomorrow  
Tomorrow, Oro Valley votes on who will be their Mayor and town council. 

It is a “winner take all scenario for Mayor

The mayor will either be former Police Chief Danny Sharp or Current Mayor Joe Winfield. Four years ago, Winfield won a landslide victory over then Mayor Satish Hiremath. Winfield received more than 58% of the 15,817 votes cast. Four years earlier, Hiremath won a landslide victory over his opponent, receiving more than 62% of the 11,027 votes cast. This earned him a second term as Mayor. 

We’ve covered the mayoral candidates and their views during the past four weeks. Still, we think it important to hear a bit from their supporters on why they support their candidate.

Sharp supporters say Danny is the best candidate

Mary Murphy is a six year resident of Oro Valley. She is also a member or the town’s Board of Adjustment. One of the reasons she chose to live in Oro Valley was the town’s outstanding public safety record. Here’s why Mary believes that Danny Sharp would be an excellent Mayor:

• With a forty-year career in law enforcement, he has a documented record of community and service orientation, and as the spouse of a retired first responder, I fully understand the commitments they make on a daily basis.
• While serving as police chief, he was asked to step in as Acting Town Manager for over a year. He took on this additional challenge without hesitation. That the Town looked for him to take on this task, and his willingness to do it indicate both a high level of competence and a commitment to our community. While filling this role, Danny gained valuable knowledge and insight into all aspects of town operations and funding. This experience is something few mayors have and is critically important here in Oro Valley, considering the current financial climate both locally and nationally.
• Danny was one of the founders of Project Graduation in Oro Valley, a program designed to keep our young people safe on graduation night, and he continues to volunteer his time to this important program. As a mom, this commitment really resonates with me. 
• Danny and his family demonstrate their love of Oro Valley by participating in the “Adopt a Road” program. For years the Sharp family has been clearing trash and debris from a large section of Naranja Drive, helping to keep Oro Valley beautiful. 
• Additionally, Danny is also a member of the Oro Valley Hospital Board, and as someone with a background in the medical field, I find this to be quite admirable. Viewed with his other activities, this shows Danny’s commitment to the town as a whole, one that serves all its residents.

Winfield supporters say that Joe is the best candidate

Jack Stinnett is a long-time resident and former Chairman of the town’s Parks and Recreation Commission. He is passionate about our community and passionate in his support of Joe Winfield. Here are his thoughts:

• The Winfield council has moved Oro Valley forward in every area, and Oro Valley today is the best place to live in Arizona. 
• They have invested in our police officer’s pay and pensions to retain the men and women who keep Oro Valley the safest town in the state. 
• They have improved the town’s financial rating to AA+, and paid off police pension debt that will avoid millions in future pension liabilities. They have used golf savings to improve and expand recreation amenities without any new taxes. Topping it off is our new 202 acre Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve that Joe refused to rezone for high density development. 
• Mayor Winfield’s vision is to grow Oro Valley responsibly. He has self funded his campaign and will decide what is best for residents, NOT Tucson apartment developers, and real estate PACs who have funded his challenger. 
• Finally, Mayor Winfield is the most honest man I know, and we need leaders who tell us the truth even when it is not what we want to hear.

Don’t forget to vote for three open council seats

The Mayor does not make decisions alone. It is the town council of which he is a member, that has the final say. There are six candidates vying for the three open council seats. Here’s who they are:

• Melanie Barrett is the town’s Vice Mayor. One of her focus areas is representing the needs of families with school age children
• Joe Erceg is a business development candidate. Joe wants to bring more sports activities into the community 
• Charlie Hurt has lived in Oro Valley for 16 years. He is a former member and chair of the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission and a former member and chair of the town’s Water Utility Commission 
• Joyce Jones-Ivey is a current council member. She takes pride in being an independent thinker. Joyce does not “go along to just get along.” 
• Josh Nicolson brings a financial perspective to the council. His insight into finance was one of the driving forces in the town fully funding the public safety pension plan 
• Bill Rodman served as council member from 2016 to 2020. Rodman is a proponent of growing the town to support business and to support the town’s finances. He voted for all approved general plan and zoning amendments during his prior tour on council. 

