Learn about the Oro Valley Candidates | |
|
In preparation for this month's election of the Oro Valley Town Council, your Chamber reached out to the candidates with ten questions. Our hope is to give more information so that you, as a voter, can be well educated when making a decision. If you have further questions about the candidates, you can use this link to read interviews done for Chamber member, I Love OV.
Early ballots have already been sent out by the Pima County Recorder's office. If you did not receive one, you can physically go to the polls to cast your vote or visit this link to request a primary ballot by mail. July 19th is the last day to request a ballot by mail, with the recommended deadline to mail back your ballot on July 23rd. If you previously requested a ballot by mail but have not received it, you can view the progress of your ballot by clicking here.
July 26th is the last day to vote early in-person and Election day is July 30th. Click here to view voting sites.
| For more on Pima County candidates... | Our friends at the Tucson Metro Chamber have prepared a comprehensive Candidate Evaluation for various Pima County races. Candidates completed a detailed questionnaire and participated in interviews, after which they were scored in several key areas. These interviews aimed to assess how each candidate might impact the business community. To explore detailed information about each Pima County candidate and their potential influence on local business, please view this link. (For reference, Oro Valley is in Pima County District 1.) | |
What are your priorities for the next 4 years in Oro Valley? If you're elected what changes would you affect in the next four years? | |
Elizabeth Robb: My top three priorities for Oro Valley for the next 4 years are responsible growth, fiscal responsibility, and supporting our parks and open space amenities. Oro Valley is 95% built out and we need to ensure we utilize our remaining undeveloped land responsibly, protect our water resources, and maintain our small-town feel. I agree with residents who have consistently rejected 5- and 6-story apartments and the rezoning of commercial land to accommodate high-density rental housing. It is imperative that we manage our finances responsibly. I am not in favor of seeking additional revenue sources until we have taken a hard look at where we are spending money. One area that needs consideration is the town’s golf operations, which have consumed an average of $2.5 million per year since the acquisition in 2015. This spending must be brought in line to address fiscal responsibility and to ensure that a variety of valued Parks and Recreation amenities are available to all our citizens.
_
Harry "Mo" Greene II: Many of my priorities include completing work we have already begun. I would like to see us get the Vistoso Trails Project underway. People want to see some real progress there. Getting the consultant to present us with a final plan will be important. Having the Council act on it expeditiously after that. So we can move on it. I want to see the community center and restaurant projects completed. I want to see the elevator installed so all of our citizens can enjoy the Community Center. I would like to see the Restaurant updated so people will have a reason to go there! We may need additional pickle ball courts to keep up with the exploding demand. Balancing the budget will be another goal. With revenues being challenged we need to separate the wants from the needs in our capital budget to avoid a property tax. We really need to focus on each item. We can do it but it will require commitment from the Council. I want to preserve the golf courses. They are the reason many of us chose Oro Valley as a place to live and play. Closing the courses would cost the home owners in the areas millions of dollars in fallen property values. It would discourage the thousands of visitors who vacation here to go else where. How short sighted. Over the next four years I would like for us to take a close look at all possibilities to provide and sustain our water supply. We need to look at desalination of the Pacific from the Gulf of California into the CAP water supply. Which although costing a lot in energy, it will beat dying of dehydration. I would like to see us begin to look more seriously at a railroad that would link Tucson (Oro Valley) and Phoenix and on to L.A. to include passenger cars on a regular schedule.
_
Mary Murphy: My leading priorities are fiscal sustainability, openness and transparency. Over the next four years we must learn to spend within the Town’s means--more openly listening to the community, sharing challenges and deciding priorities. We have to strengthen and grow our economy with good paying jobs and increased retail activity so we can maintain critical services such as public safety and infrastructure, all while maintaining the Town’s unique charm and natural beauty.
