Dear Oro Valley residents, I’d like to share a few of the many good things happening in Oro Valley, since I became Mayor in 2018. These are great wins for Oro Valley that have come under my leadership as Mayor. I’d like to continue working hard for you to make sure Oro Valley remains the best place to live, work, and play in Arizona.
Some of the highlights:
Public Safety
- Oro Valley ranked #1 Safest City in Arizona in 2022
- Selected two-time (2021, 2022) award-winning Police Chief Kara Riley
- Increased OVPD budget, approved 4 new officers
- Improved Town Court performance ensures arrested offenders are prosecuted and sentenced
- Funded School Resource Officers (SROs) for schools
- Fixed long-ignored $27M unfunded police pension liability; now 100% funded, saving the town up to $30M
Fiscally Responsible with Your Tax Money
- Committed to No Property Taxes
- Slashed golf losses by 80%, saving town $1M+/year by increasing course play and operator efficiency
- Improved town credit rating 2 levels from AA- to AA+
- Recognized with 3 national financial awards in 2021
- Re-instituted Budget & Finance commission for expert volunteer citizens to advise on town financial decisions
Uphold Responsible Growth & Development
- I Do Not Accept real-estate developer donations
- Aligned decisions to the voter-approved General Plan
- Added 30 new businesses in 2020-2021, a 12% increase
- Provided $1M in COVID aid to support local businesses
- Annexed the four-star Westward Look Resort, bringing in $755K+ each year in new tax revenue
- Focus on new high-quality employers—like Leonardo Electronics US Inc., who is investing $100M+ and 170 jobs
Town Golf
- The town’s two golf courses are now projected to require no Town sales tax subsidy for operations in 2021-2022 fiscal year.
- This is a tremendous improvement from tax subsidies averaging $2,000,000 per year for the Town’s first five years of golf course ownership.
- We are moving in the right direction!
Recreation Amenities
- Approved a $25M Parks Bond at ultra-low 2.3% rate with No New Taxes, by broadening use of the 1/2 cent sales tax from golf savings:
- Building out Naranja Park with two new sport fields, splash pad, paths, basketball and pickleball courts
- Adding Community Center 40% more parking space, improving tennis courts, adding pickleball, and repairing golf irrigation
- Expanding miles of connected multi-use bike paths
- Built the town’s first new playground in over 20 years
- Increased funding for Steam Pump Ranch historical site
- Worked with the town staff, community members, The Conservation Fund to secure a 202 acre permanent open space nature park for the Town of Oro Valley out of the former Vistoso Golf Course