Why is there a General Plan? 

This week’s Oro Valley Council meeting could be interesting, as it appears council members Mike Zinkin and Bill Garner finally got their way on the main agenda item. It appears the council will be discussing Oro Valley Police Chief Danny Sharp’s reporting structure in a public meeting.

Jo Holt filed her 2014 candidacy today for the Arizona State Senate, representing Legislative District 11 on the Democratic ticket.  Jo identifies herself as a moderate pragmatist who will represent the people of her district regardless of their political affiliation, and who will maintain a presence in their local communities.

The Town of Oro Valley has selected attorney Kelly Schwab to take over the seat of interim town attorney Tobin Sidles.

Mr. Mayor! The election is over! You won!

Re: Councilman Zinkin Criticized by Mayor

Oro Valley Councilman Mike Zinkin is looking to clear his name after comments made earlier this month by Mayor Satish Hiremath regarding the councilman’s town-funded trip to the Congressional City Conference for the National League of Cities in Washington D.C.

Oro Valley Town Council voted 5-2 to approve the town’s $93.9 million budget on Wednesday evening.

In his usual fashion, Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath allowed each member of council to speak first when it came to last Wednesday’s discussion over the town’s tentative budget adoption.

During a visit in Oro Valley last week, Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Congressional District 1, talked about the first 100 days in Congress, and the continued struggles for Democrats and Republicans to agree on many of the important issues facing the nation.

After receiving the final petition signatures required, Oro Valley’s town limits will be expanded to include 107 acres of unincorporated land northwest of Oracle and Ina roads.

You may be surprised to learn that, according to 2010 Census data, there are now as many residents in Oro Valley under the age of 18 as there are over the age of 65. No longer just a retirement community, Oro Valley is now taking a look at its new profile and asking an important question: Are we meeting the needs of all residents?

The N.W. Tucson Tea Party, a group of grassroots activists, is being formed to draw together independents, moderates, conservatives, and libertarians in Oro Valley, Marana, Catalina and Saddlebrook. Its mission is to restore and preserve our nation’s political heritage and to select and support approved candidates at the local, state, and national levels to win elections in 2014 and 2016.

For four years, students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix have worked toward "Match Day" – the day they learn where they will spend the next several years as resident-physicians, a major step in building a medical career.

The opinions against David Safier and the partisan column by Senator Al Melvin show how much work must be done to restore our State to a Democratic form of government, a Republic, a government of, by and for the majority of the people. That is what David Safier was celebrating.  I am at a loss to identify anything Senator Al Melvin has voted for to help Pima County residents.  He is proud to carry out the agenda of his Republican friends in Phoenix.  We voted for a tax increase to be used for education.  Melvin voted to put the money in the General Fund. When Melvin talks of schools, he is talking about private schools, which can be owned by individuals for a profit.  It they fail, the owner can keep all the school capital assets paid for by tax monies.  Melvin also voted to deny Pima County its share for the Regional Transportation Authority money and to allow the recall of the Rio Nuevo development funds. Using his “hit woman”, Terry Proud, Melvin so intimidated the Redistricting Board, that he assured his re-election by getting an 11 to 16 point advantage against other candidates for his job. 

Having read a previous Dave Safier article when he took a victory lap after the recent election, I hoped that possibly his trend for future articles would become less outrageous, and somewhat tempered after his obvious over the top giddiness had subsided.

Viable activities being denied

Marana will hold its first all-ballot-by-mail election beginning with the March 12 primary. The Pima County Recorder’s Office will send ballots by first-class mail to all registered voters beginning Feb. 14. Signatures on all returned ballots are verified by the County Recorder’s staff, which has at least 10 years of experience with verification and is trained by a forensic document examiner every two years.

Just under a month ago, Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller, Dist. 1, was sworn into office after a hard-fought election with a lot of promises of change and accountability.

With the re-election of President Barack Obama, half the nation rejoiced while half stood in disbelief.

In her State of the State address last Tuesday, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer expressed her continued optimism about the direction of Arizona’s economy, and called for increased competition in the realms of job creation and education.

For most parents, the birth of a new baby is a blessed day, but for some, it can quickly turn tragic, especially when the new bundle of joy comes early.

While the Town of Oro Valley will retain all current council members until at least June of next year, the Town of Marana will have a busy election season come March, when four incumbents and two challengers will compete to earn a seat on council.