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State of the City 2001

Thank you very much and welcome to all of you. Welcome to the Tucson Convention Center and thank you for the honor and privilege of being your Mayor.

I thank Greater Tucson Leadership and the Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring today's event. I thank my staff and especially my wife Beth for making today such a wonderful celebration of our community.

"What's it like to be Mayor?" (Tell story here.)

I have spent my first year in office listening to people from all over Tucson, asking them questions and learning from them. It has been a tremendous experience for me, for my staff and for my family. Every single day something extraordinary happens in Tucson, and I am reminded again why this is the greatest community I have ever known. Tucson is generous and compassionate. Tucsonans are diligent, creative and ambitious. Tucson is strong and getting stronger.

Ladies and gentlemen: I am pleased to report that the state of our city is strong. The past year has been remarkable. Citizens from across the community are working together and solving problems creatively. There is renewed enthusiasm for all facets of city life. Our people are more optimistic. Our workforce is stronger, our business climate is healthier and there is greater confidence in city government to get the job done.

Just last month we were fortunate to have with us former HUD Secretary and former Mayor of San Antonio Henry Cisneros, a nationally recognized leader in downtown development and affordable housing. As we stood at the top of A-Mountain overlooking Tucson, he made a remark that struck me. He said, "One of the most important qualities in public life is for citizens and leaders to have an entrepreneurial public spirit."

Let me tell you why I like that phrase-entrepreneurial public spirit. To me it means people with the best of intentions, high expectations and a desire to lead. They have a passion for community life and for doing what's necessary to make all of our lives better, not just their own. And they are entrepreneurial-they see challenges as opportunities. They bring people and ideas together in creative, collaborative ways. And they get the job done.

That entrepreneurial public spirit is growing in Tucson. I see it everywhere. I see citizens who realize that we are no longer a small town, making small town decisions. I see leaders who address our issues of growth head-on. I see intelligent public debate about how-not whether-to tackle our most pressing issues like transportation and growth. I see a renewed interest and excitement in what lies ahead, rather than wishing for what used to be. I see our community being vision-driven and goal-based, with a real commitment to measuring ourselves against these goals over time.

And where is that spirit being directed? What is the vision? When I think about Tucson, I envision a more balanced and more dynamic city of the future.

The recognized great cities of America balance their unique histories with modern technologies and conveniences. These cities welcome new people and new ideas; they integrate the new with the old. And most importantly, these cities WELCOME differences of opinion. But at the end of the day they VALUE cooperation, compromise and consensus above all.

Slowly but surely, this vision is becoming a reality in Tucson, thanks to the growing entrepreneurial public spirit of our people. In the last year, I have witnessed this spirit everywhere, and it has made for an exciting year of accomplishments.

Our economy is now stronger.

• Tucson is ranked #1 in the nation in job growth. This is an extraordinary benefit to local workers. If Tucson is to be a sustainable community, our people must earn sustainable incomes. So while there is more to be done for our workers and for our city, we should be proud of our accomplishments.
• Tucson's High-Tech Cluster Program is a leader in cluster development nationwide. Just this year, these high-tech clusters have leveraged $140,000 of city funding to bring over $600,000 of state funds into our community. The clusters represent Tucson companies with $4 billion in annual revenues and more than 50,000 jobs. Most importantly, these companies form the core of Tucson's New Economy, bringing new dollars and higher salaries for our community. Their progress deserves our praise and support.
• The Living Wage Club I proposed last year has now evolved into the Mayor's Good Business Partnership. In our meetings, these businesses recognized not only the community value of paying a living wage. They wanted to include more criteria for membership to include businesses that: promote volunteerism, encourage student employees to work no more than 20 hours a week, and promote career advancement through increased training. I commend this group for their leadership. And I would like to announce the charter members of the Mayor's Good Business Partnership right now: Valenzuela Drywall, 5-Star Termite and Pest Control, "A" Mattress, Café Terra Cotta, the Community Food Bank, Horizon Moving Systems, Gordley Design Group, Arizona Imprintables and Compass Bank. Thank you all for your voluntary service towards helping the lives of our workers and their families. You will also notice the brochures at each of your tables, and I encourage interested business owners or operators to apply for membership in this exciting new partnership.

