Questions

1. Please describe your vision for Oro Valley four years from now. Be specific about what you want to see different, what you want to see preserved, and what you believe the Council’s most important work will be during your term.In a perfect world, the marketplace has a hotel and the second apartment complex along with more retail/restaurants.  The businesses and residences along Ina and Oracle agree to be annexed into Oro Valley and we finally get our Costco.  These are possible but will require a lot of work by staff and council.
2. Oro Valley’s 2025-2026 budget projected further revenue declines due to declining residential development, and the Town’s CFO has described a structural deficit in which future expenses are projected to exceed incoming revenue. If elected, which of the following would you support: additional business-side taxes such as commercial lease or use tax, a primary property tax (Oro Valley currently has none), service reductions, more aggressive commercial development to grow the sales tax base, or some combination? Please be specific.Certainly, a combination of these approaches will have to be explored. I do not support a property tax as we have a better chance of getting Costco than passing a property tax.    I know retail and roofs go together and we need to optimize and compromise to achieve the best outcome for Oro Valley.
3. Roughly 65 percent of Oro Valley’s drinking water comes from groundwater, with the remainder from CAP (Colorado River) and reclaimed sources. Federal rules governing post-2026 Colorado River operations expire at the end of this year, the Bureau of Reclamation plans to finalize replacement criteria by October 1, 2026, and the seven Basin States have not reached consensus. Tier 1 shortage conditions remain in place. How should the Council balance water availability against future development approvals, and should a project’s water demand be a stand-alone basis for approval or denial?Certainly, water is a big issue with the 20% CAP reduction headed our way. The CAP water is our most expensive water and the water rights are a valuable asset.  We need to use it wisely and any new uses have to make clear financial sense.
4. On May 6, 2026, the Council approved a General Plan amendment and rezoning of the 141-acre Oro Valley Town Centre parcel at Oracle Road and Pusch View Lane (also known as Rooney Ranch). The approved plan preserves roughly 88 acres as open space, allows limited townhome and commercial development closer to Oracle, reduces maximum building heights, and eliminates the previously allowed five-story hotel option in Area 3. Next steps include appraisal, bid solicitation, and eventual sale to private developers. Do you support the approved plan as it stands, what would you change going forward, and what principles should guide the Council’s votes on appraisal, bid, and the eventual sale?I thought council made an excellent compromise and I think reflects the wishes of the current residents based on the survey results in the O V Path Forward document. Residents would prefer owners to renters in the multifamily sector and seem willing to accept less revenue for condos and/or townhomes’ than apartments.
5. Road maintenance costs in Oro Valley doubled in four years, climbing from $1.5 million to more than $3.1 million annually. Arizona’s shared-revenue formula is declining, and gas-tax revenue is shrinking with EV adoption. What’s your specific plan for funding infrastructure, including pavement, stormwater, and utilities, over the next four to eight years?We cannot scrimp on road maintenance to save money, it will haunt us in the long run. We need to lobby the legislature to raise the gas tax and allocate a percentage of the increased funds to local municipalities. Storm water and utilities need to increase their rates to cover the increased costs.
6. Short of annexation or significantly increasing residential density, the tools available to grow Oro Valley’s sales tax base are limited. Redeveloping vacant retail. Recruiting specific commercial tenants. Expanding tourism and bed-tax revenue. Which of these do you see as the most realistic, and what concrete steps would you take in your first year to advance it?Expanding tourism and bed tax run hand in hand. I’m certain they are working on events that feature our Parks activities and that makes a lot of sense.  We have invested heavily in tennis, pickleball, little league and field sports, etc.  Naranja Park is a tremendous asset, and we need to feature it.
7. The Town’s CFO has noted that Oro Valley’s aging demographic creates a structural revenue challenge. Older residents consume more medical and professional services, which generate significant income but little local sales tax. How should the Council respond to this demographic reality, through the tax code, through economic development strategy, or both? Was this question for everyone or just the retired guy? Seriously, we market Oro Valley as the safest retirement community in Arizona.  We need to push the “buy local” to the more mature demographic and reduce our sales tax leakage.
8. How do you personally intend to gather resident input beyond formal public comment at Council meetings? Please describe specific practices you’ll commit to during your term, including neighborhood meetings, office hours, digital tools, and written communication.I have been the Rancho Vistoso President for the last 3 (now going on 4) years and working through the HOA’s is a great way to stay in touch. I will do neighborhood meetings as requested and will return emails promptly.
9. Describe one decision made by the current Council that you believe was correct but politically unpopular, and one decision you believe was popular but incorrect. Explain your reasoning. The pond on the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve was a contentious issue. Town Council voted to make it a desert garden and then changed course when the cost of the pond vs the desert garden was basically equal and went back to the pond.  This one project covers both of your questions.  I believe we have a better chance to help fund VTNP with donations and grants with a pond rather than a desert garden.
10. Beyond your professional and civic resume, what personal qualities, and what specific limits on your time and other commitments, should voters weigh when deciding whether you’re the right choice for Council? I have been on the Rancho Vistoso HOA board since 2021 and plan to serve out the remainder of my term (March 2027) and to not seek another term. If elected I’m required to drop from the Oro Valley Parks & Recreation Advisory Board.    The combination of those 2 commitments is approximately equal to the Town Council commitment.  I enjoy giving back to the community and steering the Town in the right direction.