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“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” —Marcus Aurelius
OV Weather
Weather Data Source: Weather forecast Tucson 30 days
“People are sick of negativity, sick of their wallets being stretched. They don’t want the media speaking for them. They want normal, realistic, reasonable people.”
Mary Murphy, Oro Valley Town Council
In her recent election to the Town Council, Mary Murphy offered a simple message:
“People don’t want politicians to pay lip service, they want representatives who will focus on getting things done — and done well.”
Her platform resonated with voters: Mary secured over 10,000 votes – roughly 2,000 more than incumbent Councilman “Mo” Green, the closest candidate.
An OV resident for eight years, Mary has enjoyed volunteering with, and advocating for, many community organizations, including:
“When we first moved to Oro Valley, I immediately wanted to immerse myself in the community, so I organized a weekly “Happy Hour” event in front of my house in order to meet neighbors. Well, it ended up being a fantastic way to make new friends.
“Some of my neighbor-friends and I ended up signing up for the Town’s Community Academy class together. When we graduated from the Academy, I decided to apply for a couple of open positions. One was on the Board of Adjustment, and the other was on the Parks and Recreation Board. I was offered the volunteer position on the Board of Adjustment and happily accepted, serving a two-year term.
“During this time, I met a wonderful nurse who invited me to attend an educational luncheon presented by her Board, “Banner Friends”. I really enjoyed the format and was extremely impressed with the Banner Hospital surgeons who were presenting that day. Soon after, I was asked to join the Executive Board, where I happily served as a volunteer for a three-year term.
“I went to the first Banner luncheon and there were three top surgeons. People were asking really interesting questions. At the end, I thought, ‘this is amazing.’ My nurse friend said, ‘everyone enjoyed meeting you. We’re looking for a secretary for the Executive Board.’ I responded, ‘that’s right up my alley because I’m good at organizing.’”
“The wonderful thing about running in a non-partisan election is that we are able to focus on policies that directly impact our community, and I believe that’s where it counts the most — right here in our backyards! People feel safe in our community, and they enjoy great roads, and wonderful Town amenities; under my leadership, I will ensure this continues.”
“I think OV has been lucky in that most people who run for the Town Council are pretty high-caliber people. That’s another thing that I find makes this town unique: we have so many talented and accomplished residents who settle here from around the country — and even the world — who have fascinating backgrounds. My Dad always told me that if I’m the smartest person in the room, then I’m in the wrong room, and about 99% of the time that’s the case here in our community,” she laughs.
When asked about financial compensation, she laughs again: “Council members are definitely not in it for the money, if that’s what you’re asking. Actually, if you break down the limited compensation to an hourly wage, I think it would pencil out to a whopping 35 cents per hour. The decision to run for any office should never be a financial one, in my opinion. It needs to come from your heart. As a Council member, I would never ask residents to increase my compensation because I want them to be confident that I serve from my heart.”
“From the moment I decided to run, I vowed to run a clean campaign without speaking negatively about other candidates. When I sent a postcard mailer to everyone in Town, I specifically wanted it to be about the positive things I thought I could bring to the table. I didn’t use it as a platform to attack any other candidate. I didn’t want to win the election that way. Subsequently, I have heard from many residents who commended me for my positivity and told me that it was one of the reasons that they voted for me.”
At one point, a former Councilperson publicly attacked her as a candidate. How did she react?
“You just rise above it. My husband kept asking, ‘are you sure you want to do this?’ I answered, ‘this makes me want to do it even more because the people in our community deserve better than this.’”
“It’s a new day. I hope I can bring people together rather than divide people. My hope is that I can get in there and see both sides and come to a middle ground where we can get stuff done.
“People are sick of negativity, sick of their wallets being stretched. They don’t want the media speaking for them. They want normal, realistic, reasonable people.
“I want everyone to come to the table with their respective ideas and work it out. I appreciate every individual’s point of view when coming together to problem-solve. Then you are representing the largest number of residents possible.
“A politician I am not. But the irony is that in listening to people, I am actually what people wanted.
”It’s a new day and though there will still be five remaining Councilmembers (including the Mayor), with the addition of two new Councilmembers it’s essentially a new Council, a fresh start, and an opportunity to really do some amazing things for our Town. I’m excited and looking forward to working with everyone.”
One goal that Mary has is to bring back the “Council on Your Corner” program. These were historically offered in OV so that citizens could voice their concerns, or just get to know their representatives in a small, informal setting at local restaurants.
“This will not only make me accessible to residents — who may otherwise feel uncomfortable or unable to attend Council meetings — but will also afford us the opportunity to support our local Mom & Pop businesses, which is extremely important to me as well.
“We can even invite other community people to attend, like our firefighters, the Chamber, doctors and nurses from the hospital… It’s just a neat way to bring people together.”
Mary sits on the Board of Rockin’ 4 Heroes, and is particularly passionate about this annual benefit concert for first responders, active military, veterans and Gold Star families.
She describes the volunteer team behind Heroes: “I always say that my favorite thing working with this group is that there’s no ego in the room. Everyone is energetic and passionate about the mission. Sure, we all have our own ideas… but we listen to each other and work together to problem-solve and get things done — and done well. It’s inspiring to think that while you are about to put in many hours of volunteer time over the next week, you’re able to stay excited because you know you’ll be surrounded by positive and talented people the entire time — and all for the excellent cause of honoring our Heroes!”
In addition to 60-70 event-day volunteers, Rockin’ 4 Heroes has about 20 people (including Mary) that work year-round in preparation for the concert.
“There’s not one ego in that room. It’s infectious.”
What’s a special talent that no one knows about Mary?
“I dabble in singing — mostly in the car (much to the utter and complete embarrassment of our youngest son!). Some know — but most do not — that I am a really good tap dancer. Oh, and I also won $300 many years ago in a karaoke singing competition.”
Shortly after filing to run for Council, Mary went through a life-changing health ordeal.
After undergoing her routine annual mammogram, she learned that she needed to have a lumpectomy, which was then followed shortly thereafter by a double mastectomy. In spite of this, she refused to give up, finding that the courage she had mustered for her health challenges made her more resilient during her campaign.
This is the first time that Mary has talked publicly about this health challenge and she stresses that she doesn’t want sympathy. She says it’s worth sharing her story if it motivates even one woman to take action.
“I promised myself that once this was over, whether I was elected or not, I would encourage women to get their annual mammogram. So far, I have heard from several women that, because of me, they scheduled their mammo’s!
“The number one thing it has brought home was how much love and support I have from those around me. All of these people offered to hang campaign door hangers for me and pound in rebar to hang my signs. It just radiated the kindness and community spirit that I see everywhere in OV. This is why it’s an honor to serve our community.”