  Economic and Workforce Development Has Improved:

• Through Governor Hull's leadership, Arizona tripled its investment in statewide workforce development funds. Over $18 million dollars has been allocated toward worker training. Supervisor Sharon Bronson deserves special recognition for her continuing efforts on behalf of Pima County on this issue. This investment is exactly what we need to continue our economic prosperity and improve the quality of life for our fellow citizens.
• The Southern Arizona Institute for Advanced Technology was established just a few months ago. The City, Pima County, Pima Community College and private industry deserve our praise for partnering in this cutting-edge approach to worker training. I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize Angie Mendoza, one of the recent graduates of the High-Tech High Wage Program (which was the beginning of the Institute). Since completing her training, Angie has received two promotions in her workplace-Universal Avionics-and has inspired her children to return to school. She has that entrepreneurial public spirit, and now her family and community do, too. Angie, please stand up.

  Downtown revitalization is underway:

• The Rio Nuevo Master Plan is almost complete. Thousands of Tucsonans have attended over 200 public meetings so far. And here's what our people said: Protect the Neighborhoods, Honor the Environment, Reinvigorate our Downtown and Make It Authentic and Real. I absolutely agree. I want Rio Nuevo to form the cultural and civic center of Tucson and our entire region. Therefore, I invite everyone here today to join with us. I welcome Arizona's 21 Native American Tribes to build your embassies here and help us celebrate the history and culture of this place. I welcome our Mexican neighbors to join us in developing Rio Nuevo. And I welcome all Tucsonans, north, south, east and west, to invest in Tucson. Rio Nuevo must display the richness of our shared history and our promising future. And I am proud to say that we are on our way.

  The Mayor's Office dedicated its Neighborhood Revitalization Back to Basics grant to downtown, because downtown is everybody's neighborhood. $830,000 is being used to restore some of the treasures of downtown Tucson: the historic Fox Theatre, the Rialto Theatre, the El Presidio Neighborhood, the Cheney House and the Historic Train Depot. I'd like to quickly mention Herb Stratford from the Fox Theatre Foundation-he is another example of Tucson's entrepreneurial spirit. Thanks to Mr. Stratford and many others, the Fox Theatre will be renovated and restored, keeping our history alive. Herb, please stand and be recognized.

  Our community is less divided.

• When I entered office, water was the most divisive issue in our city. Last January I declared the water wars over. Today we have completed the first year of peace. Blended water delivery from Avra Valley will begin this spring, and we will begin to shut down the overpumped wells in Central Tucson. David Modeer and the Tucson Water department have demonstrated solid leadership to provide quality water, service and information for Tucsonans. While water will always be a serious issue in our desert city, all of us must be extremely pleased at the progress we've made in the last year. Thanks to our citizens for approving the bonds that made this happen, and thank you, David, and congratulations to you and your department on a job well done.

  Thanks to the City's Department of Intergovernmental Affairs, the YWCA and countless volunteers, the City of Tucson was awarded the National League of Cities 2000 Innovation Award for Undoing Racism. Yet again, we are being recognized around the nation for promoting equality and understanding among our people. Tucson has always been at the forefront in the battle for equal justice and equal opportunity. It is part of who we are as a people, and it is who we will continue to be in the future.

• We are developing a closer relationship with the University of Arizona. President Likins has joined with the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and me to set the vision for economic development in our region. One important project we will work on together is the need for increased technology transfer. This will help us keep our best doctors, scientists and engineers in Tucson.
• Our City Council is coming together, too. In 2000, the council voted unanimously over 4,700 times, or 89% of the total votes cast. That's 1,200 more unanimous votes than in 1999. But the numbers don't tell the whole story. There is a recognizable difference in the City Council this year. We have become less divisive and more collaborative. I applaud all of my fellow council members for their willingness to build consensus on the tough issues that face our city. That is what our citizens want from us, and that is what we ought to do.

  The cooperation we've seen on our Council also mirrors the cooperation we now see between Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, South Tucson and Sahuarita. Together we have resolved longstanding conflicts over water and effluent. Marana, Oro Valley and Tucson have worked closely to grant permission for an incorporation election in our region. South Tucson is our partner on the Rio Nuevo District Board. And Pima County is our partner in funding GTEC, the Southern Arizona Institute for Advanced Technology and the Women's Business Center. In the coming year, we will partner with the County and help all we can with the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan so that it protects our environment and serves all of our people.

