Hiremath Accuses Garner Of Lying About El Conquistador Country Club Purchase

On February 26, Mayor Hiremath called Council Member Bill Garner a "liar" several times during an interview with KNST host Garrett Lewis. The interview regarded the town's purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club. You can listen to the mayor's comments here.

The Mayor had requested the interview. Lewis had  interviewed Garner two days earlier.

Mayor Hiremath provided his view on why he feels that it was right of the council to approve the purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club. However, rather than simply refuting what Garner had said in a respectful manner, Mayor Hiremath chose to call Garner a liar.

So, we investigated the Mayor's charges:

Garner Asserts: A Rushed Decision To Purchase The El Conquistador Country Club

Mayor Hiremath said the Council Member Bill Garner is "flat out lying. As a matter of fact I know that he is flat out" lying.  Garner had said that the council members had been rushed into the decision to purchase the El Conquistador Country Club.

You can watch the video of the December council meeting in which the decision to purchase the El Conquistador Country Club was made. The minority members of council felt that Mayor Hiremath had exceeded what he was authorized to do and that they were blindsided by the rush to make a decision give the lack of accurate, thorough information.

We can not confirm that their allegations because the minutes of the special council sessions in which this information would have been provided are not available to the public.

We can confirm the following:

• The numbers the town was presented in relation to the purchase were constantly changing. 
• In addition, during the December meeting, Council Member Burns says that it was he who authorized the Mayor to pursue discussions but that the Mayor was never authorized to make a deal to purchase the El Conquistador Country Club.

Garner Asserts Costs of Building a Community Center Are Far Less That Town Guesstimates

Later in the interview, Mayor Hiremath said that Garner lied about the cost of building a community center.

The Mayor said he has never seen "anything detailed that shows what the cost [of building a community center] are going to be."

Council Member Garner's estimates of what it would cost to build a center are based on looking at what he considers to be comparable facilities that have been recently built.  Town Manager Caton has also done an estimate.  The numbers differ substantially. That does not mean that either is lying. It simply means that no one, in this case the town, invested the time to get the kind of detailed estimate the Mayor has never seen. This is standard procedure in making a purchase versus build decision.

Mayor Hiremath Says Garner and Zinkin Want A Property Tax and Sun City Will Welcome It Gladly

Next, Mayor Hiremath stated during his interview that:

"I've heard Council Member Zinkin say that  for the sun city residents, he is sure that they won't mind paying a property tax."  (KNST Interview: 25 minutes).

When asked by LOVE, the Mayor said that he had not heard this directly. Rather: "I heard this comment second hand because I was not there. but it came from a very reliable source who wrote it down."

We checked with Debra Arrett of Sun City Oro Valley. Debra is Chair of the Government Affairs Committee who organized and  attended the meeting where Mike Zinkin spoke. She reported, "I never heard Mike Zinkin or Bill Garner say that they wanted a property tax or that they think the voters of Sun City would approve it."

Apparently on some sort of "roll" during the interview, the Mayor felt compelled to continue: "...Council Member Garner and Council Member Zinkin have repeatedly wanted that subject [of a property tax] put up.." for council discussion.

We asked the Mayor to clarify this: "Councilmembers Garner and Zinkin have advocated for other revenue sources to include discussions of commercial lease tax, renters tax and property tax because we need to diversify our revenue sources and all three of those would have to go to the voters."

Mayor Hiremath believes that asking that something be discussed is same as "advocating" for that something.  "I find it illogical to think that if they do not support something then why would they bring it up?"

We asked Council Member Garner why he even brought it up.

Garner told us that he has done so because he feels there needs to be a discussion as outlined in the strategic plan of 2014. He never has advocated for a property tax and never will as the Town of Oro Valley founding fathers wanted to keep the property tax out of our Town and continues to run on a fiscally responsible platform.

Garner has reminded us that the majority four would not even allow for a discussion of alternative revenue sources over the course of several attempts at various meetings throughout 2014. In Garner's mind, a discussion of alternative revenue sources to be potentially taxed is far different than voting to put one on the ballot for a vote.

Those are the facts.

So, was Council Member Garner lying? You tell us.
---

Guest View: Diane Peters ~ Rodman-Solomon-Greene campaign postcard is a pack of lies

Town Council candidates Rodman, Solomon, and Greene recently sent out a campaign postcard where they falsely attack “The Other Guys” (Tim Bohen and Bill Garner). They also posted a picture of the postcard on their Facebook pages.

They should have called it “The Other Lies” because everything they said about Bill Garner and Tim Bohen is a lie.

Below are some examples.


• Don’t support law enforcement, first responders, or education
Bill Garner spent 20 years in emergency services including as a firefighter, an emergency medical technician, an assistant squad chief, and an Emergency Management Director. Garner also has a Master’s degree in Public Safety. Does that sound like the resume’ of someone who doesn’t support law enforcement or first responders?

Additionally, when Garner was on council in 2009, it was he and former councilmember Salette Latas who collaborated on a proposal to save 6 police officer positions that were going to be cut from the 2009-2010 police budget. You can read about it HERE.

From Bill Garner’s Facebook page:

I support our police department, as well as the public safety and emergency responders that assist our community in time of need when the call goes out. I have the knowledge and education to know what it takes to serve in this line of work and the value brought by these men and women.

Regarding education, this is a school board issue, not a town council issue. Secondly, Garner has two school-aged children. It’s nonsensical to claim that he doesn’t support education.

• Encourage policies that will likely lead to a property tax
The property tax lie is a scare tactic that they pull every election. Garner was on council from 2008-2016 and never once discussed a desire for a property tax. He has publicly stated that he is opposed to one. The fact is that the Town Council could not institute a property tax even if they wanted to. It has to be placed on the ballot for the citizens to decide. If elected, Bill Garner and Tim Bohen would not even have the power to institute a property tax.

However, Steve Solomon did vote to increase your utility tax from 2% to 4%.

• Have no history of support for neighborhood preservation
When Garner was on council (2008-2016) he (along with Councilmembers Zinkin and Burns) worked with me and my citizens’ group for 9 months during 2014-2015 to “preserve our neighborhood.” Those three council members guided my citizens’ group throughout the process of fighting a Major General Plan Amendment that, if approved, would have completely changed the character of our neighborhood by turning 200 acres of pristine desert into a “Master Planned Community."

Multiple meetings and negotiations took place between my citizens’ group and the applicant. Whenever there was an impasse, Councilmembers Garner, Zinkin, or Burns would negotiate with the applicant on our behalf.

Through 9 months of negotiations, we succeeded in removing apartments, a senior care facility, and almost 300 homes from the plan. We also obtained larger buffer zones between the new development and the existing neighborhoods. The night of the council vote, I publicly thanked Burns-Garner-Zinkin for all of their help. It’s in the PUBLIC RECORD.

