Mayor and City or Town Council In Arizona, most cities and towns operate under a council–manager form of government. The Mayor is the city or town’s chief elected official, providing leadership and policy direction. At the same time, a City or Town Manager, appointed by the Council, oversees daily operations and municipal staff. The Mayor typically presides over Council meetings, represents the municipality publicly, and serves as a voting member of the governing body. In most Arizona municipalities, the Mayor does not have independent veto authority; decisions are made collectively by the Council as defined by state law and local charters.The City or Town Council serves as the legislative and policymaking body. Council members adopt ordinances and resolutions, approve the annual budget and capital improvement plans, set local policy priorities, and oversee city operations. They also respond to constituent concerns through public meetings, correspondence, and coordination with city staff. Most Arizona cities and towns hold nonpartisan elections for Mayor and Council, and four-year terms are typical. Why You Should CareThe Mayor and City or Town Council make decisions that directly affect daily life in Arizona communities. They set priorities and allocate spending for essential local services, including police, fire, and emergency medical services; housing and homelessness programs; streets, transportation, water, sewer, and trash services; parks and recreation; zoning and development; and long-term infrastructure planning. These officials also represent their communities in regional planning efforts related to growth, transportation, water resources, and climate resilience. Voting in these local races gives residents a direct voice in how their city or town is governed and how public resources are used.For additional information:https://www.azcleanelections.gov/how-government-works/arizona-mayorhttps://www.azcleanelections.gov/how-government-works/arizona-city-and-town-council-members
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Public Policy Priorities
Public Safety - Fiscal Responsibility - Sensible Growth
Qualifications and Experience
I have been in senior management/leadership roles in public sadministrator for three decades. This includes being the Sheriff of Pima County, a police commander, a university administrator and an Assistant County Administrator. I have also taught graduate school for Boston University for 21 years.
Memberships & Affiliations
FBI National Executive Institute Associates - Board of Directors
Endorsements
AZCOPS, Fraternal Order of Police, Pima County Deputy's Organization, Tucson Police Officers Association, Northwest Firefighters Association, Mayor Jon Post - Marana, Mayor Tom Murphy - Sahuarita, Supervisor Rex Scott - Pima County District 1.
Community Service
Oro Valley Path Forward, Vistoso Community Association Board of Directors, FBI National Executive Institute Associates Board of Directors.
Education
B.S. Social Psychology - Park University, Masters Degree Criminal Justice - Boston University, FBI National Executive Institute, Senior Management Institute for Police, Public Executive Training Program - Arizona State University, Certificate Public Policy Management - University of Arizona.
We need to engage in and support sensible growth. Oro Valley has demonized and discouraged growth for too long. This does not mean growth for the sake of growth. We can grow in a sensible and sustainable manner. We need to examine opportunities for strategic annexations, as we are nearly built out. We rely heavily on sources of revenue that will require growth, especially with respect to sales tax revenue. Presently, revenues are not keeping pace with expenditures. Commensurate with growth we need to understand the pressures on water in the southwest. This will become a more serious issue in the future. Currently, Oro Valley has done a good job with respect to water use and our sustainability in that regard. We will need to redouble those efforts to support necessary growth and be environmentally responsible with respect to water use.
Long-term fiscal sustainability is the most critical issue facing Oro Valley. We need to discontinue the practice of spending for political and nonessential reasons. If we fail to do so, we will not have the funds necessary to support critical services for the community. Public safety must remain a top priority. If the community does not remain safe, all other programs will suffer. The next budget year projects we will have to delay or eliminate $11 million in capital projects. This is a terrible sign. We should assume the projects were necessary and that they most certainly will not be less expensive in the future. We should make a priority the adequate funding of critical infrastructure. If not, we will pay a serious price in the future as projects become more expensive and infrastructure deteriorates. Support of community programs and assets are required to ensure the attractiveness of the town and a sense of community.
Always listen to community input from all sides of an issue and make decisions based on what is in the long-term best interests of the town. Ensure through as many modalities as possible we communicate with residents. Decisions should never be made as part of some political calculus or to appease any special interests. This happens far too frequently. As Mayor, I will keep regular office hours to ensure residents can interact with me beyond a 3-minute call to the public or a staged political event. We will far more aggressively engage the community on a macro basis and ensure that engagement happens through as many methods as possible. We need to understand that not everyone gets information in the same manner or communicates in the same way.
I will be very available to our residents and actively engaged with them. Having been an elected official in the past, I already have excellent relationships with many regional partners. There are strategic opportunities to work with Marana on development around our shared borders. Having been an Assistant County Administrator I have excellent relationships with county government, especially with our district supervisor, Rex Scott. I will leverage existing relationships to ensure the adequate address of shared challenges. Oro Valley does not exist in a bubble.
If we fail to acknowledge for political reasons that we are not on a fiscally sustainable path Oro Valley's future cannot be a bright one. All other aspects of the community hinge upon our fiscal sustainability. We are depleting our fund balance, just to balance the budget. We are considering the delay of $11 million in capital projects and implementing a hiring freeze. These are not the indications of sustainability. Aggravating this is the fact the community is nearly built out. Therefore, our ability to grow revenues is hampered by the limited envelope from which they can be drawn. We need to engage in strategic annexations that have a clear ROI. We need to address vacant store fronts, as they produce no revenue. We need to encourage in the limited space still available new and meaningful commercial development. All this can be done without dethroning the culture, character and values of our town.
