The Pima County Board of Supervisors is set to deliberate on economic development policies aimed at enhancing public involvement in the approval process for proposals. One key focus is the transparency surrounding economic development projects. Currently, companies seeking government support for relocation to the Tucson region are often referred to by code names like Project Blue or Project Curvature in public records, which has raised concerns about lack of openness.
While it’s understandable that companies may wish to keep negotiations confidential during early stages, the secrecy around applications for incentives like sales tax breaks has been criticized as excessive. For instance, a recently approved data center was known only as “Project Blue” for months, with the developer identified only a week before the board’s vote. The actual operator of the facility remains unknown, prompting calls for greater transparency.
The board is considering measures to expand transparency, which could set a precedent for other local governments. Additionally, discussions will include implementing mandatory environmental impact reviews for economic development projects, ensuring that the broader implications of new developments are considered beyond just financial gains.
The board will also begin distributing funds to outside agencies and local governments, approving contracts that were not finalized in the previous meeting. These funds are intended to support services valued by county voters, often delivered through nonprofit organizations. This approach allows for flexibility and avoids adding layers of bureaucracy.
Among the recipients is Job Path Inc., which will receive $600,000 for fiscal year 2025-26 to support workforce training initiatives. The Arizona Diaper Bank is set to receive $35,000, while Humane Borders will get $30,000 to provide water in the desert for individuals crossing into the U.S. without authorization.
The Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, known as Visit Tucson, is slated to receive $5.8 million to boost tourism and business travel. The Chamber of Commerce of Southern Arizona and the Ajo District Chamber of Commerce will collectively receive nearly $700,000 for economic development efforts.
Oro Valley, Sahuarita, and South Tucson will receive federal block grant money for the HOME Investment program, aimed at affordable housing. Additionally, the city of Tucson will receive $320,000 for early education scholarships, as the city reduces its own contributions in anticipation of potential economic challenges.
The Oro Valley Town Council will hold an emergency meeting to address a $341,000 budget overrun for the Naranja Drive Multi-Use Path project, which was initially budgeted at $3.7 million. The council had expected the project to be funded by grants but will now need to cover the additional costs.
In Nogales, the City Council will discuss administrative changes and potential revisions to the city charter, including the authority of the city manager and the process for appointing department heads.
— news from Tucson Sentinel
— News Original —
Pima County to review economic development secrecy; Oro Valley needs cash for Naranja
The Pima County Board of Supervisors will discuss and maybe take action on a pair of economic development policies meant to better involve the public in approving proposals that come before the county ‘s elected leaders.
The first is near and dear to this columnist ‘s heart. The board is reviewing the secrecy surrounding economic development projects. When a new company wants government support to locate in the Tucson region, they get referred to in public records and statements as if it ‘s a black op. Project Blue. Project Curvature. Project “Give Me a Break and Identify the Frickin ‘ Company” apparently never made the cut.
I get companies not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves in the early going of negotiations that may lead to moving an operation to Pima County.
However, it gets a little ridiculous when local governments won ‘t identify companies applying for things like sales tax incentives.
The supervisors just approved a data center known for months only as “Project Blue.” The developer of the property was only identified a week before the board voted on the project and after the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend its approval. But that developer is a black box. We don ‘t know who will actually operate the data centers. Amazon? Google? Microsoft? Lisa Frank?
The board is looking to maybe expand transparency. Awesome. Get it done.
Now other local governments should do the same.
Also, the board will discuss establishing environmental impact reviews of economic development projects, to mandate a look at the effects of the implications of new projects beyond just touted dollars.
OK, fine. Whatever.
I will point out that one thing progressives are being properly lampooned for nationally is their desire to give everybody a voice in any possible project.
The county would seem to be going in the opposite direction with this approach, layering on more bureaucracy not less.
Both of these reviews have been in the works since September.
Tuesday is July 1 and the start of the new fiscal year.
Outside agencies
So the supervisors will start handing out money to outside agencies and other local governments. They ‘ll be approving contracts that weren ‘t completed by the last meeting so the recipients can do the work the county needs done.
Handing out money to nonprofit organizations is meant to provide the kinds of services valued by county voters and their representatives on the board. Using nonprofits means the work can get done without additional layers of government.
These nonprofits also have flexibility to address real-world concerns that can be at odds with political orthodoxy.
Take, Job Path Inc., which will get another $600,000 for fiscal year 2025-26. The work force training agency is free to do things like issue short-term grants to help those enrolled with things like rent, groceries and car repair.
Job Path ‘s students probably aren ‘t there because their lives are just going swimmingly. Real-life needs not anticipated by paper pushers in Phoenix or Washington D.C., can lead to a higher dropout rate. If a student just needs $500 to get a starter fixed on their car, without it, they are permanently stranded.
