Guest View: Mike Zinkin – Where did all the money go? Part 2.

The adopted budget gives authority to the Town staff on how to spend our taxpayer money. The Town Manager (Mary Jacobs) must present a balanced budget, that is, with every dollar of expenditures, there must be a dollar of revenue. In Part 1 of “Where did all the money go?” I noted numerous areas where there was no follow-through on the spending authorizations. I have since heard back from the Town and it gets even murkier.

Golf Course Irrigation Improvements
I stated: “On page 244 of the adopted budget for FY 19/20 there is a Capital Improvement allocation for a $3,000,000 bond for golf course irrigation improvements. What happened? Was there a bond, and, if so, where are the improvements?”

The Town’s response: “There were not any bonds issued.”

Again, where did Jacobs get the authorization not to comply with the Council’s policy?

I stated: “On page 227 of the adopted budget for FY 20/21 there is a Capital Improvement allocation for $1,100,000 for golf course irrigation improvements. What happened? Where are the improvements?”

The Town’s response: “Town Manager Mary Jacobs provided this information to you in October 2020. The Town did not do the golf course irrigation but proceeded with the design, though construction documents and the remaining funds stayed in reserves.”

Where did the authorization come to disregard the Council direction and proceed with the alternative? The money was there in the balanced budget, but Jacobs did not follow through on $4.1 million dollars of authorized expenditures.

When challenged, Jacobs tells me:
“Town received one bid for the first irrigation project on the El Conquistador 18-hole course from an Illinois firm in the amount of $3.7+M. This extremely high cost and lack of bidders has resulted in my decision to postpone the irrigation replacement for this summer. Our Chief Procurement Officer will be reaching out to prospective bidders to find out the optimal time to rebid the project with greater lead time for a bidder to plan, in hopes of a more competitive bid. Increasing construction costs are concerning for other future Town capital projects and will be monitored closely."

There was $4.1 million authorized, and she states that the bid came in at $3.7 million. In other words, the money was there.

Jacobs admits it was her decision to postpone the authorized spending. If she is going to disregard the spending policy set by the Council, she must go before Council for permission, not simply publish her decision in an Executive Report.

Town Manager’s Office Personnel
I stated: “On page 110 of the adopted budget for FY 21/22 there is a breakdown of the personnel allocated to the Town Manager’s office. In this breakdown there is no allocation for the position of CIP Director (Capital Improvement Projects). However, there was a recent Facebook posting advertising a position for a CIP Director -- a position that is not budgeted.”

Jacobs’ response: “The position for CIP Director is a temporary position and is budgeted within the CIP Funds.”

I responded by informing her that temporary or not, I still wanted to know if it was authorized. Jacobs then directed me to the Personnel Schedule found on page 109 of the FY 21/22 adopted budget. I read it and there is no authorization as she states.

However, Town Policy 6, “Unbudgeted Expenses” directs the Town Manager to go to Council for approval for any unbudgeted expenses. Was there Council approval for this unbudgeted position?

If this CIP position is temporary and budgeted within CIP Funds, does this mean that no general funds are being used? Does this position get benefits, such as health and retirement?

Is Jacobs in violation of ICMA ethics?
Tenet 6 of the International County/City Managers Association (ICMA) states: “Recognize that elected representatives are accountable to their community for the decisions they make; members are responsible for implementing those decisions.”

Who’s running the Town?
Why does the elected body allow her to get away with her arbitrary decisions? These decisions are contrary to the policies set forth by Council. If anybody voted for Mary Jacobs to run this Town, please advise me.

- - -
Mike Zinkin and his wife have lived in Oro Valley since 1998. He served on the Oro Valley Development Review Board from 2005-2009, the Board of Adjustment from 2011-2012, and the Town Council from 2012-2016. He was named a Fellow for the National League of Cities. He was a member of the NLC Steering Committee for Community and Economic Development and a member of the Arizona League of Cities Budget and Economic Development Committee. He was an Air Traffic Controller for 30 years. Mike has a Bachelor’s degree in history and government from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education from California State University, Northridge.

Guest View: Mike Zinkin ~ Who’s running the town?