_
Tim Bohen: My personal priority is to elevate the financial review being provided by Council to the level our residents deserve. Despite spending more on our Finance Department every year, the information and service provided to residents is actually being scaled down. Our geographic location limits our realistic options for new revenues that exceed the associated added costs to acquire these revenues. Raising our level of financial review will be a huge undertaking. But I think it is worth every bit of effort as our current level of Council review is simply not close to being adequate. Regarding the second part of the question, it requires 4 of 7 Council members to effect a change.
| |
Do you support annexation and development of the parcel of state land known as the Tangerine 880? Why or why not? | |
Elizabeth Robb: Whether I or any council member supports an annexation should depend on the facts of the proposal and how it will affect existing Oro Valley residents and government operations. For example, relevant facts would be what type of development is proposed? Is it largely residential, mixed use? What type of residential housing is proposed and at what density? If Oro Valley supplies the water, will it be CAP water? How will providing the water affect the water rates and availability of water for existing Oro Valley residents? What impact will the development have on town services? What is the projected net financial benefit to the Town? Does the Tangerine 880 comply with our established annexation strategies regarding contiguous properties? These are all considerations that would need to be fleshed out for the residents of Oro Valley to weigh in on any council decision regarding annexation. Another consideration is the location of the Tangerine 880 relative to the current retail and businesses of Oro Valley. Aside from construction impact fees, the benefit of residential development to Oro Valley is the potential increase in sales tax revenues. The extreme western location of this property has the potential to benefit the business of Marana with sales tax revenues while the Town of Oro Valley provides the water and services at a cost to our existing residents.
_
Harry "Mo" Greene II: Absolutely! Oro Valley is close to being built out and if the benefits of annexation outweigh the costs in providing services (fire, police, infrastructure) then we should go for it.
_
Mary Murphy: I will support annexations that provide community and economic benefit to the Town and its residents and help ensure we control the town's future. The decision to annexation is much more involved than simply yes or no on some piece of property. Questions such as: what the economic benefit is if we do annex versus not, what land uses are planned, what land uses might happen if we do or don’t annex, (State land on or near our borders will eventually be sold and developed, we should have some role in the process!), what the economic impact is (positive and negative) of an annexation, etc. All this and more must be openly and comprehensively considered. Only then can we make certain that any annexations enhance the quality, character, and financial health of our town.
_
Tim Bohen: I do not support the annexation. I believe many new residents living in this area would shop in Marana and pay sales tax there. Yet, Oro Valley would need to provide all of the required services. This annexation will also significantly burden our existing road system as no new roads are being proposed. It is not clear to me that this annexation would be a net financial positive for Oro Valley over the long run. If growth is always good, and the more growth the better, why did so many of us move here from far larger places? Gross revenue is not the most important factor for financial health. It is the net of revenues minus expenses that matters more.
| |
What actions would you take to support businesses in Oro Valley? | |
Elizabeth Robb: First, as a business owner I am well aware that a business has to offer what the customer wants. Based on our current senior population, businesses should focus on needed services and amenities to be successful, such as legal services, personal care, veterinary services, and dining opportunities. What the town can do to support businesses is to consider mixed-use opportunities such as the conversion of Oro Valley Marketplace to Oro Valley Village Center. This area was recently rezoned to allow apartments and hotels in a distressed retail area to support local business. The mixed-use concept also supports Oro Valley’s vital sales tax revenue.
_
Harry "Mo" Greene II: We have a truly outstanding Chamber of Commerce and I have been a business owner in Oro Valley and I am still a member of the Chamber of Commerce…they are amazing. We should continue to support them. We should look at our permitting processes to see that it is speedy while remaining appropriate. Likewise with the inspection process and the approval process, are they optimal? We need to support the Oro Valley Marketing Team to be sure they have the tools they need for success. We must continue to cooperate with other players in the Tucson and Pima County region to attract new businesses.
_
Mary Murphy: One of my first priorities is to reach-out to and schedule both formal and informal meetings with our employers and retailers, listening and learning about what we can do to help them employ more, sell more and succeed more in our community. This is a shared responsibility between the private sector and the Town with the Town doing what it should, and needs to do to support and help local business while staying out of their way, and not doing what government should not do. We have seen repeatedly that the Arizona communities that set a high bar are the most prosperous and have the highest quality of life; there are good models we can, and should, follow.