Rules governing how government programs function tend to focus on whether the recipient absolutely needs the money, can prove they need the money, digitally ship all their financial records and swear 54 times under penalty of perjury they are not secretly Thurston Howell Jr., IV.
Hell, it ‘s long been Republicans who say charities do the work of serving people in need or on their knees better than bureaucrats in Washington. Until those groups get the money. Then it ‘s a slush fund doled out to nurture cronyism.
Job Path is one of dozens of agencies that the county will help fund with votes on Tuesday.
The Arizona Diaper Bank will get $35,000, under a contract up for a vote. I know free diapers. What will babies demand next? Free breast milk? Have ’em go learn what it ‘s like to work for a living.
OK, providing $30,000 to Humane Borders to provide water in the desert for people crossing into the U.S. without federal authorization may prove a bit more contentious.
This vote happens every year and people can go crazy every year about facilitating an invasion of caravans, or something this month ‘s buzzwords are.
More later.
The Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitor ‘s Bureau (more commonly known by the more stirring moniker Visit Tucson) is up for $5.8 million to enhance tourism, business travel, sports teams and the marketing needed to do all of that.
The Chamber of Commerce of Southern Arizona and the Ajo District Chamber of Commerce will get nearly $700,000 from the county for economic development services.
The Southern Arizona Chamber will get $650,000 of that sum.
Also, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson will get federal block grant money for the HOME Investment program, designed for affordable housing.
The county gets the money from D.C. initially and then passes it through to other local governing partners. This has something to do with counties being subdivisions of the state and the feds block grant money out to states.
There ‘s an order of operation in federal money.
The county is also slated to give $320,000 to the city of Tucson to pay for Pima Early Education Program Scholarships.
The county is increasing its contribution to early ed in the city because the City Council is reducing its contribution on the way to eliminating it entirely by fiscal year 2026-27. The city is trying to tighten up its financial position ahead of a possible recession.
Supervisors will also vote on another $100,000 to Audilett Law to provide legal representation in a lawsuit stemming from the 2021 sheriff ‘s deputy shooting of 19-year old Bradley Lewis. Lewis died from those wounds.
The Pima County Attorney ‘s Office did not press charges against the deputy.
The county will authorize a total expenditure of $560,000 in the case, should supervisors vote to approve the new funds.
‘Small-dollar ‘ funding
Finally, there will be $3.3 million going out the door to nonprofits providing all sorts of services around Pima County, should supervisors give the final nod.
Pima Council on Aging will get the biggest chunk of change. The advocacy group for the retiree class is set to receive $300,000. Most of the rest of the money is handed out in $50,000 increments or less.
Dozens of these organizations had submitted requests exceeding $4.4 million but the awards got whittled down during the budget process.
A pricier orange
The Oro Valley Town Council was supposed to have the week of July 4 off but will instead hold an emergency Zoom meeting to fixing a cost over run on a key transportation project.
The Naranja Drive Multi-Use Path was budgeted at $3.7 million but it ‘s now looking like the price tag will be $4 million. So the 1.75-mile construction project will need the council to sign off on an extra $341,000.
Town money will be needed to foot the bill, when the council believed it would be paid for by a Pima Association of Governments grant and the Regional Transportation Authority.
Changes afoot in Nogales
The Nogales City Council will meet Wednesday to discuss hiring new administrators and possible changes to staff power and authority.
Councilmembers will discuss changes they might want to make to the city charter, or rather, charter changes to send to the voters.
How much a city manager can spend without council approval will also be up for discussion.
Council members will also talk about how to pick a new city clerk. Long-time clerk Leticia Robinson has been reassigned and now they have a job to fill. Without Robinson, this agenda is quite vague as to details of what will be discussed. Among other duties, clerks put out meeting agendas for the public to review.
Maritza Cervantes resigned her post as housing director and the council will tell the staff how to proceed finding a replacement.
Interesting factoid: In Nogales, the mayor makes the appointments of department heads but the decision is subject to a two-thirds vote of the council. Typically, councils hire city managers who hire the people to serve under them.
I ‘m of the opinion that authority should match responsibility. It ‘s hard to be responsible for the running of the city when a manager doesn’t make his or her own hires. If Nogales wants a strong mayor, define the position that way.
Maybe that ‘s why the council is reviewing the authorities of the city manager, to be discussed during a closed-door meeting with attorneys.
The council will also review the employment status of Finance Director Jean Moehlman, hired back in 2021 at an annual salary of $70,000. This discussion will also happen during executive session.