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, we have all been witness to what happens when responsibility without direction is left up to subordinate levels of government. Is Oro Valley any different?

Below are some quotes from both local and national media
April 14, 2020 – the Washington Post: "Local governments generally cannot run deficits, unlike the nation’s capital, leaving them no choice but to slash spending or raise taxes.”

April 16, 2020 – the Arizona Star: “City workers could face furloughs and layoffs as Tucson deals with steep, unexpected revenue losses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, City Manager Michael Ortega says.”

April 16, 2020 – KGUN TV:  “In a memo Wednesday, County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said retail sales in the county are down almost a third this quarter. He says restaurants, bars and hotels are down 70%. Huckelberry says it's likely [that] all state-shared revenues will be down about $11 million, so he's asking all departments to prepare for a 5% cut if economic conditions continue to deteriorate."

The Town has not furloughed or laid off any employees
Does Oro Valley think things will be different here? In a recent communication from the Town Manager, I was informed that the Town has not furloughed or laid off any employees despite the closure of the Community Center and the Overlook Restaurant.

The Town’s Pandemic Leave Policy explains employee entitlements, however, unlike businesses small and large, there is NO money coming to the Town of Oro Valley from the Federal government. This is an unfunded mandate. Additionally, there is nothing in the Town’s Pandemic Leave Policy that precludes reducing the workforce.

Although this is a difficult thing to do (and I am certain I will be chastised by some for mentioning it) Oro Valley has no choice.

Per information obtained in a Public Records Request, as of 7/1/19, there were 13.18 full time equivalent employees (FTE’s) at the Overlook and 73.73 FTE’s employed at the Community Center.

We are just starting to get a look at the February financials in mid-April. However, this financial report will not reflect the economic conditions that we have experienced since February. We won’t see the April financials until June.

Due to the pandemic and resulting economic downturn, sales tax, bed tax, HURF revenues, and State shared revenues are all going to be well below forecast. Therefore, we have no alternative but to reduce our expenditures.

The Town Manager is in charge of the Town’s staffing. As such, she is in a difficult position. On one hand, she needs her staff to know that she is there for them and will do all she can for them. On the other hand, she is responsible to the Council and must show fiscal responsibility, especially during times like this. That is why the Council must take the decision out of her hands and do what is right for the Town of Oro Valley.

...
Mike and his wife have lived in Oro Valley since 1998. He served on the Oro Valley Development Review Board from 2005-2009, the Board of Adjustment from 2011-2012, and the Town Council from 2012-2016. He was named a Fellow for the National League of Cities, a member of the NLC Steering Committee for Community and Economic Development, and a member of the Arizona League of Cities Budget and Economic Development Committee. He was an Air Traffic Controller for 30 years. Mike has a Bachelor’s degree in history and government from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education from California State University, Northridge.

The Watchdog Report: February 2020, The Best Yet. However…

The financials are in for February 2020 and they are the best yet. The Community Center Fund (CCF), with both the contracted (Troon) and Town-sponsored facilities actually made a profit of $2,035. The balance of the CCF through Feb. 2020 is $332,266 which is $34,858 above the forecast.

The total membership of the golf “club” was 262 which was unchanged from January but was 22 more than in February 2019. The total number of non-member rounds was 4,673 which totaled 1,256 more than the same time last year.

The Overlook was budgeted to lose $1,416 in February but actual losses were $5,034. However, this is still much better than last February when they lost $10,871. However, the total Overlook losses so far this fiscal year (July 2019 through February 2020) were $89,185 which is $17,400 more than the forecasted amount of $71,785. The Overlook is currently closed, and, hopefully, will not re-open. The Town is forecasting a CCF surplus over $400,000. Why don’t we use that money to make the Community Center ADA compliant? In fact, of the budgeted $106,500 set aside for capital outlay, only $26,697 has been spent. With the building closed and nobody walking around, this would be a great time to make the facility ADA compliant.

Why do I say, however?
With all this great news, why do I use the word “however” in the title? It’s not because I see the glass as half empty. I say “however” because of the current pandemic.