Were they too lazy to fact-check or are their lies deliberate?
Either Rodman-Solomon-Greene’s fact checking skills are lacking or they are deliberately lying in order to get votes from uninformed people. Which one is it? Either way, it doesn't speak well of them.  Are these the kind of people that you want on your Town Council?

Mo Greene hides the truth
I posted the above information on Mo Greene’s Facebook page.  Rather than admit to his error and apologize for it, he deleted my comment and blocked me from further posting. I assumed he would do that in order to hide the truth, which is why I took a screenshot immediately after posting it. You can view it below. 

If you want honesty and transparency in Oro Valley government, I suggest that you join me in voting for Bill Garner and Tim Bohen.

---

Diane Peters has lived in Oro Valley since 2003, moving here to escape the humidity of the East Coast. She’s been involved in OV politics and development issues since 2006. In 2014, she organized a citizens group that successfully negotiated a controversial 200-acre development project. In her past life, she worked in medical research at various University Hospitals in New England. Her interests include reading, writing, nature photography, travel, art galleries, museums, and politics.

Councilmember Steve Solomon is disruptive during the Sun City Town Hall

During the June 30, 2020 Sun City Town Hall with all 5 town council candidates present, in typical Steve Solomon fashion, he was disrespectful to the moderator and the other candidates, disruptive of the process, and refused to follow the rules.

The moderator set the rules at the beginning of the town hall:
“I will ask each candidate a unique question and that candidate will have a minute and a half to answer. After that answer, in alphabetical order by last name, the other candidates will be provided up to 45 seconds for a quick response if they so desire.”

Therefore, whenever Bohen or Garner finished their answer, the order for giving a 45 second response would be: Greene – Rodman – Solomon.

But, as usual, Solomon refused to be respectful and follow the rules. In the attached video (just over one minute in length) you will witness the following:

Solomon interrupts Bohen
Tim Bohen discusses the fact that the people who made the largest donations to incumbents Rodman and Solomon’s 2016 town council campaigns were non-residents. (LOVE previously reported that these non-residents were developers, builders, and real estate PACs).

Solomon immediately interrupts. “There you go talking about 2016. If you want to accuse me of something, I suggest you (inaudible). Are we going to allow people to accuse other candidates…"

Throughout this interruption, the moderator can be heard repeatedly saying, “Mr. Solomon…Mr. Solomon…please.” But Solomon ignores him and continues talking over him. (This is the same behavior that Solomon exhibits during town council meetings.)

Solomon interrupts Garner
The moderator then calls on Bill Garner who says, “It’s pretty rich when he [Solomon] talks about his campaign finances because not one dime came from an Oro Valley resident in 2016…"

Solomon interrupts again. “That’s false, that is a lie, he cannot make a false statement a fact.” Garner attempted to finish his turn speaking but Solomon continued interrupting. “Do you live in Marana or do you live in Oro Valley? How about you address that question because you applied for the council in Marana.”

Garner: “Please cut Mr. Solomon off Mr. Moderator.” (Garner is polite and says “please.” He is asking, not demanding.)

Solomon barks orders to the moderator
Solomon: “No, cut Mr. Garner off if he’s going to lie.” (Solomon is abrupt and demanding. He is ordering, not asking.)

Moderator: “Please follow the outline.”

Solomon: “Well, how about we do this? How about we make a pledge not to make false accusations against the candidates because that’s an outright lie.”

(Now Solomon is telling the moderator how to run the meeting. He’s trying to take over the meeting just like he tries to take over Town Council meetings).

Moderator: “Mr. Solomon, you are free in your closing statement to say whatever you would like.”

Solomon’s Diversion Tactics
Solomon tried to make an issue out of a non-issue (Bill Garner’s place of residence) in order to create a diversion and take the focus off of his special-interest campaign contributors. So to clarify, Bill Garner and his family lived in Oro Valley from 2004-2017, then briefly lived in Marana for a little over a year, returning to Oro Valley in February 2019. So yes, Bill Garner is eligible to hold office in Oro Valley.

In 2018, after the sudden passing of Marana Councilmember Carol McGorray whom Garner had known personally for many years, he applied to fill the vacancy when there was a call for applicants to fill the remainder of her term. Garner never ran for the Marana Town Council and had no plans to do so.

Oro Valley Resident Questions Legality of Utility Tax
The Explorer
Brian P. Nanos
February 7, 2007

Oro Valley resident Bill Garner has already failed in one attempt to stop the town’s 2-percent utility tax from taking effect, but he isn’t giving up that easily.

In a Jan. 31 letter hand-delivered to town attorney Melinda Garrahan, Garner charges that the town council vote approving the tax was invalid.

And, if Garrahan and the town disagree with his letter, Garner later told the EXPLORER, he “will absolutely” file an injunction to stop the tax from taking effect when it’s due to kick in April 1.

“On face value,” he said, “the whole process was halfheartedly done.”

Before the EXPLORER’s print deadline, Garrahan had not yet reviewed or responded to Garner’s letter. However, Councilman Terry Parish is confident that Garner’s reading of the law is wrong and statements made by the town’s finance director before the tax’s approval also indicate that it was passed legally.

Even if Garner gets his way and the tax is put to another vote, it is likely to pass again.

The 2-percent utility sales tax on water, electricity and natural gas will pay for 18.5 new town positions, mostly in the police department. It was approved by the town council Dec. 6. A 4-percent tax had been rejected in 2005 and later in September 2006.

Oro Valley town code requires all ordinances to be the subject of a public hearing before they get passed. The minutes to the Dec. 6 council meeting include a reference to Mayor Paul Loomis opening and closing a public hearing on the utility tax, and during discussion of the tax, Finance Director Stacy Lemos told the council that the item had previously been discussed at two public hearings.

Garner, however, claims that while the previously rejected 4-percent utility sales tax ordinances were the subject of public hearings, the December vote was on a different ordinance, one that Garner points out had “completely different” language, a different ordinance number and was never subject to a public hearing.

He also said the agenda published before the Dec. 6 meeting did not refer to a public hearing, only “discussion and possible action.”

“It’s pretty clear, at least this is my opinion,” said Garner, “that there was not a public hearing.”

According to Parish, who claimed to have discussed these issues with Garrahan before the tax was approved, a new public hearing would only have been necessary if the approved utility tax would cost the public more than the rejected one would have.

The less-expensive compromise, he said, is allowed.

“I had an idea that there would have to be a compromise, so I asked if we could do that,” Parish said.

Garner said he hopes the town council will be forced to vote again on the utility tax, and that before that vote, citizens will be able to convince Councilman Al Kunisch vote against the tax. Kunisch twice voted against a 4-percent tax but voted for the 2-percent version.

When asked of the possibility of changing his vote, Kunisch said, “No way. Absolutely not.”

“There are a lot of needs and not a lot of money,” Kunisch explained. “I voted for it. I support it. I think we need it. That’s it.”

