Romero touts Tucson’s investments in public safety, parks & roads

Mayor Regina Romero touted her 2024 accomplishments Tuesday and said a proposed half-cent sales tax would go toward addressing some of Tucson’s biggest problems.

Romero, who is starting her sixth year atop City Hall, delivered her “Report to Tucsonans” to a crowd of about 350 people at the Tucson Convention Center.

She acknowledged that Tucson is facing significant challenges, such as housing affordability, fentanyl addiction and rising temperatures.

Related: Mayor Romero’s 2024 Report to Tucsonans: ‘Making a difference — together’

“While it is important to acknowledge the challenges Tucson and cities around the world are facing — a housing crisis, a climate crisis, an opioid and fentanyl crisis, the growing number of unsheltered individuals, and aging infrastructure — it is also important that we acknowledge what is working, and what we should continue investing in,” Romero said.

Romero outlined steps the city is taking to combat those problems, such as building more low-income housing units with federal and state support. She noted that later this week, the city will cut a ribbon at the opening at its newest project, Milagro on Oracle, a 63-unit senior housing complex at the site of Tucson’s notorious and shuttered No-Tel Motel.

She added that a new project, Sugar Hill on Stone, would have 66 affordable housing units on the site of the old Bum Steer tavern.

Romero said that the city is investing in the police and fire departments “at unprecedented levels” and was working to reduce gun violence by creating the Office of Violence Interruption and Prevention, based on small pilot programs in targeted neighborhoods.

She noted that in 2024, the city adopted a Heat Action Roadmap and passed ordinances to ensure city employees and those who work for city contractors get breaks from working in the heat. City workers distributed more than 900 “heat relief kits” to the homeless and partnered with Pima County to establish cooling stations.

She also boasted that the city has used funds from 2022’s Prop. 411 to resurface 257 miles of streets, with more work underway, and had been using local and federal funds for park improvements, including new playground equipment and splash pads.

“I will continue to work every single day with any partner or any government, that will help us eliminate homelessness in Tucson,  ensure our children have access to a safe, clean, resilient future with great education and work opportunities, make sure there are high quality, good paying jobs for us and manage our resources appropriately to get help to you when you need it most.”

Romero said the city is asking voters to approve Prop. 414, a half-cent sales tax proposal that will be decided in a March 11 election. Over 10 years, the Safe and Vibrant City Initiative would provide an estimated $246 million for capital investments for first responders, $182 million for 911 and 311 operations, $140 million for affordable housing and shelter, $134 million for programs designed to reduce violent crimes and $98 million for technology designed to enhance public safety.

After the speech, the mayor said that Prop. 414 is necessary because former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and the GOP-controlled Legislature passed a flat income tax that will result in the city of Tucson losing an estimated $27 million a year in state-shared revenues.

“Unfortunately, I don’t like to go ask for additional funds from Tucsonans, but we are seeing aggressive cuts coming from the state,” Romero said. “We are seeing more than $27 million in cuts because of Doug Ducey’s tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. And so in order to be able to provide the safety and security our community demands, we’ve got to be able to tell them, ‘Look, we want you to invest in your own safety.’”

Without the local boost to city revenues, the city will face tough budget choices, Romero said.

“If 414 does not pass, we will be in peril,” Romero said. “A $27 million hit on our budget could mean the loss of 200 police officers. It could mean the loss of our Housing First program. It could mean the loss of our community safety, health and wellness program. It could really be detrimental.”

The Tucson mayor’s annual speech was until 2023 styled as the “State of the City” address, and was a paid event presented by the Tucson Metro Chamber and Visit Tucson.

The chamber, which is undergoing a merger with Sun Corridor, announced its opposition to the proposition Tuesday afternoon, following Romero’s speech.

“Tucson absolutely needs to address public safety, homelessness, housing affordability, and other critical community investments. However, we believe there’s a more effective way to do so — one that doesn’t increase everyday costs for families and businesses or weaken our region’s economic competitiveness,” said Metro Chamber CEO Michael Guymon.