• And thanks in part to our relationships with the town of Sahuarita and the State of Arizona, the City successfully annexed 26 square miles of State Trust Land. This area is projected to provide more job opportunities for the South Side and well-planned growth for the City of Tucson for the next 50 years. The other alternative, by the way, is unplanned growth. So the more planning we can do now, the better.
• When we speak of regional cooperation, we must include Mexico. Tucson is uniquely positioned as a gateway to Mexico for cultural and commercial exchange. The National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, located here in Tucson, leads the effort to eliminate legal barriers to doing business across the border. I am very excited by the possibilities of increased partnership with our neighbors to the South. As a result, the City of Tucson will continue to build strong relationships with Mexico, for the mutual benefit of both.
• We have in our audience right now some very esteemed guests I would like to introduce: Mayor Bours of Obregon, Mayor Guerrero of Culiacan, Mayor Cuen of Cananea, Mayor Villalobos of Agua Prieta and Mayor Zaied of Nogales, Sonora. We are honored that you have joined us here today. You remind us of our strong historical ties, as well as the promising future between Arizona and Mexico. I look forward to working more with each of you in the coming year.

  There are many, many more achievements and many more outstanding people that deserve to be recognized. But I have tried here to give you a snapshot of our major accomplishments in the last year. All Tucsonans ought to be proud.

Several weeks ago I initiated a community survey. I wanted to hear what you think about Tucson. How are we doing in thirteen key quality of life areas? Here are some of the results:

• Most of our people believe our city is excellent in the areas of art and culture, recreation and our environment.
• Most of us believe we are losing ground with quality and affordable housing and health care, and we must do more to protect our environment.
• Virtually everyone is deeply concerned about transportation. 80% of respondents said the quality of our transportation system in Tucson is declining. We must address these major concerns. And then there are the issues outside the scope of the survey that must also be addressed. We will continue to deal with social issues like homelessness, crime and treatment of the mentally ill. We must continue to move forward with efforts to improve our rate of recycling, our use of reclaimed water and our children's education. Our city is still a predominantly low-wage town with a small economic engine. Approximately 25% of Pima County's children live below the poverty line.

So while our accomplishments have been extraordinary, we should not lose sight of our most pressing challenges.

Having listened to our citizens and having thought about how I can best devote my energies in the coming year, I plan to focus on three major initiatives in 2001:
1. Getting more people into the workforce by focusing on child care in Tucson.
2. Reducing the frustration of getting around Tucson by improving the transportation system.
3. Making government more responsive by updating the Tucson City Charter.

Our city has experienced tremendous job growth in the last few years. Unemployment is at a record low 3%. Workforce training efforts are continuing to improve worker skills and competitiveness. More people are working and have better opportunities for advancement. All of this is good news.

However for many working parents, finding affordable, high quality child care is a real burden. Unmet child care needs keep our trained people, and mostly women, out of the workforce. Also, the lack of child care keeps people from getting the training they want to advance their careers.

Child care is the third largest expense for families of 3-5 year old children. Did you know it costs more to send your toddler to day care than it does to send your 20 year-old to college? When welfare recipients are asked about barriers to entering the workforce, access to child care is mentioned as the most common problem. More than 283,000 Arizona children are eligible for child care subsidies but only 33,000 receive them. In our state, the number of inspectors for licensed child care centers is less than half what it should be, and far behind other states. Our state reimbursement rates for child care providers-which helps poor working parents afford child care--is frozen at 1996 levels. This low reimbursement makes affordability a real problem for parents and child care providers alike.

But it isn't just an issue of affordability. Quality is extremely important. We now know that high quality interaction with very young children (birth to age 3) is a strong indicator of lifelong success. Children who attend quality day care are more likely to excel, less likely to commit crimes later in life, and less likely to drop out of school. Yet it is estimated that only 10% of Tucson's roughly 340 child care centers are rated as excellent, while 50% are average, and 40% are poor.