Garner’s earlier attempt to stop the utility tax failed when he came up more than 100 signatures short of the 793 needed to file a referendum putting the issue to a public vote.

Even if he had gathered the number of signatures required, the attempt would have been purely symbolic. The town had already ruled that the tax, because it paid for support and maintenance, was exempt from referendum. Additionally, a communication breakdown between Garner and Oro Valley Town Clerk Kathi Cuvelier lead him to unknowingly miss the deadline for applying for the referendum.

Parish said the tax is the council’s attempt to provide the city with needed services.

“It’s unfortunate that we have to go through this type of controversy to get something that the citizens not only need, but demand,” he said.

Garner Seeks Council Seat

Former council member wants "back in"
Former Oro Valley town council member Bill Garner is seeking  one of the three open council positions in this August's election. Garner served as council member from 2008 to 2016. He and his wife Darlene have two children. They both attend local schools.

Wants to be the voice of the community again...
Garner plans to bring experience and sound decision-making to council. “Having served on council from 2008 to 2016, I have a broad spectrum of understanding to ensure that when decisions are made, they are a reflection of the entire community. I am also not afraid to speak my mind or ask the tough questions that will be needed at the council because I want to be the voice of the community. In the end, I am always thoughtful, transparent and honest in my decision-making processes ”. 

...As he was in the past:  The Oro Valley Aquatic Center
Garner's earlier service on council resulted in massive improvement to the town owned pool, which we now call the Oro Valley Aquatic Center.  The pool, a gift from Pima County when they county gave the town Kreigh Park (then known as Dennis Weaver Park), was a run down, outdated facility. It was not community friendly. It was not kid friendly. It was just a pool.

Garner paid attention to all the details. We recall his insistance that there be family changing rooms and kid friendly stuff. Including the splash pad in the plan was a must for Garner. He also made sure that the aquatic center met all regulations and health compliances.

Today the Aquatic Center is a working example of how council members can work together to build something of value  for all the residents of the community.

Seeking a balance
"I want to insure a balance on council between being environmentally sensitive and economically conservative on town issues. My approach is straight-forward: I look at the facts and make decisions that maintain the high quality community that is Oro Valley."

Sees three immediate opportunities
Garner sees three opportunities facing Oro Valley:

• Former Vistoso Golf Club
  This property continues to be looked at for preservation and the maintaining of the current recreational zoning designation. If elected, I would work with all parties concerned with this property to maintain the wishes of the residents and to continue to adhere to the General Plan guidance. 
• Employment and New Business Growth
  Provide additional opportunities for new business growth in the high tech and bio tech sector, in order to provide high quality employment. Promote signature events that bring out of town visitors and provide for economic opportunities and destination marketing.
• Parks and Recreation Future Directions
  Promote the needs of residents of the town to become active in the current parks and recreation survey the that is available on the town web site. In addition look at funding opportunities and other creative solutions to boost current park assets such as Steam Pump Ranch as well as providing additional amenities based on resident input.

Want to learn more about Bill Garner
You can listen to and learn more about Bill and his views on the challenges facing Oro Valley on Jim Horn's Oro Valley podcast. Jim interviewed Bill last week. Simply click on the picture in the right panel or subscribe wherever you listen to you podcasts.

Want to meet Garner?

468 signatures are required for someone to appear on the August ballot. The signatures have to be those of registered voters who live in Oro Valley. Bill Garner will be at the Oro Valley Public Library seeking signatures every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. He will announce other signing events on the Take Back Oro Valley Facebook page and here on LOVE.

Hiremath Castigates Garner For Going Public With Issues Regarding Oro Valley Police Spending

Last week was an extremely busy week for The Oro Valley Police Department.  The department arrested and charged a youth who was brandishing a wooden marching rifle in Kreigh Park.  The charge is a felony charge.  The department arrested two individuals for  allegedly providing prostitution services at an Oro Valley Spa.

At the end of the week, the department found itself defending some of its practices in an article that was published in the Arizona Daily Star.   The Daily Star's reporter, Phil Villarreal, spoke with council members Garner and Zinkin  regarding their claim that police department operations could be more efficiently run at less cost.   He also spoke to Chief Sharp and Mayor Hiremath.   The mayor and the chief both defended the practices of the department.

The article prompted one Oro Valley Resident to write a spirited email to the mayor and council members.  In it, the individual voice dismay over the need for overtime and take-home cars.    Resident seemed generally surprised.  Apparently, the writer of the email has never read our publication.

Later in the week, Mayor Hiremath wrote a seething one paragraph email to many accusing council member Garner of attacking town employees; and of not following "protocol" by going public with his concerns.

Apparently Mayor Hiremath does not have the self-control to stay above the fray.

Council member Garner has served the town on council for more years than Mayor Hiremath.  Garner knows what is right thing to do for the people of Oro Valley.

We spoke with council member Garner.  We asked him the intent of his remarks.  His response was simple:  "I work for the people of Oro Valley.  They are my only constituents."

We  applaud council members Garter and Zinkin for standing up for the people. They are not allowing the council to ignore its responsibility to provide oversight to the police department.  We have not been able to identify one instance during the past four years in which Majority-4 exercised the role that they have been charged to do in regards to the oversight of the police department. It is only Garner and Zinkin who provide this oversight.  And for this the Mayor castigates them.

As council member Zinkin notes in his comments in the article, none of this disclosure would be needed if the chief of police reported to the town manager as is the practice in every other community in Arizona.

Some will accuse Garner and Zinkin of being anti-police.  They will accuse them of threatening the very safety of the community by merely asking questions.

Garner and Zinkin are not anti-police.

Garner and Zinkin are pro-Oro Valley Resident.

What do you think?
---

The Mayor of Division

Last Week, Mayor Hiremath was quoted: "I think this is the first time in a while that elected officials in the area have had a really good working relationship with one another."  (Source)  He was referring to the relationship between Oro Valley elected officials and the elected officials of other communities.


His words do not ring truth when it comes to the Oro Valley town council.  In fact, Mayor Hiremath is the "divider" of the council. He does not have, by any means, a good working relationship with almost half of his council.

In December and January, Mayor Hiremat led a failed effort to recall Council Member Zinkin.  The basis of his attempt was spurious.  His effort, with the help of the other Majority-4, did nothing but divide our community.


Then last week in "Hiremath Castigates Garner For Going Public With Issues Regarding Oro Valley Police Spending", we reported regarding the "fallout" from an article in the Arizona Daily Star in which Council MemberBill Garner was quoted.

The Council Member is quoted as saying that:

"Unfortunately, this [police] department is a prima donna department. It tries to put candidates forward sympathetic to it so its interest can go unchecked,” Garner said. “It’s union politics and thuggery that goes on."

