Bits and Pieces

Free document shredding Saturday 

The Town of Oro Valley will host a free document-shredding event for residents on Saturday, November 22, at the Oro Valley Marketplace. Shredding runs from 8 a.m. to noon, or until the trucks fill up, with all materials destroyed onsite. The Town encourages residents to use the service as a simple way to reduce the risk of identity theft. Questions can be directed to Constituent Services Coordinator Jessica Hynd at 520-229-4711. (Town of Oro Valley Media Release) 

Ambitious thinking? A 5.8% annual nominal growth rate needed to support the RTA NEXT's 20-Year revenue goal

To meet the revenue levels projected in the RTA NEXT plan, the region’s taxable sales would need to grow about 5.8 percent each year for the next 20 years. RTA NEXT described this assumption as conservative, combining normal economic growth with inflation. Based on the current distribution of taxable transactions, Tucson would supply the largest share of those dollars at 45 percent, followed by Marana at 15 percent, Sahuarita at 9 percent, and Oro Valley at about 8 percent. The remaining 23 percent would come from the rest of Pima County.  This growth rate includes both inflation and real sales growth. [Source: LOVE Research]

Oro Valley bed tax revenues reached peak levels in 2025

Oro Valley’s bed tax revenues are now at their strongest level in eight years. The bed tax is a 6 percent tax applied to the cost of any room stay under 30 consecutive days, including hotel rooms and short-term rentals. Collections rose from $1.47 million in FY 2018 to $2.52 million in FY 2025, an increase of more than $1 million, despite the pandemic drop to $1.03 million in FY 2020. Town staff believes this growth reflects the rebound in travel. Other contributing factors include higher room rates, the 2021 annexation of Westward Look, and the introduction of registering and taxing short-term rentals. These factors expanded the Town’s lodging tax base. Early FY 2026 results show the upward trend continuing. (Source: Oro Valley Tourism Advisory Commission Meeting, 11-17-25)

RTA says: Good roads bring visitor

At Monday’s meeting, the Town’s Tourism Commission heard from RTA representative Steve Huffman, who emphasized that transportation infrastructure plays a direct role in attracting visitors. He noted that good road access is often a traveler’s first impression of Oro Valley, and highlighted how completed and proposed overpasses improve regional travel for visitors arriving from airports or nearby communities.  He added that RTA investments in bike paths, multi-modal access, transit service, and wildlife linkages also enhance mobility and the overall visitor experience.

You want to be in pictures?

Oro Valley resident Mark Headley, an actor and producer, believes the town should explore becoming a film-friendly community. He has introduced the idea to both the Town Council and the Tourism Commission, noting that smaller film productions are seeking new, affordable, and cooperative locations. Headley says Oro Valley offers strong assets, including striking desert scenery, open space, historic buildings at Steam Pump Ranch, vacant commercial sites that could serve as temporary studios, and more than a thousand hotel rooms. He adds that film crews often leave a significant share of their budgets in the communities where they work. The challenges, he notes, include Arizona’s lack of major film-industry tax incentives and the absence of local film infrastructure. Certainly, more work is needed to determine whether the concept is a feasible way to increase town revenues.

Highlights from last night's town manager's report to Council

Town Manager Jeff Wilkins briefed the Council on several upcoming community activities and transportation updates, including an RTA Next open house scheduled for December 10, where residents can learn about Propositions 418 and 419 ahead of the March 2026 vote. He noted that the popular holiday ornament hunt begins November 28, featuring wooden ornaments crafted by CDO High School students. Wilkins also reminded residents of the ongoing construction at the Oro Valley Marketplace, assuring the public that full access will remain open through the holidays. Additional updates included progress on the Naranja Multi-Use Path, Movies on the Lawn starting December 6, the Pickalicious Jingle Jam pickleball tournament December 12–14, the Festival of the Arts and tree lighting on December 6–7, Snow OV on December 18, and the upcoming Hot Cocoa Run on January 1.

