--- The Editor of the Explorer, Thelma Grives, posted and editorial today entitled: "It’s not a package deal – Consider OV candidates independently". Click here to read it. Thelma refers to the interviews she did with each of the six candidates, an interview she published last week.   Click here to read that. In the editorial Thelma writes: "We have heard the rhetoric on both sides, we know who

--- There has been some question on the part of our bloggers regarding the order of the names of the candidates on the ballot.  The order of the names is alphabetical but the list may start with a different candidate, then proceed alphabetically.  The list rotates. We asked Town Clerk Julie Bower about this. We wanted to remove the "mystery."  The following is Julie's response. --- Candidate

--- Seems to us the whenever there is an election, there is much talk about fraud and abuse.  Julie Bower, Oro Valley Town Clerk, is responsible for the intergrity of the upcoming town elections. In the interest of disclosure to all, we asked Julie to tell us of the procedures.  The following is Julie's response: --- "Hi, Richard In response to your recent email - yes, the Oro Valley Council

--- We are in receipt of the following email sent from current Council Member Lou Waters (louwaters@comcast.net) to his mailing list. It is entitled: "Critical Oro Valley Election" Please help the current Oro Valley Town Council retain its professional traction and vote for the candidates who will help us prevent a return to the incivility that prevents progress.  Please consider: Steve

--- We have been asked to provide our perspective on Mark Napier, candidate for Oro Valley Town Council.  Mark is unknown in local Oro Valley activities. So here's our take on Mark: Mark is member of the town's Planning and Zoning Commission.  "I am currently a Commissioner on the Planning and Zoning Commission where I have developed competency in reviewing land use issues for the Town." (Source

--- By now,  we're sure, you received a giant 8.5" x 5.5" postcard from Appointed Council Member and 20112 Council Candidate Steve Solomon.  The address side shows endorsements by the Oro Valley Police Officers Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.  The content side touts three "accomplishments' of Steve Solomon. Yesterday, we  posted regarding the value of the endorsements of the

--- You will note that any candidate for council who is not favored by this blog is immediately endorsed the the Oro Valley Police Officers Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.  That, my friends, is the sole criteria they use in deciding who to endorse. There is no vetting. There in no meeting with all of the candidates. There is only: "If the Blog favors you, we're not interested."

--- (Blogmaster Note: Yesterday, we posted regarding MTCVB. Today's posting is about the Tucson Regional Opportunities Organization (TREO).  Oro Valley contributes $43,000 annually to TREO. What does Oro Valley get for its investment?) ---  Item B on the Consent portion on the Town Council Agenda on February 15, 2012 is for approving (“rubber-stamping”) the Tucson Regional Opportunities

--- (Blogmaster Note: Oro Valley contributes $75,000 annually to the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau (MTCVB). It is our contention that this expenditure is not justified. It is the contention of many others that MTCVB, itself, is a poorly functioning, poorly performing organization. Click here to view other postings we have made on MTCVB.) --- Item A on the consent portion on

--- Beginning today, we're going to screen all submitted comments and allow all that are polite and respectful. Comments, whether we agree with them or not, will be welcome and embraced. Arrogance and mean-spirited comments will not be published. Please, challenge our facts or our interpretation of the facts. Offer your own point of view. But don't be rude about it. And don't accuse anyone of

The following is reply that Mike Zinkin made the the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association regarding their inquiry as to whether they should consider endorsing his candidacy: --- Dear Mr. Castelhano, Thank you for considering me for a potential endorsement from your organization. However, for reasons cited below, I must decline your invitation to be provided with an endorsement. I have

--- What began as a simple request, has become a "row" between Appointed Council Member and 2012 Council Candidate Steve "The Trashman" Solomon and Rancho Vistoso. See our earlier post,:"The Appointed One Solomon Trashes Oro Valley " regarding Solomon's trashy signs. Now comes Rancho Vistoso. Solomon has interpreted a state law regarding political signs to mean that he can put his giant

--- We have learned, from a very reliable source, that one of the two major political parties is telephoning their "precinct captains", urging them to hold the party line and support certain candidates of their political persuasion. On the local level, party affiliation and party thinking has nothing to do with what we all want to happen on the local level. In Oro Valley it is not about the

--- Here are the poll results to our question: "Lawmakers from Southern Arizona are proposing a new authority that would give Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita together veto power over new borrowing for roads and other projects in Pima County (HB2656). Do you agree?" 50% of our respondents do not agree with HB2656.  25% of our respondents agree with HB2656 25% of our respondents think that Oro

--- We are pleased to inform you of a Political Action Committee ("PAC") and its web site. The PAC is called: "We Are Oro Valley". Click here to visit their website. The PAC is dedicated to supporting citizen-focused candidates in our coming election. "Our Only Special Interest Group Are The Citizens Of Oro Valley". The three candidates that weareorovalley.org are supporting, Bill Garner, Mike

---Right after the May 2008 election, the "Special Interest" Council Majority of Hiremath, Snider, Hornat and Waters appointed one of their own; Steve Solomon, the developer.Solomon is now running for an open seat on council, and in doing so, he thinks his campaign would be helped with FIVE FOOT HIGH CANARY YELLOW SIGNS strewn all over the community.While, Brendan Burns, Bill Garner and Mike

--- The Town Council originally had the Coyote Run Transit Service on the Town Budget chopping block for elimination in the FY2011/2012.  The Town Council wanted to eliminate Coyote Run.  One Council Member, Bill Garner, recognized the severe burden that such quick elimination of Coyote Run would cause its users.  So, he recommended diverting a percentage of the Town Budget Bed Tax Revenue to

---"He's Back."Rodger Ford announced his latest economic venture planned for the "Beztak" property:  Our bloggers are intimately knowledgeable of this property.  Roger's recent request to rezone this property for Apartment use was soundly rejected by the impacted citizens.  It was rejected by the town's planning and zoning department. It was barely rejected by the Town Council.  Read our report

--- We attended the Oro Valley budget information session this evening at the Oro Valley Town Council Chambers, along with about 70 other people.  Stacey Lemos, the Towns Director of Finance and Interim Assistant Town Manager, presented an 18-slide summary of the current state of finance in Oro Valley.   Greg Caton, Interim Town Manager, and Stacey answered questions. Here is the presentation:

---I their January 13 article posted on insidetucsonbusiness.com, entitled "Welcome to Marana, the city of tomorrow" authors Higgins and Chris DeSimone touts Marana as a town that get's it. According to the authors: "There are good number of Tucson business owners looking to Marana as the escape valve."The list five reasons why they believe this.Reason number 2 is: "No TREO. No MTCVB." A while