Garner has been an Oro Valley Council Member for 6 years. He has been elected twice.  This is no easy feat.  Rather than choosing to meet with Garner to discuss what prompted the comment and what Garner thought, Mayor Hiremath went on the offensive against Garner.

Mayor Hiremath wrote the following email to Garner with copies to the council, town manager Caton, and the town's attorneys.  Here's what he wrote:

"I read with great dismay and concern regarding your public attack on Town employees printed in the Northwest section of the Arizona Daily Star yesterday. Your comments were at best very rude, inconsiderate, tasteless, mean spirited and beneath contempt. You have every opportunity to speak directly to the Town Manager or the Chief of Police if you have concerns and/or dissatisfaction regarding our police department. By making a public statement as you did, it shows that you have willful disregard for the employees of our Town and for our processes.
Satish I. Hiremath, DDS
Mayor"

Mayor Hiremath shows no reservation of going after Council Member Zinkin or Council Member Garner.  He does it with ease.  Yet, when he sees them, we have been told, he acts cordial and friendly.  Hiremath is capable of saying something negative in public about a Council Member and then acting as though he has said nothing negative when he sees them.   This is not a good personality trait.

Also not good is the division that exists in Oro Valley town government.  The Mayor of Oro Valley should have the desire and the ability to listen to and allow the proper venting of all Council Member ideas, regardless of the source.  Mayor Hiremath, once an individual we hoped would do just that, has demonstrated otherwise.   In fact, he seems to go out of his way to cause divisiveness.
---

Guest View-Diane Peters: The Other Side of The Equation (Part 1)

During the Call to Audience at the May 7th council meeting, five citizens gave their opinions regarding comments made by Councilmembers Garner and Zinkin who dared to criticize the Oro Valley Police Department ("OVPD") in the April 17th edition of the Arizona Daily Star.  Three of the five speakers were law enforcement officers.

Terry Parish (Pima County Sheriff’s Deputy and former Oro Valley Town Council member) said that Zinkin and Garner have forgotten why they became council members. He said they’re supposed to “serve the community” and “raise the community up” rather than “drag the community through the mud in the newspaper.”

If he truly believes this, then why didn’t he speak out when Mayor Hiremath wrote a Christmas Day rant in the local newspaper that was filled with nothing but contempt and mudslinging? Mudslinging on Christmas Day! Parish was silent despite his claims of being a devout Christian. Why didn’t he speak out about the malevolent signs that were posted all over town for weeks asserting that Councilmember Zinkin “degrades women?” That’s also mudslinging, is it not? How did those malicious signs “raise the community up?”

He also claimed that because Oro Valley was named one of the top 8 safest suburbs in the nation, that Garner’s derogatory comments about the OVPD have “zero credibility.” I fail to see the connection. You can have a police department filled with prima donna’s and thugs and still have a safe community. Our community is safe partly because of the diligence of the police department and partly because of our demographics, a factor that the OVPD worshippers always overlook. They insist that it’s solely because of the police department. The only way to prove that theory is to transfer every OVPD police officer to South Tucson and see if South Tucson suddenly becomes one of the safest communities in the nation.

Parish closed his speech by admitting that it is the job of the council to ask questions about the budget.

Marshall Morris (President of the Oro Valley Police Officers Association)claimed that the Arizona Daily Star article showed that Zinkin and Garner have a complete lack of respect and understanding of what the OVPD do. If that’s true, could it be because when they ask questions of the OVPD, they often do not get answers, only deflections and attacks on their character and abilities? If Morris truly believes that these councilmembers do not respect the OVPD or understand the demands of a police officer’s job, then isn’t this a compelling reason to turn police oversight over to the Town Manager? Officer Morris seems to want to have it both ways. He wants police oversight to be handled by the council while claiming that some members of the council are ill-equipped to handle that oversight.

He also stated that Council Members Garner and Zinkin don’t attend a lot of town events. That’s because, despite Terry Parish’s assertions, Zinkin and Garner have not forgotten why they became council members. It’s not to attend ribbon cuttings and tree lightings. They are paid to represent the interests of the citizens…the taxpayers.

Councilmembers who attend countless “town events” do so only for their own self-serving interests. They like to hob-nob. They like to make connections that they can use in the future. They’re looking for photo ops. People who shine from within don’t have an incessant need to be in the spotlight. While others are attending frivolous town events, Councilmembers Garner and Zinkin are reading and researching documents in preparation for council meetings. As a result, they show up at those meetings well-prepared.

Morris also stated that Zinkin and Garner miss more council meetings than the others. FACT: With the exception of missing one study session, Council Member Zinkin has not missed one council meeting since he was elected. And on the occasion when Council Member Garner is unable to be there in person, he attends the meetings via conference call.

Perhaps it’s time for these law enforcement officers to take their own advice and stop slinging mud and false accusations at two of the hardest working members of the Town Council.
---
Diane Peters has lived in Oro Valley since 2003, moving here to escape the humidity of the East Coast.  Combining her love of animals and writing, she wrote her first protest letter at the age of 12 to the Canadian Prime Minister in support of ending the annual baby harp seal hunt.  Years later, she flew by helicopter to the ice floes off the coast of Newfoundland where she was able to pet baby harp seals recently born on the frozen tundra.  Her other interests include reading, nature photography, traveling to National Parks, Native American history, art galleries, museums, and following politics.  In her past life, she worked in medical research at various University Hospitals in New England, including coordinating Oncology Clinical Trials and preparing manuscripts for publication in medical journals.  Her husband is an Army veteran who served in Germany and South Korea.  A former hippie, he attended the 1969 Woodstock Festival in Upstate New York.
---

Guest View-Diane Peters: Prima Donnas and Thugs... Oh My!

This Guest View will review the history behind Council Member Garner’s recent comments about the Oro Valley Police Department ("OVPD") and the Oro Valley Police Officers Association  ("OVPOA").

Let’s begin with Stan Winetrobe’s speech during the Call to Audience at the council meeting of May 21. The half dozen speakers who went before him each received applause at the end of their presentation. This caused Mr. Winetrobe to begin his presentation by stating, “Now I’m going to feel depressed if they don’t clap for me.”

And here’s where it got interesting…and very revealing. The Mayor and Council responded as follows:

Mayor Hiremath: “Yeah! Ha, ha, ha!!! I knew that was going to happen, Stan.”
Council Member Joe Hornat: (Also laughing) “Stan, we’re not here to deal with your personal issues!”
Council Member Mary Snider: “We knew you could take it!”

It was clear from their comments that they all knew Mr. Winetrobe personally. Rather than wearing a “poker face” while Winetrobe spoke, so as not to give the impression that perhaps they had orchestrated his speech, they couldn’t contain their desire to let everyone know that they were good friends with him. They reminded me of a bunch of insecure teenagers so desperate to be considered popular.

