Mayor: Sahuarita gets fair share without secession

The town of Sahuarita is getting its fair share of resources from Pima County, the mayor said, and is not taking sides on the idea of moving to Santa Cruz County.

Secession backer Randy Graf claims such a move would allow Sahuarita and Green Valley to dominate that county’s politics.

“Eventually, after the 2010 Census, two of the three county board districts most likely would come to the Green Valley/Sahuarita community. You get a louder voice” at the county level, Graf said.

That’s because Southern Pima County has more registered voters than all of Santa Cruz County.

Still, the former legislator said, he has not been able to even meet with town officials to pitch his idea, which has its own Web site, www.joiningsantacruz.org.

Graf’s difficulty getting a meeting is no accident.

Sahuarita Mayor Lynne Skelton said of the secession idea, “We are not going to encourage or discourage him from doing it. If he wants to pursue it, fine, but we’re not pursuing it as a town.”

Graf argues the region is not getting enough in county services or political power for the amount it pays in property taxes, a notion that is disputed by Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry.

Skelton said, “If he’s discussing unincorporated Sahuarita and Green Valley, so be it, but when he starts bringing in the Town of Sahuarita, we have a great relationship with county and we don’t wish to change it. We are getting our fair share of revenues and we are cooperating with the county in terms of developments in the area that will affect the town. That is not happening in Santa Cruz County.”

Skelton said she has not seen close cooperation over development issues between the Santa Cruz County government and the community of Tubac, which she noted is not incorporated.

The mayor said she would prefer that secession backers make clear whether they are speaking only about unincorporated areas, such as Sahuarita Heights or Green Valley, or whether they are including the town in their discussion. If there is a grassroots call to change the county line, then the Town Council may put the idea on an agenda for discussion, Skelton said.

There are 9,791 registered voters in Sahuarita and nearly 18,000 in Green Valley, McGee Ranch, Amado and Arivaca. The Republican Party holds an edge of 3,205 by registration, with many voters registered as Independents.

There are some 20,000 registered voters in all of Santa Cruz County, where the Democrats hold a registration advantage of 7,688.

Secession may be a tough sell in booming Sahuarita, as newcomers tend to expect a higher level of services than they might get in more rural Santa Cruz County. Last fall, local voters approved four measures that meant higher school taxes. The town is getting more than $30 million from a Pima County sales tax through the Regional Transportation Authority for local road projects. Residents have been planning for a county bond vote that could lead to a Pima County Public Library branch, a public swimming pool and other parks and recreation improvements.

pfranchine@sahuaritasun.com | 547-9738