_
Tim Bohen: Town Council needs to manage the sales tax our business's customers already pay as well as we can. Infrastructure maintenance in Oro Valley is not only a resident safety issue, this also impacts businesses that operate in our Town. By managing the Town finances well, Council can best support our businesses by keeping Oro Valley the attractive place it is which entices customers with high levels of disposable income to move here.
| |
What industries or sectors of business do you think Oro Valley should focus on developing or expanding? | |
Elizabeth Robb: With Innovation Park, Oro Valley has established itself as the bioscience and technology hub of Northwest Tucson. I would encourage and support our Economic and Community Development department to continue our relationship with the University of Arizona and to market our town as a growing technology corridor.
_
Harry "Mo" Greene II: With our demographic showing a shift toward seniors we need to continue to focus on the health care and wellness sector. We need to provide housing that is appropriate for all phases of the senior life experience from down sizing homes to places like Splendido and All Seasons where robust senior life can occur. At the end of that spectrum we must provide hospice care either at home or in facilities. The other sectors we should try to attract is the Computer area, Technical area, aerospace industry, agriculture and pharmaceutical industry.
_
Mary Murphy: As part of the business outreach discussed above, I will be meeting with our key employers, especially in the health, pharmaceutical, and high tech sectors to see how we can work together to grow their businesses and attract additional complimentary, high quality employers. This will enhance our job base, enhancing retail activity and strengthening the town budget without the need for new taxes.
_
Tim Bohen: Biotechnology and contract manufacturing are the two already successful areas which I would like to further increase in the Town.
| |
Do you think Oro Valley should grow? Why or why not? | |
Elizabeth Robb: As a 26-year resident of this community, I can attest to the fact that Oro Valley has always grown, but growth must be responsible. Any future development, rezoning, special use request, or potential annexation must be looked at in light of its impact on our water, public services, traffic, scenic views, open space, and our residents’ desire to retain our small-town feel.
_
Harry "Mo" Greene II: One of the city planners I worked with in Boston said, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying!” I think we must continue to grow intelligently and cautiously. We have limited space, and as we begin to annex we must do it thoughtfully.
_
Mary Murphy: Oro Valley must grow smarter, not simply larger. As mentioned, we must foster and encourage good jobs and a strong business community in order to maintain and enhance our quality of life.
_
Tim Bohen: Most residents I speak with think the Town is large enough already. Oro Valley sees remarkably few people that pass through our Town on their way to somewhere else. This is a stark contrast to Marana. In my view, this makes Oro Valley a great place to live. But this geographic reality limits our growth as residents need to provide almost all of the revenue.
| |
As Oro Valley is approaching buildout, how do you think we are faring and should proceed financially? | |
Elizabeth Robb: Oro Valley is a well-managed, financially stable town that should be able to maintain its fiscal health well into the future. There is a misconception that without a continual rooftop strategy that favors constant development the town will experience a fiscal cliff. The truth is that no town should rely on construction impact fees to balance its budget. Now that Oro Valley is nearing buildout, we will have to rely on retail sales tax, bed tax, and state shared revenues for our fiscal health. This will require an evaluation of our financial priorities where our community’s needs versus wants are identified.
_
Harry "Mo" Greene II: The decrease in the speed of the growth of our population means our portion of STATE Shared Revenues will diminish.
Currently, we are heavily weighted toward sales tax and shared State Revenues. With the shared revenue decreasing due to our population growing at a slower rate and decisions made at the state level…we are even more dependent on our sales tax and to a lesser extent on grants and fees. This means we need more folks to participate in retail shopping. It will mean tighter budgets in the future and more careful spending decisions for the staff and council. We want to avoid a property tax if at all possible.
_
Mary Murphy: We must focus on supporting our current businesses and encouraging new businesses to come to Oro Valley-building smarter.