Cards on the table. Stan Winetrobe is a friend of Mary Snider’s. He volunteered to collect signatures for last winter's failed Zinkin Recall effort. It’s clear that they all know him personally. Additionally, just four weeks prior to his Call to Audience speech, Winetrobe received the ‘Citizen of the Year Award’ at the Oro Valley Police Department Awards Banquet. Could his opinions be a tad biased?

If Councilmember Garner’s comments were so horrible, they would have instigated a spontaneous citizen backlash and negated the need of the Majority-4 to encourage their friends to speak during the Call to Audience. (Winetrobe isn’t the only friend of theirs who has spoken on this topic.) An orchestrated backlash reveals that the actual backlash was minimal at best.

Now let’s look at what Councilmember Garner actually said:

 ”Unfortunately, this department is a prima donna department. It tries to put candidates forward sympathetic to it so its interests can go unchecked. It’s union politics and thuggery that goes on.”

Was Garner wrong?

During his speech, Winetrobe asked Garner, “Where is your proof that the Oro Valley Police Department tries to put forth its own candidates or is that just hearsay?"

It’s not hearsay, Mr. Winetrobe, and here’s the proof you requested.

Here is some of the history behind Council Member Garner’s assertion.

(1) In May 2004, The Arizona Conference of Police and Sheriff’s ("AZCOPS") posted the following statement on their website under the heading, “Clean Sweep in Oro Valley.”

“Realizing that we could be litigating against the Town for years, AZCOPS and the Oro Valley POA decided to replace the city council in the next election. This is a fundamental AZCOPS principle, we first try to work with you, if you refuse, we will take you out. Now that we have cleaned house in the Oro Valley town council, the next victims of the AZCOPS ‘broom’ will be the Town Manager and City Attorney.”

Cards on the table. AZCOPS is the parent organization of the OVPOA. The carefully chosen words and phrases of their statement reek of union politics and thug-speak.

Was Garner wrong?

(2) Additionally, we’ve all repeatedly seen how the OVPD endorses certain candidates for council and that those candidates, if elected, consistently vote for everything that the OVPD wants. Wouldn’t this indicate that the motive of the OVPD in endorsing certain candidates is to make certain that its interests go unchecked?  In fact, that is exactly what this blog posted March 3 regarding the OVPD playbook.

Was Garner wrong?

(3) There was a brief time when the OVPD reported to the Town Manager rather than to the Town Council. David Andrews was the Town Manager during that time. As such, he was the only Town Manager to oversee the police budget and, big surprise, he was targeted by the police union. In September 2009, the police union began a smear campaign against Andrews who was forced to resign on September 23, 2009. You can read all about it here: URGENT! Oro Valley Council May Bow to Police Union Demands to Fire Our Town Manager, David Andrews…and here: Why and How Loomis wanted David Andrews Removed as Oro Valley Town Manager, Part 2.

Was Garner wrong?

I don't think so.

What do you think?
---
Diane Peters has lived in Oro Valley since 2003, moving here to escape the humidity of the East Coast.  Combining her love of animals and writing, she wrote her first protest letter at the age of 12 to the Canadian Prime Minister in support of ending the annual baby harp seal hunt.  Years later, she flew by helicopter to the ice floes off the coast of Newfoundland where she was able to pet baby harp seals recently born on the frozen tundra.  Her other interests include reading, nature photography, traveling to National Parks, Native American history, art galleries, museums, and following politics.  In her past life, she worked in medical research at various University Hospitals in New England, including coordinating Oncology Clinical Trials and preparing manuscripts for publication in medical journals.  Her husband is an Army veteran who served in Germany and South Korea.  A former hippie, he attended the 1969 Woodstock Festival in Upstate New York.

Greene, Rodman, Solomon Launch Disgusting Attack on Garner

Candidates Greene, Solomon, and Rodman introduce a new low to Oro Valley elections
Today's mail included an 8.5 x 11 inch glossy mailer that was paid for by the campaigns of council candidates Harry Greene, Steve Solomon, and Bill Rodman. It features Ret. Oro Valley Police Chief  Daniel Sharp.

Sharp says Garner is a threat to public safety
Sharp asserts that "Bill Garner's candidacy... is a threat to a very successful approach" to Oro Valley public safety...when on council he practiced 'wedge politics', creating conflict.."

Sharp states that Garner has "...continued to work behind the scenes to undermine the Department."  He concludes that "A vote for Bill Garner is a vote against public safety."

Saying something does not make it so
Sharp makes these outrageous assertions without providing one example.

In addition, Sharp fails to mention that in 2009 while on council, Garner and Oro Valley resident John Musolf worked with Sharp to save 8 police officer positions in the budget. Garner worked for public safety. Not against it! Their work resulted in a 7-0 police budget approval by council. (source)

Sharp's image on mailer fraudulent
The picture of Sharp in the mailer conveys the impression that Sharp is still in charge of the department and that, therefore, he represents the views of the department. It's a picture that was posted on a website in October, while he was Chief of Police. He is wearing his Chief's uniform. The badge on the uniform includes the town logo.  Sharp's signature on the mailer puts the word "Ret" after OVPD Chief of Police. Most people won't even see that.

The Oro Valley Police Department does not support this attack
We asked Oro Valley Police Chief Kara Riley if the  Department was associated in any way with this document. Riley's reply is quoted in the panel at left. Clearly, any inference that the views of Sharp reflect the views of the Department are false.

Council candidate Bill Garner rebuts Sharp's accusation
"Frankly, I was stunned by the political mailer. My campaign has had nothing but positive messaging and support towards public safety. I did not oppose the community policing model nor was it cut or modified while I served on council. I actually advocated for retaining police officers when the former chief removed them from a recommended budget in 2009.

Oro Valley has turned a new chapter in our police department leadership. I’ve met with Chief Riley and have nothing but respect for the manner in which she is running the department. I look forward to working with her."

The repulsive three
We always thought Council Member Solomon capable of low behavior. After all, he led an attempt to recall Mayor Winfield and Vice Mayor Barrett. He's ranted and raved at council meetings. He told one person at a council meeting that they should leave Oro Valley if they don't like it here.

But we never thought that Rodman or Greene would allow their campaigns to participate in something so repulsive. Nor did we ever imagine that a former police chief would allow himself to be used.

Why would anyone want Harry Greene, Steve Solomon, or Bill Rodman on council? 
They have introduced Oro Valley to the depths of depravity with this behavior.

Imagine what they will do to council.
--

Winfield and Barrett To Vote '2 and Only 2': Garner and Bohen

Statement of Mayor Joe Winfield
Oro Valley Mayor Joe Winfield issued a statement that was published in the Explorer today.  Winfield is voting for '2 and only 2' in this election. The two are Bill Garner and Tim Bohen.

The following is the text of his statement:

"I had not intended to endorse candidates in the Council's primary election. However, I cannot reman silent while the two best candidates are maligned in costly attacks and mailers.