As of February 2020 ,your sales tax subsidy to the CCF is 3.3% above forecast ($1,728,698). However, according to the recent Financial Report to the Council:

“Due to the impacts from Covid-19, current year end estimates have been revised down $2.3 million from January’s estimate.”

The report goes on to say:

“It is important to note that due to the timing of sales taxes received, forecasted declines may not be seen until as late as May 2020.”

As previously stated in my April 20th Guest View, “Who’s running the Town?” a communication I received from the Town on 7/1/19, stated that there were 13.18 full-time equivalent employees (FTE) at the Overlook (which is now closed). The entire Community Center (which is now closed) employed 73.73 FTE’s. Despite these closures, the town has not furloughed or laid off any employees.

The Town Manager advises us about a future with reduced revenues. Due to the pandemic, Sales Tax, Bed Tax, State Shared Revenues are all going to be less than forecasted in FY 2019/20. It’s time to look at our expenditures and start reducing them. One of the reasons that we elected the “new Council” is because we were looking for fiscal responsibility.
…
Mike and his wife have lived in Oro Valley since 1998. He served on the Oro Valley Development Review Board from 2005-2009, the Board of Adjustment from 2011-2012, and the Town Council from 2012-2016. He was named a Fellow for the National League of Cities. He was a member of the NLC Steering Committee for Community and Economic Development and a member of the Arizona League of Cities Budget and Economic Development Committee. He was an Air Traffic Controller for 30 years. Mike has a Bachelor’s degree in history and government from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education from California State University, Northridge.

Guest View ~ Diane Peters: Standing up to Council Member Steve Solomon

Today’s Guest View is part of the series that LOVE is running this week regarding the speeches that were given by Oro Valley residents during the Public Hearing on the Town Center PAD zoning amendment.

Today, we are running a Guest View to make our readers aware of how these residents were treated disrespectfully by Council Member Steve Solomon. Below is the speech that Diane Peters gave during the Call to Audience at the March 20th Town Council meeting in which she called Solomon out for his rude behavior.
---
My Call to Audience Speech
I’d like to discuss something that transpired at the last council meeting on March 20. There is one council member who has a pattern of talking down to and ridiculing citizens and even other council members. It happened again that night after the Public Hearing on the Town Centre PAD. For those who don’t know where this is, it’s the land just south of the CVS Plaza with the scenic views of rolling hills and the Catalina Mountains.

The applicant requested 82 mass graded clustered residential lots on average lot sizes of just 6000-7000 square feet, cutting into the hillsides, and building an 8 foot high wall along Oracle Road which would obstruct the views of the mountains and the rolling hills.

12 citizens spoke during the Public Hearing and 67% of them were adamantly against this proposal. Among other things, they cited how this is the most scenic corridor in Oro Valley and it’s not being planned well at all. They cited the additional traffic that would be added to the already congested Oracle Road, the 8 foot high wall obstructing our scenic view of the mountains, and the questionable reputation of the builder.

Then, in his usual condescending tone, this council member chastised the speakers who were AGAINST the proposal. He stated that the engineering firm has “well over $100,000 invested in engineering plans and designs” and that it’s easy for residents who aren’t spending this money to complain about these plans.

He then went on to ridicule residents for having the audacity to offer alternatives and for believing that we can do better. To this, he responded, “You haven’t been working on the design for a year. You’re not the professionals. I could make suggestions on this that I think would be better, but it’s not my property.”

So apparently, we're not allowed to offer suggestions if we're not the professionals and we're not allowed to offer suggestions if it's not our property. So just what is the purpose of the Public Hearings?…The Planning and Zoning Hearings?…The Neighborhood Meetings?

Perhaps this council member needs to familiarize himself with the General Plan. Chapter 5 discusses DEVELOPMENT. And it states that “new residential and commercial development will be accomplished with ABUNDANT INPUT FROM RESIDENTS.”

Regarding Oro Valley’s VISION, the General Plan states:
• Preserve the scenic beauty and environment…our desert and mountain views.
• Protect Scenic Corridors…and the distinctive visual character and visual appeal of Oro Valley.

That is exactly what those residents were fighting for that night. And yet, after listening to the well-researched arguments of the residents, this council member, who ran for Town Council on a platform of CIVILITY, responded once again with disrespect and ridicule.