These six have affiliated themselves with one of the two mayoral candidates. But you don’t have to vote for one or all of them simply because they have done that. You can “mix and match.” 

We will be back Wednesday to report preliminary results

These results will likely include about 98% of the total votes cast. However, there will still be “provisional” and possibly late mail in ballots not yet counted. It could take a few more days for those.

So, Oro Valley, it’s election time.

Do your job!

Guest View-Josh Nicolson: We Will Get The Marketplace Right

Probably my favorite thing about doing this job is getting out and talking to people. I am always drawn to a good conversation with a citizen, and this election season I have talked to hundreds of Oro Valley residents. 



One thing keeps coming up… they want to know about the Marketplace, and few are in support of the five and six story apartments in our scenic corridor that were proposed by Town West and HSL Properties. My opponents all support this original proposal for 75 foot, downtown style apartments. 



No doubt my opponents will approve tall buildings in the Marketplace

I got asked the other day: If those running against us win the election, can the developer can still get high rise apartments. The answer is: Yes!  This issue hasn’t been resolved and will be on the table until the area is developed.


I told Town West that four and five story buildings would not “fly” in the Marketplace


When Town West and HSL purchased the marketplace, they met with council members and Town staff. At the time, they were presenting two and three story garden-style apartments along Tangerine, and a four and five story apartment along Oracle Rd. 



I told them they had some good concepts, but that five story apartment just wasn’t going to fly in Oro Valley. 


Yet… they submitted that plan anyway!

A couple of years later when they filed the application, they had five and even six story apartments at both Tangerine and Oracle Rd. Approval could set a precedent for high rise apartment buildings and exceptions to General Plan designated scenic corridor requirements. These are the five and six story apartments the developer was proposing.




These buildings would be “really, really high”, blocking our scenic views

Council members were taken on a site tour, and apparently the applicant had run out of helium before placing balloons at the corner closest to Oracle where the view would be most blocked. I grabbed a balloon from another location and tramped through the brush to get it set up correctly to be able to see the correct height impact. Due to the flexible nature of the balloons and wind, the balloons lean at an angle. We ended up getting the police department to bring out drones to show us how tall the buildings really were. 


The shaded area shows you the view blockage

These pictures [panel right] show you just how much the view would be blocked from Tangerine Road and the multi-use path next to it:

A. This picture shows the view to the West, and just how much higher the drone (actual building) would be than the balloons. 

B. These pictures are from near the multi-use paths near the Marketplace. You can see how high the balloons are from that angle, as well as the drone higher up.








 

The latest plan is workable. It is “community friendly”

In the end, the council members whose campaigns weren’t funded by Town West and HSL were able to negotiate for the citizens and asked for a plan that would be within existing heights and setback limitations to preserve the scenic view. 



A plan is pending that would allow for two and three story garden style apartments, and a small amount of height allowance for two 49’ hotels that would follow scenic corridor setback requirements. 



We will always fight for you

If you feel, as I do, that this would be a better fit for Oro Valley, please be sure to re-elect your Mayor and Council to represent you.



Josh Nicolson

Oro Valley Council Member and Council Candidate

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Note: LOVE added the subheadings for reader convenience

Excerpts from June 28, 2022 Town Council Candidate Forum: Statements of Nicolson and Joyce-Ivey

Today, LOVE is presenting excerpts from the Opening and Closing Statements by Councilmembers Josh Nicolson and Joyce Jones-Ivey during the Town Council Candidate Forum held on June 28th. LOVE added the subheadings.