I will vote for Tim Bohen and Bill Garner in the Town Council primary election. I believe these gentlemen will always place residents first through fiscal responsibility, supporting public safety and defending the General Plan.

Please join me in voting for Bill Garner and Tim Bohen!"

Statement of Vice Mayor Barrett
In an email sent to the Explorer, Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett issued the following statement in support of Garner and Bohen.

"The non-partisan Town election is often decided in the Primary. This year the primary is on August 4th. I plan to vote for two individuals in the Primary election: Tim Bohen and Bill Garner."

Her message continues: "Both Bill Garner and Tim Bohen have committed not to accept large donations from special interests and developers, and will be focused on meeting the needs of our residents. They will seek citizen input, keep Oro Valley safe and financially secure, and honor our voter approved General Plan.

I would like to invite my fellow residents to join me in voting for Bill Garner and Tim Bohen on August 4th."
---

John Musolf Refutes Terry Parish's Ignorant Comments

The title is mine. The rest of this posting is from John Musolf. John does not need me, (or anyone else) to refute Parish. John is more than adept in doing that. Please take the time to read the following.

Art
************************************************************************************

To: Art Segal

From: John Musolf (a.k.a. JM)

Subject: Terry Parish’s LOVE blog comments

I feel I must respond to some of Terry Parish’s innuendo and suppositions he made on the LOVE Blog.

I hope you will publish this letter.

Terry Parish Comments:

Bill Garner seems to be making a liar out of himself. He claims that he is not going to micromanage the department heads but he is presenting an alternative budget tat no one but JM has seen mmmm wonder who the the brains behind this operation belong to.

April 22, 2009 3:50 PM

Could it be that JM runs Latas and Garner. I think Latas is smater than that. Maybe I'm wrong we'll see.

April 22, 2009 3:52 PM

Terry Parish needs to check his facts a little closer prior to calling Bill Garner a liar. Perhaps, Mr. Parish was never taught courtesy and civility.

He also implied that JM (that’s me) is running councilpersons Garner and Latas. I am not sure how councilperson Latas got into Mr. Parish’s sights. Maybe anyone that expresses any support for Mr. Garner is considered some type of conspirator. Looks like Paranoia is on the loose and running amuck in Oro Valley!

The Facts.

JM received a telephone call from Chief Danny Sharp on Friday, April 3, 2009. Chief Sharp asked JM if he would come in for a meeting on the police budget and share his thoughts. JM did have a meeting with Chief Sharp, the deputy chief, and his administrative services manager on Monday, April 6, 2009 at 100PM in the police building. JM did share the same thoughts with the police on the same alternative budget that Bill Garner presented in his slide show at the April 22, 2009 meeting.

Mmmm, wonder if JM is the brains behind the alternative budgets (Plans A and B) that Chief Sharp presented to the council on April 13, 2009 prior to April 22, 2009? Those JM brains sure get around! Sounds like a conspiracy of major proportions! Terry Parish may now want to call Chief Sharp a liar.

Terry Parish Comments:

A citizen with quite a reputation as an accountant. However as tonights presentation made clear not a all knowledgeable about law enforcement or how the town has chosen to define expenses.

He was identified in the meeting tonight. He is a nice well meaning individual but just not adept at figuring out what can be outsourced legally or cut from a police dept.

The presentation was actually pretty benign with disclaimers all over looked more like Garner was looking for a political blanket claiming to want to suddenly save jobs when he has consistently pressed to eliminate them immediately.

April 22, 2009 8:53 PM

Mr. Parish feels that if someone does not have extensive law enforcement knowledge he is not qualified to be able to comment on the police budget items.

To quote Chief Sharp in his council communications of April 13, 2009 defining items in his budget:

“Field Supplies are things like batteries.”

“Non-capitalized equipment is items like cameras, small hand tools, and air conditioning units”.

“Miscellaneous other operating items are things like public relation items, break room supplies, bottled water, and towing charges for non-police vehicles."

What in-depth law enforcement knowledge does JM require to discuss batteries and bottled water budget items? I didn’t know those items require special police expertise that evidently Chief Sharp has and JM does not.

However, I will match 45+ years expertise in making,

reviewing, and auditing budgets.

Mr. Parish has stated that I am not adept at being able to figure out what can be legally outsourced from a police budget. In my discussions with Chief Sharp and Bill Garner’s slide presentation there is never any reference to outsourcing anything from the police department. What is Mr. Parish referring to? Maybe he has some special insight the rest of us do not have?

However, I do want to thank Mr. Parish for the compliment that “JM is a nice well meaning individual”. Compliments are always graciously accepted.

Incidentally, before anyone discussed any revisions to any budgets I appeared at a regular town council meeting in March 2009. One of the agenda items was a proposed Reduction In Force or layoff of town personnel possibly including police department personnel. At that meeting, for the dramatic effect of the home audience, I threw a copy of the Vista magazine to the floor and suggested the Vista elimination to potentially save jobs. I do not think there are any “sacred cows” in any department that cannot at least be discussed for potential savings.

Mr. Parish may have missed that meeting since he usually only steps forward to defend his favorite “sacred cow” (the police department) when it is threatened.

I have also evaluated other major Oro Valley department budgets and stand ready to assist in looking for savings in those areas (parks, building safety, etc). I am waiting for a phone call or email.

Thanks

John Musolf

Oro Valley Resident Finds Fault With Council Members Latas & Garner

In his letter to The Explorer, OV resident Keith Smith takes Salette Latas & Bill Garner to task for there extra efforts on behalf of the citizens.

In Salette's case, it about her attempt to try and help the pet owners.

In Bill's case, Mr. Smith evidently is not happy that Bill, along with John Musolf were able to trim the Oro Valley budget deficit.

Oh well!

Following is Mr. Smith's letter as published in the May 27 Explorer
***************************************************************************************
OV deserves better from the elected

There is an underground campaign being fought in Oro Valley, and council members Latas' and Garner's behind-the-scene efforts are causing a shadow effect on Oro Valley's policies and practice.

Latas has been taking private polls and using them to form justification for her crusade to bring animal control services from the county to Oro Valley. Garner is being lauded for his use of Oro Valley citizen John Musolf to do a line by line audit of OVPD's 2009 budget.

Why would Garner and Musolf together target just OVPD's budget? Why does Garner need the notably congenial and obsequious Musolf when Town Manager Andrews spent 17 years in the Oro Valley Finance Department? Doesn't Oro Valley already employ competent accountants to do the work that Musolf is doing for Garner and, by default, us?

In my recent contact with Latas, she told me she has found some support from residents to make the town the official body to license and register pets. Ms. Latas believes there are some 8,500 unlicensed dogs in Oro Valley, and by relieving the county of the burden of collecting the fees for licensing, Oro Valley could stand to gain that revenue.