_
Tim Bohen: Being near buildout is not a major factor in my view. Why? Only a small percentage of our Town revenue comes from construction sales tax. It is mainly State Shared revenues and local sales taxes paid by our residents that pay our Town bills. But State shared revenue actually declines on a per resident basis as a municipality grows. Thus, Oro Valley can't simply grow itself into prosperity. We need to manage our Town finances well instead and avoid waste. This is much easier said than done. As mentioned previously, the level of financial review produced by future Town Councils must improve significantly over the level of review I can see any Oro Valley Town Council has been providing up until now.
| |
The general plan survey identifies increased traffic as a residential concern. What, if anything, would you do about it? | |
Elizabeth Robb: Increased traffic is one of the consequences of growth. By carefully directing future growth to areas that have four and six lane roads, we can keep additional traffic on the roads already designed to handle it and out of our neighborhoods.
_
Harry "Mo" Greene II: This won’t make people happy but we need to begin to tighten up on the speed limit enforcement. When I moved here the word was “Don’t speed in Oro Valley!” That is no longer true. La Canada in front of the Police Station is like a drag race strip with people going 65 in 45 mile/hour zone. Begin a campaign to let people know that (speeding) won’t work in Oro Valley. Take a close look at public transportation. If you watch, many of the buses riding around town have 1 or 2 people riding them. Why aren’t people riding? What can we do to increase use? Are the routes optimal? How about the scheduling?
_
Mary Murphy: Infrastructure investment must be made a greater priority. We must partner with surrounding communities to maintain proper investments in transportation improvements while supporting our local police department to ensure traffic safety.
_
Tim Bohen: Traffic is the concern that increased the most since the 2016 General Plan. I fully support resident concerns in this area. Oro Valley has several poorly designed intersections such as First and Oracle, Rancho Vistoso and Tangerine and La Canada and Naranja. My view is that all proposals bringing significant new traffic need to be evaluated by traffic engineers outside of the Town. These evaluations need to include nationally accepted Level of Service measurements. In the end, I think that the Town should return to the standard set in the 2006 General Plan where level of service measurements must remain at level C or better. For some reason, this requirement was removed from the 2016 General Plan.. The result? Traffic engineers external to the Town have informed us of previously unacceptable poor levels of service (D, E and F) at critical intersections such as La Canada and Naranja.
| |
With the recent separation from Visit Tucson, how do you think Oro Valley should market itself? | |
Elizabeth Robb: Oro Valley’s Community and Economic Development department is investing in the latest technologies that will allow us to gather the appropriate data to market our unique small town for increased tourism and other opportunities. Our mild winter climate, scenic views, and abundant recreational opportunities should be at the forefront of our marketing strategy.
_
Harry "Mo" Greene II: We weren’t really getting much tangible result from “Visit Tucson”, and a decision was made to attempt to focus on our own town and apply the same amount of money to see if we could reach greater rewards from a new focus. It is too soon to know if that will work. Stay tuned!
_
Mary Murphy: Although the decision was made to separate from Visit Tucson, there can be some benefits in regional tourism promotion. We need to bolster our local tourism promotion and marketing expertise with increased effort while exploring if there are potentially any other beneficial regional partnerships with the other northern county communities.
_
Tim Bohen: Oro Valley has been marketing itself since day one. I love living here as does almost every resident I meet. In 2024, I believe that all visitors understand exactly why they are selecting Oro Valley for their event or vacation. In the end, I think the Town will do a better job than Visit Tucson has done of sending online visitors directly to the information they will need to plan a visit here. The Town is better off insourcing this key function.
| |
Did you or would you have supported the redevelopment of the Oro Valley Marketplace? Why or why not? | |
Elizabeth Robb: The revitalization of Oro Valley Marketplace is an important redevelopment project for our town. A prior council had allowed too much retail on the property and engaged in a less than beneficial economic development agreement at a time when brick and mortar retail declined due to the convenience of online shopping. I support the revitalization of the center under its current approval for 2 and 3-story apartments that are a better fit for our community than the 75-foot-tall apartment building concept that was proposed. I am also in agreement with the rejection of the proposed economic development agreement for the entertainment district. That agreement would have cost the taxpayers of Oro Valley three times what the developer was willing to invest and eliminated the construction impact fees that benefit our town financially.