You can watch the entire Candidate Forum HERE on the Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce website.
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Josh Nicolson Opening Statement

Background
I was born and raised in Arizona. I went to school to be an airline pilot and air traffic controller. I moved to Arizona 10 years ago with my beautiful wife and 2 young daughters. Since I joined the Council 4 years ago, I’ve been the Chamber of Commerce liaison, I was on the Budget and Finance Commission when we were doing the Police Pension Bond, and also on Visit Tucson.

Police/Public Safety
Very early on, I pushed to fix our police pension that was growing like a credit card at 7% a year. It ended up being $27 million underfunded. With the recommendation of Stifel Consulting, our newly elected Budget and Finance Commission, and our Town CFO, we ended up using $10 million of our savings to secure a bond at historically low 2.4% interest. This is going to save our taxpayers $30 million over 20 years. This $30 million in savings affords us to give our police officers a raise. They are now the highest paid officers in Southern Arizona. As many police departments throughout the nation are struggling to recruit new officers, our officers have a fully funded pension and the highest pay in Southern Arizona. This will help in recruiting and retaining the best police force.

Town Golf
As many know, I live on the Conquistador Golf Course and that was one of the things we had to tackle the very first year we were in office. We changed operators from Troon to Indigo and we opened up all the holes to public play. This is saving us millions of dollars. We used this extra cash flow to finance the golf course irrigation, build in Naranja park, tennis courts, and many more without any new taxes.

I appreciate your time tonight and I do appreciate everyone getting involved in coming to this Chamber event because it’s important for our citizens to be involved in our local government.

Josh Nicolson Closing Statement
Note: Nicolson set aside his prepared closing statement and opted instead to use his remaining time to address accusations made by candidate Bill Rodman regarding a lack of transparency on the current council.

I want to address one thing -- the transparency.
When Bill [Rodman] is talking about transparency, he’s talking about Executive Session. Executive Sessions are when we have to deal with contracts, hiring, firing, those types of things. Yes, we did have a lot of Executive Sessions because we inherited a whole lot of issues from the prior council.

But what were the results from those Executive Sessions?
We did several Executive Sessions on golf. There was a huge contract. We saved $2 million on golf. We hired our wonderful police chief, Chief Riley. We preserved Vistoso from being developed. We hired Judge Hazel. We annexed Westward Look gaining $800,000 in tax revenue for Oro Valley residents. So I want you to look at transparency. We are transparent, but when you do Executive Sessions, it’s regarding contracts, it’s for legal advice. It’s not talking behind closed doors against the citizens.

Joyce Jones-Ivey Opening Statement

Background
I am a retired 42-year ob-gyn nurse practitioner. I’m married to Jesse Ivey who was a 29-year servant of the LAPD and is also retired. I have lived in Oro Valley for six years now. For the past four years that I’ve been on council, I’ve had the privilege to not only serve, but also be liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board as well as our Amphi school district.

Parks and Recreation
Our community has, since I’ve been on council, has expressed a desire for diversity in outdoor activities for both our seniors and our growing young families. This is a passion for me, that safe parks and a safe community is the best way we can continue to improve the quality of life for all our town residents.

Why I’m running for re-election
I’m running for re-election so we can finish the accomplishments of our first term and strategically and responsibly continue our town’s growth and economic needs. Thank you.

Joyce Jones-Ivey Closing Statement

Oro Valley is a better place today because we have listened to residents and made decisions that benefit all in our community – saving town golf, supporting Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve, expanding Naranja Park, all while improving town finances and continuing to ensure we remain one of the safest towns in Arizona.

I am asking for your vote to continue working to make and keep Oro Valley the best place to live in Arizona.

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Winfield and Council Incumbents Seek Reelection

This morning, Mayor Winfield announced that he and council members Barrett, Joyce-Ivey and Nicolson are running for reelection. The following is his statement.

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Dear Friends, 

It's my honor to serve our community as Mayor for the Town of Oro Valley. Today, I am announcing that I will run for re-election this year and would appreciate your vote. Four years ago, I announced my candidacy to become your mayor because I felt the Oro Valley residents needed to be heard and deep pocket contributors had the appearance of unduly influencing Town Council decisions. I believed that Oro Valley needed "a new direction" where everyone has an equal voice on matters related to its future.