We’re adults, taxpayers, veterans, parents and grandparents. Collectively, we have a wealth of knowledge and life experiences and, as such, we should be treated with respect by our elected officials.

That council member is Steve Solomon.

Solomon’s feeble response
When I finished my speech, Solomon, who usually prattles on at great length whenever he is convinced that he is right about something, barely offered any retort at all and appeared uneasy while doing so.

Solomon: “What she said was totally…(he was interrupted by the Town Attorney, but was allowed to finish his response a moment later)…Her statements are not true, inaccurate, and one-sided.”

Let’s fact-check that, shall we?
Below is the portion of Solomon’s speech at the March 6th meeting that I referenced in my speech during the Call to Audience.

“This is not a design that was put together in the last 5 minutes. People seem to forget they’ve been working on this for probably a year and probably have well over $100,000 invested in engineering plans and designs so it’s easy for somebody who’s not spending the money to sit up there, for example, one individual said, ‘Why don't they do that?’

Do you know how complicated it is to make a design with grading and hydrology and view corridors and streets and sewers and water lines? You know, it’s not fair to…say, “Let’s change it” or the generic comment, “We can do better.” Really? You haven’t been working on the design for a year. You’re not the professionals….I could make suggestions on this that I think would be better, but it’s not my property.”

---
Tomorrow, LOVE will publish the speech given by Oro Valley resident, Bill Gardner, during the March 6th Public Hearing on the Town Centre PAD.
---
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, Citizen Advocates of the Oro Valley General Plan, who over a 9-month period, 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.

Guest View-Diane Peters: Why is Ryan Hartung being targeted the most in the recall election?

Hartung is their biggest target
I find it interesting that council candidate Ryan Hartung is the biggest target of the M-4 and their supporters.

 He's clearly the one they find the most threatening.
An Eagle Scout who’s active in his church. A nice respectful guy with a Ph.D. Wouldn’t that only be scary to people who aren't very nice, aren't respectful, and perhaps aren't all that bright?

Remember also that Hartung is running against Joe Hornat. Of the Majority-4, Hornat received the least amount of votes in both the 2010 General Election and 2014 re-election. Perhaps the incumbents fear that Hornat will be the easiest one to beat and this has led to the all-out attacks we’ve seen on Ryan Hartung. Rumor also has it that Hartung was beating Hornat in a recent telephone poll sponsored by the incumbents.

Some of the lies
1. The Community Center lie. 
One of the lies perpetuated about Hartung is that he wants to close the community center. Wrong. He said he would seek out community feedback on what to do with it, giving the citizens a voice in the matter. He said that if they can stop the golf losses, he’d be willing to keep the community center open while we build a new one. He discussed having the Hilton run one of the 18-hole courses (allowed in the contract) as a way of cutting the town’s expenses. He also believes the community center should include the items that citizens requested on the town survey, which is not currently the case.

2. The Incivility lie. 
Hartung holds firefighters and police in high regard, yet a former firefighter wrote a scathing letter about Ryan, a man he’s never met, in which he claimed, among other things, that Ryan is uncivil for labeling developers “special interests.” Let’s be honest. The M-4 do not like having their donations put under the spotlight. They know it’s a problem that in the 2014 election, 80% of their donations came from the development community.

Lacking objectivity, the person who called Hartung uncivil has no problem at all with the mayor calling certain citizens, “the whiny minority” or “elitists.” Read that again. Calling developers “special interests” is uncivil. Calling citizens “the whiny minority” and “elitists” is not.

3. The Negative Signs lie.
This same person accused Ryan of owning the “Paid for by Special Interests” signs. Wrong again. Those are not his signs. In fact, all four of the challengers have been repeatedly accused of owning the anti-M4 signs. This is blatantly false. Most of the signs have been paid for by the PAC, Accountable Government Now. Other signs have been paid for by individual citizens, myself included.

4. The Character Assassination lie. 
He also accused Ryan of lying about not knowing the man accused of “assaulting” Vice-Mayor Waters. Fact: That person was not on the list of e-mail supporters who were helping to organize the recall and Hartung had never met him. He just showed up to support the recall on the day that the petitions were being turned in. The whole story was blown out of proportion in an attempt to diminish Hartung’s character.