_
Harry "Mo" Greene II: Yes, I support it. It is an example of giving away too much to develop a piece of land in tax breaks, etc. in hope of building an economic engine for the town. It didn’t work. As we go forward this time, the town must be cautious not to “give away the store” in an attempt to build retail. I think the idea of putting an entertainment area in the plan as well as hotels to provide shoppers makes more sense!
_
Mary Murphy: I was not on the council nor directly involved in past decisions; however, now that the Mayor and Council have voted to approve the Marketplace project, my job as a new Council member will be to foster a supportive environment for the businesses within the development.
_
Tim Bohen: The Oro Valley Marketplace is massively overbuilt as a retail center at its Tangerine and Oracle location. The presence of so many unused storefronts, despite significant growth in the Town population since 2007 when the Marketplace was built, is clear evidence of this. The plans being made for its redevelopment are also being proposed in a similar way for the Foothills Mall at Ina and La Cholla. But, the Foothills Mall location has significant freeway access and population density advantages over the Marketplace location. Thus, I expect that the Foothills Malls site is far more likely to see the type of development that the applicant Town West claims they envisage for our Marketplace. And guess what, this is already happening at a rapid pace. Take a trip over there to see for yourself. In addition, I think the current Marketplace proposal focuses far too much on developer incentives and too little on helping our Town residents and Council to visualize the actual Town West plan and why it will work. Three hotels are proposed when it is unclear to me if there is demand for even one. With our large snowbird population, I am observing during my campaign that the large number of new short term rentals created by these snowbirds may already be serving as the fifth Town hotel that is being proposed but not yet started at the Marketplace. I am also watching the new Linda Vista Luxury Rentals on Oracle at Linda Vista closely. The success of these new high end rentals in Oro Valley here is a harbinger of what we might expect at the Marketplace. So far the vacancy rate at Linda Vista Luxury Rentals remains stuck at about 80%. This is not a good sign for new high density residential at the Marketplace.
| |
In June, the town council was split on the size of annual raises for employees. Did you or would you have supported 3% or 4% raises? Why? | |
Elizabeth Robb: My concern with the proposed 4% raise for employees is it was pitched by the director of finance at the same time he predicted a significant shortfall in the 5-year forecast, due to a reduction in our state shared revenues. As a small business owner, I would want to do the best for my employees, but you can’t spend money you don’t have. When financial realities indicate we will have a shortfall, the correct course of action is to spend conservatively. Therefore, I would have voted with the fiscally responsible council members who voted against the 4% raise.
_
Harry "Mo" Greene II: Throughout the year the town staff was faced with the same pressures the rest of us were facing. Increases in gasoline, groceries, mortgage rates, you name it. I witnessed how hard they were working to try to keep our costs to the town’s people down. I like to make decisions based on the principle “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I advocated for the 4% raises and felt they had earned it! We are truly fortunate to have such fine and caring people as town staff. We don’t need to balance the budget on their backs! Shame on those who didn’t support it!
_
Mary Murphy: Again, having not been on the council and not having the benefit of all the “inside information” on this and past budget decisions it is not appropriate to comment on one piece of the budget in isolation. Every spending choice has trade-offs, costs and benefits. However, as a general rule we must maintain a top quality workforce and must have regionally competitive pay and raises.
_
Tim Bohen: The majority of Council proposed 4%. Thus 4% raises will be awarded. I support 3% because much of the increases will go to our highest paid employees such as Deputy Town Manager, Town Engineer, Water Utility Director and Planning Director. This is simple math. I don't think any of these unelected, yet very well paid, officials had a very successful year in FY 23/24. So long as the Town Manager proposes only across the board pay raises, who is actually getting the money is a factor I think any Town Council member needs to consider. For employees making less than $100K annually, I actually support a 4% raise. Why are the unique needs of our lower paid employees not more carefully considered by the Town Manager?
| |
|
If you've made it this far, pat yourself on the back for prioritizing an educated vote! Thank you for spending the time it took to read, and we hope this was beneficial for you.
On behalf of the Chamber board and staff, we'd like to extend our appreciation to the candidates for their willingness to run for public office and to respond to these questions. We understand that this is no small commitment, and we commend your dedication to our community.
Now get out there and vote!
| | | | |