Joining me were Councilmembers Melanie Barrett, Joyce Jones-Ivey, and Josh Nicolson. We ran and were elected as a team and have been honored to serve the citizens of Oro Valley for four years. We will run as a team again in 2022. We will run a self and resident funded campaign to ensure that council decisions are made in the best interest of the Town. We invite you to join us and welcome donations from residents who want an independent Town Council representing them. We want to build upon and and expand the many successes the Town has experienced under our leadership and make Oro Valley the best place to live, work, and play in Arizona.

Your Council has been extremely supportive of Public Safety. In 2019, we approved funding for four new police officers. After conducting a nationwide search for a new police chief we appointed the best candidate for the job, Chief Kara Riley. Her selection was strongly endorsed by residents and Community leaders, and she has since been voted the Best Public Official in Northwest Tucson. Under her leadership the Oro Valley Police Department has thrived and has started an officer wellness program, added a mental health specialist, and texting to reach 911. In 2021 are police officers saved 11 lives. While public safety was under attacked elsewhere, we increased funding for our Police Department.

Our commitment to fiscal responsibility and our police officers led us to solve the problem of our underfunded police pension liability, which will save the Town up to $30 million dollars. When we came into office, the Town had $27 million in unfunded police pension obligations. We recently paid $10 million of our excess reserves, gained through prudent budgeting, towards the debt, and financed $17.6 million at a record-low interest rate of 2.4% to save the Town millions of dollars and guarantee that the police who protect us every day have fully funded retirements.

We have supported responsible growth in the community. In 2020 to 2021, there has been a 12% increase in new business, and 30 new businesses added. We negotiated the annexation of the Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort & Spa, bringing new revenues to the Town. We are bringing in new employers like Leonardo Electronics US who will invest $100 million in a new Oro Valley plant and add 170 high-quality jobs to Oro Valley.

We promised to bring common sense solutions to the challenge of the Town's significant golf course losses. We chose to retain the courses, and operate them as municipal courses. Through changing operators, running more efficiently, and increasing play we have been able to save over $1 million every year in golf losses. 

The Parks and Recreation department oversaw the installation of the popular and widely used Naranja Park playground which opened in 2020. The Town also conducted an extensive Parks and Recreation master planning process, including resident surveys, public input, public meetings, staff contributions, professional design, and more. This led the Council to change the "golf and community center" sales tax to be more equitably used for any parks and recreation amenity in our community. Using the money saved by fixing the golf operations and the growth in the recreation tax revenues, the Council approved a $25 million bond at 2.3% interest to fund the highest priority recreation needs. The Park's bond funds will nearly build-out Naranja Park with new fields and amenities, rebuild the Community Center tennis courts and parking lot, rebuild golf course irrigation and add to our expanding multi-use path network to provide pedestrian and bike connectivity to Naranja Park and the Community Center.

The best news is that these substantial recreation investments that benefit the entire community will be mostly funded from savings in Town golf subsidies! There will be no new sales or property taxes required for these expanded amenities. As exciting as these developments are, most are just underway and will take several years to be completed.

I am running with my fellow Councilmembers for re-election because after starting Oro Valley in a new, collaborative direction, we want to finish the job. I want to keep working for you as your Mayor, to make Oro Valley the best place in Arizona for our current and future residents to live, work, and play.

I invite you to join and support our team in running this resident focused and funded campaign for re-election to serve you. Your vote matters, please vote to re-elect Joe Winfield, Melanie Barrett, Joyce Jones-Ivey, and Josh Nicolson!

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Source

Bits and Pieces

"Lets run the Pusch Ridge Course Year Round." Are you nuts?

