In his State of the City speech on Friday, Mayor Bob Walkup made several strong suggestions.

One of them stood out in what is by nature a speech that tracks on rhetoric rather than substance:

“We should not raise taxes,” he said in the prepared text. “Instead, we should cut costs internally to balance our budget. . . .”

With that kind of declaration, we can live with just about any of his rhetorical pronouncements. Even at that, we heard him make some worthwhile proposals and statements:

• The city, Pima County, Native American nations and neighboring towns should collaborate to create a consistent land-use plan. Such a plan would boost our economy and protect our environment, Walkup said.

Trails, washes flow unimpeded
It would ensure that open space, washes and trails be continuous whatever their jurisdictions and could require that all new development be built only in areas offering the highest return on tax revenues.

Although impact fees pay for original infrastructure, tax revenues pay for services continually, he noted.

Tucson also must reform its land-use code to promote economic and environmental sustainability.

• Infill development should lead the way by using vacant land that makes up about one-third of Tucson. Building that way – amid existing streets, libraries, schools, police and fire stations – decreases sprawl and shrinks the carbon footprint.

“It is far, far better to grow up than grow out,” Walkup said.

But “layers of city codes have accumulated over the decades,” stopping such efforts.

“The system is dysfunctional,” Walkup said. It has plagued the city for too long, and progress will not come until the city fixes the system.

• The mayor again invoked the needs for regional water planning and other regional cooperation, issues that have been and will be cited repeatedly until these deficiencies are corrected.

‘Green-collar jobs’
Walkup raised the prospect of making Tucson an international center for environmental technology, bringing “green-collar jobs” and meeting the rising need for solar power, clean energy and other innovations.

Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Inc., the local public-private economic development agency, must quickly take advantage of budding environmental industries.

In Albuquerque, a German company will build a $500 million, 1,500-job factory to build solar modules.

Tucson must jump on such opportunities. That requires a competitive strategy, work force training and financial and regulatory systems to entice and protect such companies.

Walkup cited “green” steps the city already has taken: landfill methane converted to electricity, a reclaimed water system and buses powered by natural gas and biodiesel.

Economic investment needed

Driving economic opportunity for Tucson means that TREO needs more investment from the private sector and the community, Walkup said.

Tucson’s gross municipal product is more than $31 billion, but Walkup said that’s not enough to provide opportunities and jobs to keep our best-educated young people in town.

Economic improvement will benefit all, including city services, now driven by a 10-year fiscal sustainability program, which is entering its third year.

Walkup said that this year, the city will add 40 police officers and 31 firefighters and paramedics and will repair 16 square miles of street.

Rhetoric aside, the shining light in this speech was Walkup’s proposal to curb taxes and spending. Now he must persuade the six Democrats on the City Council to agree to it.

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