Of course what Ms. Latas would not tell me in any of her e-mails was how she intends to accomplish the 100 percent compliance, the cost of boarding any strays, the cost of veterinary care (by their definition, strays are an unknown quantity possibly infected with anything from rabies to parvovirus to valley fever), nor the cost for the new bureaucracy.

Ms. Latas has determined that she has the support required to move ahead by polling only those individuals she deems worthy to forward her petition. Not very scientific, and if it lends itself to Oro Valley policy making, not a sound investment either. While the goal of alleviating even one suffering animal is altruistic, the method is pollyannish and duplicative.

The development of incomplete polling data to form policy initiatives, and the practice of using unelected, unaccountable accountants to decide our budget, is inconsistent with sound governance.

Oro Valley deserves better from our elected representatives. We deserve honesty, accountability, integrity, and excellence … hmmm, sounds a lot like our police department. Maybe our council members should look across the parking lot for an example.

Sincerely,

Keith G. Smith,Oro Valley

Guest View- John Musolf: Election Shenanigans By Mayor Hirmath Favor Steve "The Trashman" Solomon

At the March 7, 2012 Regular Town Council Meeting about 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the video, Councilwoman Mary Snider made a Council Report alerting the public that a celebration of the Town Transit Coyote Run and Regional Transit Authority Intergovernmental Agreement would be held at Fry’s on Lambert and La Canada on March 9, 2012.

Mayor Satish Hiremath took this opportunity to comment that signs stating that Councilman Steve Solomon tried to “Kill Coyote Run” were totally incorrect. Mr. Solomon tried to save the transit operation.

Really Mr. Mayor! Let’s look at the written facts.

Prior to a Town Study Session on February 23, 2011 study, Transit Services Administrator Aimee Ramsey was asked to review the Transit Operations budget options for FY2011/2012. 

Staff was asked to bring forward service options for the FY 2011/12 budget. The options proposed are:

• Option A - No change

• Option B - Keep operating Sun Shuttle and Eliminate Coyote Run

• Option C - Eliminate Coyote Run and the RTA will subcontract the Sun Shuttle operation

• Option D - Negotiate with the RTA to give more financial support to Coyote Run

• Option E - Further reduce Coyote Run and Operate Sun Shuttle.

Councilman Solomon was present at that meeting.

At the April 20, 2011 Regular Town Council Meeting, Item 3, there was a discussion and possible action regarding disposition of the development and infrastructure services department transit services division.

A motion was made by Council Member Waters and seconded by Council Member Hornat to direct staff to move forward with Option C (Eliminate Coyote Run) as discussed on February 23, 2011 and begin the processes necessary to discontinue the Transit Services Division.

Council Member Garner stated that he would vote against the motion.

Council Member Solomon asked Council Member Garner how the Council was going to cut money out of the budget if he was going to vote against cost reductions.

                   

Motion carried 6-1 with Councilman Solomon supporting elimination of Coyote Run and Council Member Garner opposed.

Mr. Mayor!!!!! Sounds to me like Councilman Solomon initially voted to “Kill Coyote Run”!

The June 1, 2011 Regular Town Council Meeting, Item 2 was a required public meeting to approve Resolution 11-37 authorizing and approving the elimination of the town of Oro Valley development and infrastructure services department transit services Coyote Run Service.

Over 100 citizens packed the meeting including many ADA (disabled) riders. There was a huge outcry against elimination of Coyote Run. 

A surprise motion was made by Council Member Garner and seconded by Councilmember Gillaspie to maintain Coyote Run service as is and to direct the funding to come from the Bed Tax fund for FY2011/2012.

At this point, Council Member Solomon flipped and said that Coyote Run should be funded for an additional year to allow more time to work with the RTA on integrating the transportation services.

Mayor Hiremath (also a Vice-president of RTA and Chairman of the RTA Transit Working Group)) was the only vote against using the Bed Tax. BIAS? Mayor Hiremath subsequently appointed a sub-committee of two councilmen, Steve Solomon and Lou Waters, to identify Coyote Run alternatives. This information was never immediately made public until a Town Council Special Session on June 29, 2011. Ever wonder how Solomon and Waters were chosen for the sub-committee? Let’s look at the next Regular Town Council Meeting on June 15, 2011 and Special Session Council Meeting on June 28, 2011.

At the Regular Council Town Council Meeting June 15, 2011, Item 6, Councilmember Solomon had requested that the vote on the Coyote Run service be returned to the Council agenda for reconsideration and Council Member Waters had seconded this request.

Council Member Garner felt that reconsideration of Coyote Run equated to going back to square one.  He stated that a safety net was in place and funding was identified to continue the beta testing for the betterment of the services to the citizens.

A motion was made by Council Member Solomon and seconded by Councilmember Waters for reconsideration of the June 1, 2011 denial of Resolution No. (R)11-37 authorizing and approving the elimination of the Town of Oro Valley Development and Infrastructure Services Department Transit Services Division Coyote Run Service.

The motion carried, 5-2 with Council Member Garner and Council Member Gillaspie opposed.

At a June 29, 2011 Special Session Town Council Meeting, Item 3, there was a discussion and possible action regarding the formation of a Council work group for the examination of the Coyote Run transit system.

Solomon had made a motion on June 15, 2011 to reconsider the June 1, 2011 denial of Resolution No. (R)11-37 and was seconded by Council Member Waters. Now we know why these two councilmen were appointed by Mayor Satish Hiremath to the sub-committee. Now we know how our town council really works behind closed doors.

A motion was made by Mayor Hiremath and seconded by Council Member Hornat to appoint Council Member Waters and Council Member Solomon to the sub-committee to work on the examination of the Coyote Transit System. 

Council Member Garner asked if it would be prudent to have Council Member Gillaspie present before the vote.

Council Member Solomon called the question.

MOTION carried, 4-1 with Council Member Garner opposed.

Guest View-Diane Peters: Who's Really To Blame For Oro Valley's High Density Developments?

Many Oro Valley residents have stated their displeasure with all the high density developments that have been approved since Mayor Hiremath and Councilmembers Hornat, Snider, and Waters took office in 2010. The three new apartment complexes on Oracle Road have been most frequently cited.

In response, someone, has attempted to take the onus off the Majority-4 by claiming, in a published letter entitled "Laughable Presentation,that all three apartment complexes on Oracle Road were approved by a unanimous vote. The writer specifically named Councilmembers Burns, Garner, and Zinkin as partaking in those unanimous votes.

The writer was wrong.

• All votes were not unanimous. 
• Zinkin and Burns were not on council when these approvals occured. 
• Garner voted against two of the three complexes.

These are the FACTS as stated in the public record:

Encantada at Steam Pump ~ 270 apartments:
This rezoning was approved in April 2011. Mike Zinkin and Brendan Burns were not on council. They took office on June 6, 2012, so how could they have voted to approve a rezoning that took place in 2011? The Conceptual and Architecture Plans for this project were approved in May 2012, but it would still be another month before Burns and Zinkin would take office.