Three members of the Oro Valley Town Council suggested that the town keep the Pusch Ridge Course open year round. This is the course they closed last year and are planning to operate from next November through April, 2022. This is course is being reopened because a handful of residents who live around it can have a green grass view, instead of desert... like the rest of us. This is a course that is going to use drinking water at cheapest rates at a time when the Western US is in the twenty-first year of drought. This is a course that has always been a money loser.

The brilliant idea came from Council Member Solomon. Then it was echoed by Council Member Greene (Solomon's bagman).  But wait. Council Member Josh Nicolson also joined in. He also thinks it's a good idea. Give us a break, boys!

Lest we remind council: You represent all the people of Oro Valley. You are not members of the board of the local country club.

Historic Preservation Commission Seeking Applicants

The Oro Valley Historic Preservation Commission, a town volunteer board, is seeking applicants. You can learn more and apply here. We've joined in on some of their meetings. They primarily focus on what is happening at Steam Pump Ranch. 

Oro Valley's single family home growth highest in 18 years

In 2020, Oro Valley experienced its most active year for new single family residences since 2003. The town issued 384 new single family residence permits in 2020. That is a 43% increase over 2019.

Town Manager Jacobs: Town still lacks tools to attract businesses

Town Manager Mary Jacobs continues to beat the drum of economic development. One of the documents she provided council at last weeks strategic plan council retreat said that Oro Valley needs more shovel-ready sites and competitively priced land in order for the town to get more primary employers. "There are approximately 188 acres of Campus Park-zoned land available in Oro Valley, and only half of the sites are over 10 acres." Seems to us that that's plenty of available sites that no one wants. Oro Valley is essentially a retirement community. See the panel at right for the 2019 stats. 

Sounds to us like the "shades of JJ Johnston." He was Oro Valley's last economic development director. He blew into Oro Valley three years ago. Worked here for two. Then he retired.  He left us with the potential of bladed desert and an eased building permit process.   But he did not leave us with more jobs gained.

Town Manager Jacobs: Town will be 'hard hit' by baby boomer generation retirement

At the same retreat a Jacobs' document stated: "With the Town's average age of 53, Oro Valley will be particularly hard hit by the retiring of the baby boomer generation in the coming decade. And as a desirable place to retire, it is not unexpected that many of those will remain in their homes rather than relocate."  We have no idea what she is saying in this paragraph.

Here is our cut. Oro Valley is already seeing major growth as baby boomers are retiring. They will flock her for the next 15 years. That will have major implications for economic development. They will not want jobs.

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Mayor Winfield Proclaims Oro Valley "A Golf Community"...Enthusiastic About Reopening Pusch View Golf Course

Winfield: “We are a golf community.”

Mayor Winfield declared that Oro Valley is a golf community at last week’s council meeting (4h21m 2/17/21 Oro Valley Town Council Meeting) This, he says, is supported by last year’s statistically valid resident survey done as part of the now in-progress Parks and Recreation ten year master plan project. 

This survey was one of several reasons he gave for championing the reopening and three year commitment to operating the Pusch Ridge Course. Other reasons he gave are an uptick in golf usage because of the Pandemic; and his assertion that the town owned golf courses are meeting their subsidy metrics. According to Winfield, the only problem with Pusch View nine hole golf course is that it has been under-promoted.

Winfield "Kicks the Can" down the road

When Winfield and fellow council members Steve Solomon and Mo Greene have their way, the course will operate starting November 1. It will close each year in May.  Three years will be the  horizon for determining what will happen next to the course. By that time, the Mayor will have completed his term. It will be someone else's challenge.

Open space option summarily rejected

The idea of allowing the property to revert to its natural state or turning it into a walking preserve was summarily rejected by Winfield and council at the February 17 council meeting.  They decided that that solution was too expensive. They based that on numbers provided by town staff. No council member challenged these numbers or the basis for them. As LOVE has previously noted, the natural space option is least costly over a five year planning horizon.

