From Pima County Recorder’s Office: http://www.recorder.pima.gov/public/voterttlsdist.aspx

Registered voters in City of Tucson (as of April, 2011)

Democrats 99,877

Republicans 56,232

Independents/others 69,735

Libertarians 2135

Greens 857

Total registered voters right now in City of Tucson are 228,836 (all six wards)
which gives the Democrats almost a 2:1 edge over the Republicans, but there are almost 70,000 Independent voters who could vote either way in the primary.

But according to Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez and UA Asst. Prof. of Communications Kate Kenski, Independents have a low voter turnout, probably because they don’t choose to vote at all or belong to an organized party.

Back in the last City of Tucson election of 2009, with Wards 3, 5 and 6 up for election, 33.5% of the total registered voters (221,316) voted. So 74,168 votes were cast city wide.

Karin Uhlilch (D) received 33,782 votes, Richard Fimbres (D) 37,749 votes and Steve Kozachik (R) 36,451 votes to prevail over their opponents. Uhlich won by only 175 votes over Republican Ben Bueller-Garcia, although the Green Party candidate Mary DeCamp received 4429 votes, which may have taken votes from the Democrat. In 2005 Uhlich had defeated Republican one term Ward 3 incumbent Kathleen Dunbar, in an upset.

Fimbres won by 4573 votes over Shaun McClusky (now running for Mayor) and Kozachik won in an upset by 1756 votes (defeating one term Democratic incumbent Nina Trasoff). Trasoff herself had upset 2 term Ward 6 incumbent Republican Fred Ronstadt in 2005.

How did Steve Kozachik, a Republican win in a predominantly Democratic city?

And with the Democratic voter edge in this city, how did Republican Robert Walkup win 3 terms? He defeated 1) two term Councilwoman Democrat Molly McKasson, then 2) former Democratic Mayor/Councilman Tom Volgy, and lastly 3) Green Party candidate Dave Croteau (no Democrat even ran for Mayor in 2007). See my previous blog “Will Mayor Walkup run again? (click here).

The Mayor’s seat is up for election this year, with Republican Bob Walkup not running for his 4th term. 6 men are currently seeking that position (3 Democrats, 2 Republicans, 1 Green), with nomination petitions/signatures due on June 1st. None of the candidates have served on the City Council, the usual testing ground for qualification to be a Mayor.

Council Wards 1, 2 and 4 are also up for election this year.

Ward 1 Councilwoman Regina Romero (D) has a Democratic opponent (Joe Flores), and almost had a Republican challenger (political newcomer Janet Gallup who filed last week but told me via email that she is withdrawing this week “for several personal reasons that were unforeseen”).
Regina has served for one term and is the incumbent. (In 2007 she defeated Democrat Ken Green in the Primary, then Green Party candidate Beryl Baker in the General.)

Appointed (May, 2010) Ward 2 Councilman Paul Cunningham (D) has a Republican opponent (political newcomer Jennifer Rawson). 4 term Ward 4 Councilwoman Shirley Scott (D) is being challenged by political newcomer Republican Tyler Vogt. Can either Rawson or Vogt upset the incumbent Councilmembers– like Kozachik did in 2009?

It seems that both Republicans and Democrats have served in Wards 3 and 6, with predominantly only Democratic Councilmembers in Ward 1, 2, 4, and 5 (except for one Democrat who turned into an Independent in Ward 2). And Tucson has had long term serving Republican Mayors (Lew Murphy and Bob Walkup).

So maybe it’s personality over partisan party affiliation that determines the winners in the City elections. What do you readers think?

The AZ Court of Appeals ruled recently for the City of Tucson in a challenge to a recent state law that would have mandated Ward only, nonpartisan elections instead of the current partisan, city-wide elections (though the Councilmembers have to live in the Ward they run from). This decision may be appealed to the AZ Supreme Court.

