County decides no bond election

Responding to the sluggish economy, the Pima County committee hoping to prioritize goals to be funded by almost $1 billion in bond sales decided Friday not to make any suggestions before the November 2008 elections.

Committee members voted to take the summer off, returning to negotiations Sept. 19.

Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry attended Friday’s bond committee meeting to share his thoughts.

He said next November’s ballot will include voting for president, members of Congress, state races and local elections.

Right now, he said it looks like the ballot will be four pages long with bond questions at the bottom.

He said the length of the ballot might try voters’ patience.

Green Valley resident Chuck Catino and others have been lobbying the county to build a county park in this area.

Catino said Green Valley is unique because there are no county parks in the area.

Green Valley Recreation provides several centers where athletes can play sports and train but they’re open only to members. None of the GVR facilities has a softball field.

Catino and other BAJA members have secured a site for the 57-acre Canoa Preserve LLC park south of the Continental community and south of White House Canyon Road on Camino de la Canoa.

Canoa Preserve promised to give the land when the funding to develop it materializes.

Catino said he wasn’t upset by the delay, saying he was confident the park would be considered as one of the highest priorities when it came time to pass the bond election.

“I’ve been working on this for 11 years,” he said, “I guess I’ll have to work some more.”

County Administrator Huckelberry is working with the Board of Supervisors to draft a new budget for 2008 - 2009.

The budget will grow to about $1.4 billion, but there won’t be any tax increase to help pay for it.

Community growth will help pay the increased costs, even when the tax rate is reduced.

At Friday morning’s meeting, bond committee chairman Lawrence Hecker noted that public participation in the process has been high.

He said there have been 3,000 written requests and petitions with more than 70,000 signatures urging support for bond proposals.

He said the committee has met 11 times with 377 speakers speaking in support of propositions.

There have been 11 open houses in various parts of the county and presentations to various neighborhood meetings.

Huckelberry said there were 195 individual requests for bond funding, totaling $ 1.36 billion and another $565,000,000 proposed bonds for sewer improvements.

Individual requests can be viewed on line at www.bonds.pima.gov/future/working.htm

County Administrator Huckelberry pointed out that the city of Tucson may offer a bond package to its residents, which would add to the confusion.

jlamb@gvnews.com | 47-9749