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Bits and Pieces

Running For Office? Your candidate packet awaits 

Oro Valley residents thinking about running for mayor or Town Council in 2026 can now pick up a Candidate Handbook from the Town Clerk’s Office at Town Hall, 11000 N. La Cañada Drive. Appointments can be made by emailing Mike Standish at mstandish@orovalleyaz.gov or calling 520-229-4700. Three council seats and the mayor’s seat are on the ballot. Candidates must be at least 18 years old, qualified to vote, and have lived in Oro Valley for at least one year before the election. Nomination papers can be filed March 9 – April 6, 2026, with between 525 and 1,050 signatures required. The Primary Election is August 4, 2026, and newly elected officials are expected to be sworn in shortly after the General Election on November 3, 2026. (Source: Town of Oro Valley Media Release)

Council to seek public input on proposed new taxes

By a 4–3 vote, the Oro Valley Town Council agreed Wednesday night to post notice of intent to adopt three taxes: A phased-in Commercial Rental Tax; a Telecommunications Tax; and a Use Tax. This step begins a state-required 60-day public notice and comment period, ending with a potential Council vote on January 14, 2026 to approve or reject any of the taxes. If enacted as proposed, Oro Valley’s 0% commercial rental tax would phase up to 2.5% over three years, the telecommunications tax would increase from 0% to 2.5%, and a new 2.5% use tax would be added to align with neighboring jurisdictions like Tucson and Marana. Councilmembers Barrett, Murphy, and Nicholson opposed moving forward, citing concerns over timing, business impacts, and the need for more cost-saving reviews of town operations. Staff will post a public notice of these proposed taxes on the town website on November 15. The council will make a decision on each of the three taxes at it's January 14 meeting. 

Where there is a will, there is a way

At Wednesday’s Council meeting, several residents expressed concern about the new no parking signs installed along Calle Buena Vista and parts of Calle Concordia. She said her household was not notified about the change and has seen no parking issues near their home in the past four and a half years. While she supports signage near OVCN to address overflow parking, she believes the signs further south are unnecessary, unsightly, and out of character with the neighborhood. Despite all the signage, which she described as an eyesore, we noted that church attendees were still parking on Calle Buena Vista this past Sunday [see panel right]. 

As written: New Use Tax would legally apply to individuals as well as businesses

If adopted, residents have been told by town staff that Oro Valley’s proposed use tax would apply mainly to businesses and not to residents. Businesses would be required to report out-of-state purchases where no local sales tax was paid. These are captured on regular tax filings submitted through the Arizona Department of Revenue, which may also conduct audits to ensure compliance. Town staff has repeatedly stated that the use tax would not be enforced on individual residents, and there are no plans to audit personal purchases. However, as technology advances, future governments may find it easier to track and enforce such taxes more broadly; though doing so would likely raise questions about privacy and require higher-level policy changes.

Film producer urges creation of Oro Valley film commission

Hollywood film producer Mark Headley spoke during Call to Audience segment of Wednesday's council meeting. He talked about the economic benefits of attracting movie production to the town. Drawing on his years of experience in the industry and Arizona’s past success as a filming location, he recommended the creation of a local film commission. Headley said such a commission could be inexpensive to set up and would complement efforts by the Arizona Film Office. He added that film productions typically leave about one-third of their budgets in the communities where they shoot.  Locally, both the Tucson and Marana film commissions. Film Tucson reported last year that filmmaking in the Tucson region generates between $9 million and $12 million annually in economic impact (hotels, restaurants, crews).

Council approves funds for police headquarters purchase and repairs

Wednesday, the Oro Valley Town Council unanimously approved reallocating $5.45 million from the Capital Fund contingency to cover the purchase and immediate repairs of the new police administration facility at 13101 N. Oracle Road. The purchase, completed for about $3.8 million, will be followed by an estimated $1.65 million in improvements, including HVAC replacement, roofing, stucco and parapet repair, and termite treatment. Vice Mayor Barrett noted she would have preferred some of the funding to be addressed during the next budget cycle but acknowledged the allocation was necessary. The motion passed 7–0, ensuring the building can be secured and preparations begun for future police operations.

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