5/13/11 UPDATE: 6 men still running for Mayor (2 Democrats, as 1 dropped out last week, 2 Republicans, 1 Green (one dropped out, replaced by another Green), and an Independent).
Here’s the current list: Jonathan Rothschild (D), Marshall Home (D), Shaun McClusky (R), Ron Asta (R), Dave Croteau (G), Pat Darcy (I). But the list keeps changing…

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Council Members Regina Romero (Ward 1), Karin Uhlich (Ward 3), and Richard Fimbres (Ward 5) will host a town hall on the proposed Core Services Tax ballot measure (on the November 2 ballot)

City Manager Mike Letcher, City Budget Director Marie Nemerguth, and Core Services Tax Advisory Committee Co-Chair Jaime Gutierrez will be present to answer questions.

When: Wednesday, August 11 from 6-8pm

Where: El Pueblo Senior Center
101 W. Irvington Rd. (near SW corner of 6th Avenue)

More info: call Council offices Ward 1 at 791-4040, Ward 3 at 791-4711, and Ward 5 at 791-4231.

On the Nov. 2 ballot is Proposition 400 to increase the city sales tax by .5% (half a cent) to pay for so-called core services: police, fire, parks and recreation centers and programs, street repair and the courts. The City of Tucson is facing a projected $40 million shortfall. The Mayor/Council (by a 5-2 vote on July 7, Councilmembers Paul Cunningham & Steve Kozachik voting no) thought this was reasonable to ask the voters to decide on how to continue to function at the same level, and whether a sales tax increase is merited.

Text of Proposition 400 – “Proposed amendment to the Tucson Charter referred by Mayor and Council relating to increasing the authorized upper limit of the City’s Business Privilege Tax (“Sales Tax”) from 2% to 2.5% for a period of 5 years and dedicating the portion over 2% to maintaining and preserving staffing and programs for Public Safety Services, Transportation Services including maintenance of City streets, and Parks and Recreation facilities and programs.”

But also on the ballot will be Proposition 401, a City Charter proposal to increase the Mayor’s salary from $42,000 to approximately $82,000 per year, and Council Members’ salaries would increase from $24,000 to approximately $62,000 per year.

This was done to match the salaries of the full-time County Supervisors.

These Mayor/Council positions are supposedly part time jobs. Voters have not supported smaller pay increases in the past during better economic times, and Tucson is not a high wage city. (According to the 2000 Census, the median income for a household in Tucson was $30,981, and the median income for a family was $37,344, hopefully a lot more in the 2010 Census recently taken.)

This proposal to put these measures on the ballot was narrowly passed by the Mayor & Council on July 7 (4-3 vote with Councilmembers Romero, Uhlich, Fimbres voting no). At that meeting Councilmembers Fimbres, Romero, and Kozachik expressed concern about these large pay raises, to be coupled with 3 other Charter changes in the same proposition– the power of the Mayor, election cycles for Council elections to concurrent terms, and hiring/firing authority of the City Manager.

Text of Proposition 401 – “Proposed amendment to the Tucson Charter referred by Mayor and Council relating to providing the Mayor with equal voting authority as the members of the Council; designating specified officers of the City as employees outside of the classified, civil service; providing that the salary of the Mayor be 100%, and the salary of the Councilmembers 80%, of the salary of the Pima County Board of Supervisors; and eliminating staggered elections of the Mayor and Councilmembers beginning in 2013.”

After that vote, Ward 6 Councilmember Steve Kozachik sent out an email on July 13, saying he would decline the pay increase (if it passes) with this proviso:

“From a personal perspective, if the salary increases are approved, I will not accept the increase but will continue to serve on Council at the current salary level as long as I retain my position with the University. Adopting such a significant salary increase at this time strikes me as being insensitive to the budget cuts we have made, and will continue to have to make. The increases will need to fall under the existing Council office budgets. Cutting back on my staff would have a negative impact on constituent service and that is not an option I find acceptable. I want to make clear, though, that other Council Members may not have the benefit of a second income as I do. Each of us will have to weigh our own personal circumstances and gauge accordingly if the measure is adopted by the voters.”

Let’s hear from the other Councilmembers about their proposed pay increase.

And attend this core tax town hall to hear why the proposal to increase the City sales tax may be needed.