Council never considered the Pusch View Course's history of failure

The council did not discuss the operating history of this course during the meeting, a history that includes:

• The Town purchased three financially failed golf courses in 2014 from HSL Properties. HSL's purchase of the El Conquistador resort was financially feasible only if the Town took over these courses. That is what the Town did. The Town council raised the sales tax a half cent to subsidize the losses. The subside continues to this day.
• Once it owned the Pusch View Course, the Town observed that the course was underused and worked to market it. There was no success. 
• In 2016, the Town then tried to turn the course into a family entertainment center, adding things like larger holes on the green and Frisbee Golf. That didn't work to stimulate use either. You can read about the Town's enthusiasm for that here.
• In 2020, Town Council voted to discontinue the course so that the Town could lease the course back to HSL.

Winfield, Solomon and Greene must believe that the pandemic driven resurgence in course use in Oro Valley is going to continue after the Pandemic passes. They may be right. On the other hand, the fundamental reasons the sport of golf is in decline has not changed. Read about those things here.

Tim Bohen was the only council member to speak against reopening the course

Council Member Tim Bohen stated that the Town has excess golf inventory even in today's hot market.  “I just wanted to let the people know at Pusch Ridge Course: I’ve walked their course a couple of times. I’ve talked them. I have sympathy for their plight." He continued: "I really do believe as a responsible entity, we have inventory that we already have that we don’t consume and that is why I can’t support this.”

Winfield did not want a council resolution.  Jacobs insisted they that there be one.

Mayor Winfield stated at several different points during the February 17 council discussion that Town Manager Jacobs had enough information from listening to the discussion to formulate what town staff was to do next. He did not want a formal vote (“resolution”). Town Manager Jacobs insisted that there be one: "You tell me what. I will give you the how." 

RFP to lease Pusch View Golf included in resolution

Two of the three other council members, Vice Mayor Barrett and Council Member Josh Nicolson, successfully fought to insure that the resolution include directing the Town Manager to formulate  a request for proposal ("RFP") for someone to lease the facility.  That RFP will be issued and analyzed over the next seven months if approved by council.

The Resolution to reopen Pusch View Golf Course

Council passed the following resolution by a 6-1 vote: 

Resolved: “Town council directs staff to return with a plan for operation of the Pusch Ridge Golf course to be evaluated within three years as to its continued feasibility, capital improvement requirements while also looking at alternatives to look at water usage and potential new configurations and a third party lease.” 

Town Manager Jacobs will present the plan at the March 17 Town Council Meeting.

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Barrett, Bohen, Nicolson "Shine" in Championing The General Plan

Clear support for the general plan

Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett, Council Members Tim Bohen and Josh Nicolson provided clear and unwavering support of the "Your Voice, Our Future" General Plan during last week's hearing of the Kai-Capri General Plan Amendment. They voted "No" together with Council Members Jones-Ivey. (Mayor Winfield voted "Yes".)

Barrett did her homework
Vice Mayor Barrett relies on her own analysis and not town staff to made decisions on the part of the residents. As a result, she concluded that the land use of this property should remain neighborhood commercial. She proffered five arguments in support.

There is already much land in the area zoned for residential use, land that has yet to be used

The argument that the town needs more residential property in the area of First and Tangerine to support retail located in the area has been used numerous times to justify converting commercially zoned property to residential. In fact, the prior council approved a number of commercial to retail zoning changes that are reasonably near First Avenue and Tangerine, properties that do not yet have residencies. These include Nakoma Sky (behind Home Depot); property at Rancho Vistoso and Vistoso Highlands Drive, property on the corner of LaCanada and Moore Road; and BigWash. To add yet another property before seeing the impact of these on retail in the area makes no sense. The town needs to first see how these other areas “play out”.

There are long term financial impacts on town spending to be considered

The town needs to move carefully, according to Barrett. There are long term financial impacts on town spending to be considered. She reminded the council of a study they had commissioned that noted that “The cost of municipal services is generally less for non residential development than for residential development.” Commercial haas more of an impact on the town.