El Corredor at Oracle and Linda Vista ~220 apartments:
This one required a Major General Plan Amendment to convert 13 acres to high density residential. That vote took place in December 2011. Zinkin and Burns were not on council and Bill Garner voted against it. When the high density rezoning for this project was approved in May 2012, Zinkin and Burns were still one month shy of having any voting powers on the town council.

Villas at San Dorado ~ 274 apartments:
This rezoning was approved in April 2012. That’s right… Zinkin and Burns were still not on council and Bill Garner was absent that night. Yet the writer claimed that all three of them voted to approve it! When the Conceptual Site Plan was approved in November 2012, Zinkin and Garner were opposed.

Then council member, now current council candidate, Steve Solomon voted to approve all of these:

• Encantada: Solomon approved the rezoning, the Conceptual Site Plan, and the Architecture Plan.
• El Corredor: Solomon approved the Major General Plan Amendment and the rezoning that followed.
• Villas at San Dorado: Solomon approved the rezoning. He lost his bid for re-election the following month.

If you want to protect what’s left of our scenic views, and you want YOUR VOICE to continue to be heard, please join me in re-electing Brendan Burns, Bill Garner, and Mike Zinkin to the Oro Valley Town Council.

Diane Peters
Oro Valley Resident

Five Things To Keep In Mind When You Vote Tomorrow

Our fact check sets the record straight

Three things happened since we posted our "Election Primer" on July 14.  First, things got nasty in the form of expensive post cards containing outrageous accusations that were mailed by Greene, Rodman and Solomon. Second, because things got nasty, Mayor Winfield, Vice Mayor Barrett and Council Member Jones-Ivey endorsed Bohen and Garner. Third, last week we finally got the truth on developer campaign financing of Greene, Rodman and Solomon.

So, as you vote, do think about these things and more...

All candidates support public safety

There are two issues that are always lightning rods in Oro Valley elections. One is support of public safety. 

In every election since 2010, one set of candidates accusing the other set of "not supporting public safety." This year  Candidates Greene, Rodman and Solomon did just that is an expensive (60 cents per) glossy 6x11 post card. 

We've fact checked the accusation. All candidates support public safety. In fact, Candidate Garner did the hard work in 2008 of saving police positions.

First responder and school support has nothing to do with the Oro Valley Town Council

That same flyer accused "the other guys" of not supporting first responders or education. Where did that come from? First responders are not part of Oro Valley operations. They are a separate taxing district. Schools are not part of Oro Valley operations. They are also a separate taxing district. These things have nothing to do with the Oro Valley Town Council.

No candidate is encouraging policies that will likely lead to a property tax

The other lightning rod is an Oro Valley property tax.  An Oro Valley property tax is antithetical to the founding of Oro Valley. Oro Valley was founded on the basis that it would not have a property tax. Not having an Oro Valley property tax is in our DNA.  It is simply in not an issue.  The council can not mandate a property tax. Only the voters can do so.

According to candidate Bill Garner, speaking on a Jim Horn Oro Valley Podcast: "We should never be at that point [of needing a property tax] providing that you elect candidates that are stewards of your money. I have always been a fiscal steward of taxpayer money."

The campaigns of Greene, Rodman and Solomon are financed by the special interest developer community

Last week, we confirmed our earlier observations based on the Rodman and Solomon campaign funding of their 2016 campaign. As they did then, developer money has flooded Oro Valley politics.  All the usual characters are back - HSL, Realtors of Southern Arizona, Town West Real Estate, The Kai Family, Beztak (Sam Beznos) and Heritage Homes- to the the tune of $35,000. Solomon and Rodman alone received 75% of their campaign funds from them.  See our posting last week to learn more.

Garner and Bohen are endorsed by Mayor Winfield, Vice Mayor Barrett, and Council Member Jones-Ivey

Mayor Winfield, Vice Mayor Barrett and Council Member Jones-Ivey were silent at first regarding which candidates they would prefer to be on council. That changed once the expensive post cards containing outrageous accusations were mailed to homes. They have endorsed Garner and Bohen for council. That is an endorsement of the people with whom they will work for at least the next two years. See our posting of July 15 on the endorsement of Winfield and Barrett.  See our posting of July 22 with quotes from Barrett and Jones-Ivey.

---

Despicable Him: Hornat Plays Politics With Steam Pump Ranch Funds

The gloves are off in the Oro Valley town council. The embarrassment continues (see our Monday post). This time it was about the 2016 budget and funding for Steam Pump Ranch.

Council Member Joe Hornat played politics with 2016 proposed spending on Steam Pump Ranch at the June 3 council meeting. He did it in an attempt to get at least one member of minority to vote for the Oro Valley record budget.

Hornat said this at the conclusion of a 3 minute speech on why he ignores things he'd like to see changed in the budget.

Hornat: We'll spend on Steam Pump if you'll vote for the budget

Council Member Hornat recommended approval of the budget if there were removal of the $425,000 planned expenditure for Steam Pump Ranch.

"In the interest of cooperation, if I can secure a better than 4-3 vote on the budget, I'll gladly entertain a friendly amendment to ... put it back in there."

In his remarks, delivered in shaky voice, Hornat said that he feels that the budget is a reasonable compromise even though there are some items on the budget to which he  does not agree.

According to Hornat "A no vote is a vote against the quality of life in Oro Valley... You need to look at the greater picture."

Council Member Snider (watch) voiced her support of the budget because town council sets policy; not budgets and whaterver town staff says is good enough for her.

Mayor Hiremath (watch) said that he felt that those who vote for the budget should get all the credit for its success.

Vice Mayor Waters, as usual, said nothing. He did vote 'yes.'

Council Member Burns told Hornat that Burns would vote for the budget if Hornat would agree to defund the golf course!

Garner: Hornat's attempt to defund Steam Pump Ranch is unconscionable

Council Member Garner did not let Hornat's threat pass.

Addressing the audience Garner observed: "You folks are witnessing politics at their finest, " Garner started.

"Steam Pump is going to fall in disrepair. To sit there and let a project lose $425,000 worth of funding over politics is completely ridiculous for a vote."

Garner then went on to explain why he was going to vote 'no' on the budget. "Yes. I am going to vote 'no' on the budget. I am consistent in voting 'no'. I will continue to vote 'no' on this budget ... There are efficiencies that we find in this budget and we refuse to do it. Now that we have this community/golf course we need to find even more efficiencies because we are going to be in really bad shape."

"I am not supporting the budget, Joe, and I think that it is absolutely unconscionable to think you would take $425,000 out of the town manager's recommended budget over Steam Pump for a vote."

Was Council Member Hornat thinking of the greater good when he recommended defunding Steam Pump Ranch?