Keep in mind that if that person (a large man) had really “charged” at Waters as claimed, then Waters being elderly and of a slight build, would have hit the pavement. But that didn’t happen. What did happen was that Waters remained upright the entire time and even felt well enough to continue standing there taking pictures. If you were just charged at and assaulted, wouldn't you need to sit down?

5. The Challengers are anti-OVPD lie. 
The spouse of an OVPD officer stated the following in a letter to the editor: “The four members being targeted in this recall are the four standing between our law enforcement remaining intact…and it being dismantled.”

Fact: When Ryan was asked during the Sun City Candidate Forum for his opinion on having an outside efficiency study performed on the OVPD, he responded:

“People say that I and some of the other people that are running are anti-police and that’s ridiculous. I have a wife and two little girls. Would I not want this community to be the safest it possibly can?.....I would not vote for anything that would reduce the ability of our police to protect us. It’s just ludicrous to even think that that would be an issue for anybody.”

The M-4 endorsements by police and fire are hollow. Firefighters and the FOP never wanted to meet with the challengers. How do you endorse one side when you’ve never even met the other side? Public safety is just a red herring that the incumbents use as a scare tactic to get votes.
---
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. ---

NIMBY- Cops Say No... Instead-Raid The Piggy-Bank

In a letter published in the Explorer, John Musolf notes the "heavy police protection" present at the March 4 council meeting where council approved the extension of the utility tax. The tax funds "public safety" jobs.Read John's letter: Who’s running OV — police, or council, manager?

In a related letter, OV should find ways other than jobs to save money, the Fraternal Order of Police state that they "...would like to see the town look for ways to cut the budget through programs instead of people." Apparently an accountant ( :-)), the writer added: "We believe that using a very small portion of the contingency fund money and municipal operations building fund money to get through this next year, along with the attrition rate, the 33 employee positions and services they provide to this town could be saved". The writer provides no concrete analysis, using real world numbers to prove that this can be done. What the writer is saying, however, is: "Take the money from somebody else. Just leave us alone."

When it comes to budget cutting, NIMBY applies.

Difficult economic times demand difficult decisions and sacrifices by all. All, of course, except Public Safety.

Another Quid Pro Quo Waiting To Happen?

Sure! Paul Loomis has his supporters, but there are good reasons why he came in last in the recently primary.The overwhelming majority of the voters were sick & tired of Loomis and his cunning ways.

Satish is a nice man. He asked to meet with me a short time after he announced his candidacy. We had a cordial meeting. "Why," I asked, "are you running for mayor." "Two reasons," Satish responded. One was because he believed he could do a good job, and secondly, he said---not verbatim, but close enough--- We have to get Loomis out of there. He's a disaster!

Why bring this up now?

Loomis has now publicly announced his support for Hiremath. That's fine, but what many in the public do NOT know is this:

The new council will appoint a person to take the vacant seat of Salette Latas on June 2.

Paul Loomis has already lobbied for that vacant seat.

If Hiremath, Hornat & Waters get elected, joining Snider, don't you think they'll appoint "one of their own?"

Who's on that short list? Yup! Paul Loomis who we finally voted out of office.

We can NOT allow this to happen. PLEASE---Vote for MIKE ZINKIN & ONLY MATT RABB>

Our future depends on it.

For those interested, here's the Loomis letter to The Explorer.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Loomis gives support to Hiremath


Thank you, Oro Valley, for your support over the past 12 years. We have a great town, and I am thankful for the opportunities I have had to serve as your mayor.

The successful transition from my administration to the next is important for Oro Valley during these tough economic times. Dr. Satish Hiremath has demonstrated his commitment to Oro Valley for many years, and he has the experience to lead Oro Valley in the future.

Dr. Hiremath also has the support of many people who care about Oro Valley. They are committed to making Oro Valley even greater in the years to come. For these reasons, I have decided to support Satish Hiremath for mayor.

I urge all of my supporters and voters to vote for Satish Hiremath.

Mayor Paul Loomis, Oro Valley