Impact of recent land use changes to improve primary employment in area need time to bear fruit

Barrett also wants to see the impact of recent changes approved by this council before making yet another decision to rezone the Kai-Capri property. “We have spent a lot of the past two years... to expand property for primary employment.. Just a few months ago we passed a zoning code that would expand the allowable uses on this property... to allow it to be used for primary employment. Let’s see if this works before we consider rezoning for a different use.”

According to Barrett, the town had only 188 acres available for primary employment land before this change. Oro Valley already has a significant deficit in primary employment land compared to other towns (Marana). A town study said Oro Valley needed 300 acres to meet its ten year primary employee goal. Changing the zoning on the Kai-Capri property reduces primary employment land.

Amendment goes against some key general plan goals

“To me, there are goals in the general plan”.. that matter to her that the change proposed does not enrich. This property as currently zoned enhances some of the key challenges of meeting the general plan including the achieving the goals of improving long term financial and economic sustainability of the community, providing robust job opportunity for quality employment, minimizing traffic and maintaining a small town feel

Property, as zone, provides ideal commercial space

Her conclusion was that the Kai-Capri property as currently zoned provides for ideal commercial space. It is next to other commercial property. It’s close to “shovel ready.” The corner of First and Tangerine is one of the. last spaces in Oro Valley that provide significant commercial use opportunity.

Listen to her remarks in the panel above.

Nicolson presents two reasons he voted "no" 

Council Member Nicolson observed that proponents saying that there is not enough people living in the area of First and Tangerine fail to consider the enormous amount of discretionary spending just north of the area. He reiterated his commitment to supporting what he believes residents want (See panel left)

Bohen, likewise, did his homework
New Council Member Tim Bohen observed that the town has already done much since 2015 to make this area commercially feasible such as approving the Silverhawk development, the expansion of commercial land use to enable primary employment, the widening of Tangerine Road to provide better access to the area and marketing activities on the part of the town to let people know properties such as this are available for construction.

He concluded: “We are only three years into this ten year general plan.” This request “... does not rise to the threshold required for a change to the general plan. I respect the work that was done. I respect following the process.” 

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New Mayor and Council Sworn In

There were many smiling faces in the crowd during the Welcome Reception held in the Town Hall courtyard just prior to the new mayor and council taking office last evening. Familiar faces in the crowd included former Mayor Paul Loomis, former councilmembers Mike Zinkin, Bill Garner, and Dick Johnson. LOVE’s publisher and numerous LOVE contributors were also in attendance.

Afterwards, the crowd moved into Council Chambers for the swearing in ceremony. Immediately after being sworn in, Mayor Winfield gave a very touching and often humorous speech as he introduced himself to the audience. He took a few moments to thank the outgoing mayor and council for their service and included a thoughtful anecdotal story about each one.

One of the more humorous moments came when Winfield mentioned that a resident had warned him that, “Governing is a lot different than campaigning. To which Winfield replied, “I certainly hope so.”

The video of his speech will be published on LOVE next week.

Later in the evening Melanie Barrett was appointed as Vice-Mayor with a unanimous 7-0 vote.

Below are some pictures from the reception and the council meeting.

Meet Our New Council: Josh Nicolson

The "Air Conroller" Guy
Walking at Riverfront Park, we talked with a resident whom we had seen at Kreigh Park. Among other things, she told us that she was excited about the new council. "I really like that air controller guy." That guy is Josh Nicolson, one of the four new members of the Oro Valley town council.

Josh and his Chandler high school sweetheart, Dana and their 2 daughters (7 and 10) moved to Oro Valley six years ago. "We had a birthday party here. We drove down LaCanada north of Ina and we said: 'Holy cow. This is beautiful. Large lot sizes." Two years later, they were residents.

ATC by happenstance
Josh found his way into air traffic control by happenstance.  He earned an internship with a major airline after completing course work at the University of North Dakota. He was a professional pilot from 2005-2007. The pilots with whom he spoke assured

him that he would have a better family life if went into air traffic control (ATC).  Convinced, he found his way to ATC at Tucson International Airport after working with ATC in Houston, one of America's busiest skyways.

High energy
Josh is a high energy person. His drive to be involved is why he joined his HOA board. Now, he will direct his energy to Oro Valley's council.  "I have already begun reducing my volunteer activities and my extra involvement. It will be a slow transition as I want the new people to be able to carry on with excellence."

Does his "homework"
"When any issue comes up, I try to do my own research." You can't really do a good job "...unless you really know something." Part of doing his homework is making sure he listens. "I try and surround myself with people who are smarter people than me, treat them well and let them show me how valuable they are to whatever team/organization/business I'm working on."

Enjoys his family time 
" I like to sit in our swing chair and look at the mountains during the sunset with my kids, my wife my dog... read a book, play some classical guitar, I like 'Greensleeves' , meditate, and ride my mountain bike."

Family matters to Josh. "I'm most proud of my parents, who really went the extra mile to make sure I had a fun great childhood, yet forced me to keep my nose to the grindstone and work hard in school...brought me up with the North Dakota ethics of how to treat people, I wouldn't be the person I am today without them. "

Pay it forward
"I know now I was very blessed to have this great advantage and I know not all people have this privilege, so I feel a great need to give back to people less fortunate and hopefully will have more opportunity to do so during my life time."

Another Opportunity to Meet the Town Council Challengers

Candidates Host Voter Registration Drives at Oro Valley Parks on July 4th

PRESS RELEASE:  In celebration of our country’s independence and right to elect a representative government, the candidates for Oro Valley Mayor and Town Council will be hosting voter registration drives at parks around Oro Valley.

Candidate Joe Winfield explained their reasons for doing this, stating that “Registering to vote, being informed about community issues, and voting for the best qualified candidates are the responsibility of good citizenship.” Joyce Jones-Ivey elaborated further: “We want to listen to and respond to the citizens of Oro Valley, not special interests. We want to represent the people, including new residents that have not yet registered to vote.”

Winfield and Town Council candidates Melanie Barrett, Josh Nicolson, and Joyce Jones-Ivey will spend the morning of the 4th of July at Riverfront park talking to community members and encouraging voter registration. Later in the evening, they will host a booth with registration materials during the 4th of July event at Naranja Park.

The slate of candidates will also hold an informational meeting on July 9th at 6:30 pm at the Community Center.

More information can be found at JoeWinfieldmayor.com; MelanieBarrett.org; JJonesIvey4OV.org, JoshforOroValley.com

LOVE is on vacation for the remainder of the week.

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

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.

Town Council Candidates collecting signatures at Oro Valley Library this week

Mayoral candidate Joe Winfield and Town Council candidates Melanie Barrett, Joyce Jones-Ivey, and Josh Nicolson will be collecting signatures this week at the Oro Valley Public Library during the Library Book Sale. They need to collect at least 345 signatures in order to be placed on the ballot for the Town Council primary election in August.

Please stop by to meet them and sign the petitions. NOTE: Petitions for all four candidates will be available to sign during the hours listed even if a candidate is not present that day.

Wednesday, April 25th

Joe Winfield   9 - 11 AM
Melanie Barrett   9 - 11 AM
Josh Nicolson   9 - 11 AM
Joyce Jones-Ivey   9 AM to Noon

Thursday, April 26th

Joe Winfield   9 - 11 AM
Joyce Jones-Ivey   3 - 5 PM

Friday, April 27th

Joe Winfield   9 - 11 AM
Joyce Jones-Ivey   9 - 11 AM

Saturday, April 28th

Melanie Barrett   9 - 10:30 AM
Joyce Jones-Ivey   9 - 11 AM
Joe Winfield   9 AM until (to be determined)