I had the opportunity to visit some local child care facilities recently. One was a privately owned school. Another was a young mother who keeps other people's children in her home. In both environments, there were schedules of activities posted on the wall, educational games to play, and an atmosphere of safety and fun. Both facilities were excellent and part of the top 10%--this kind of care should be more widely available and affordable throughout our city.

To put it simply, improving child care in Tucson is an economic and workforce development issue. We must find new ways to invest in child care so it is affordable, accessible, and of the highest quality, or we will all pay for it in the future--through the cost of high school dropouts, an underskilled workforce and increased crime.

That is why I plan to convene a Mayor's task force on child care. In the coming year, I will place a great emphasis on business participation in this task force. I'd like to hear what businesses are saying about their employees' child care experiences, and what role business leaders might play at the local and state levels to improve the availability, affordability and quality of child care in Tucson.

I will combine my efforts with those already underway in our community. I applaud the Children's Action Alliance, United Way's First Focus on Kids, and Child Care Resource & Referral for their work on behalf of children and families in Tucson, and I look forward to working with them in the coming year. Specifically I plan to help these organizations lobby our state towards:
1. Establishing a voluntary consumer protection system for home-based child care businesses.
2. Increasing child care subsidy rates to reflect today's costs of child care.
3. And hiring additional child care inspectors.

In addition to child care, there are other barriers to workforce development that must be addressed as well. Many people want advanced training, but they cannot do simple math or complete a job application. That is why I am asking our state leaders to allow us to use some of the $18 million allocated for job training funds for remedial education.

Also, school-to-work programs and vocational education in our high schools must receive increased attention and support. High school students who do not attend college should be prepared to enter the workforce. So our educational system must play a larger role in getting our young people ready for the jobs our community depends upon. And we must fund school-to-work--I plan to fight to renew school-to-work funding at the federal level.

And one last barrier I will mention here is the inability of our people to access our public transit and transportation systems to get to their jobs or schools efficiently. Try to take a bus from Barrio Anita down to the Institute for Advanced Technology in time for an 8 AM class, and you will see what I mean. The limitations of our transportation network are some of the greatest barriers to all of our economic and workforce development efforts. And as our survey has shown, transportation problems rank highest on the list of citizen concerns.

In my survey, over 80% of people in the survey described our transportation system as "getting worse." Letters to the editor in our local papers complain about our failure to adequately invest in transportation. The number of accidents involving motorists and bicycles is far too great as both compete for limited space on the network. One of the greatest threats to the safety of our neighborhoods is the increase of cut-through traffic on neighborhood streets. All of these transportation issues affect our quality of life and, most importantly, public safety.

Ladies and Gentlemen: for too many years, too many believed that growth would not happen if our transportation network stayed small. Well, guess what? We grew anyway. And our network stayed small. Now we are desperate to make up for those lost years of planning. The people of Tucson are fed up and demand results.

Here's the good news. In May of last year, Tucsonans overwhelmingly approved transportation bond proposals totaling $25 million, demonstrating broad public interest in improving our network. And the other good news is that the Pima Association of Governments has a reasonably good 25-year Regional Transportation Plan. This plan is scheduled for a major update this coming year, and public input should begin in the fall.

The current plan focuses on the need for efficient movement of people and goods. It includes improvements to roadway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, rail, intermodal and aviation facilities.

The plan also highlights the need to reduce single-occupant vehicles on our roads and calls for the use of advanced transportation technologies.

Specific road improvements include the following:

• Road Improvements (point to Map 9-2, Road Improvements):
• Major widening projects on I-10 and I-19
• Reconstruct I-10 interchanges at major intersections
• Construct new southern I-19 to I-10 bypass
• Northern East-West parkway linking Houghton to I-10
• Make Houghton Road our North-South parkway on the East side
• 531 new lane miles of streets, including widening of Grant and Broadway
• Grade Separated Interchanges at major intersections along Grant, 22nd Street and Broadway
• Bus pull-outs on major arterials
• Use of Intelligent Transportation Systems to improve efficiency, such as: smart roads, coordinated traffic signals and electronic message signboards. Transit Improvements (Point to Map 9-3):
• Increase the number of SunTran vehicles and hours of service, but move toward smaller buses for certain routes.
• All buses should use alternative fuels and have bike racks, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access and wheelchair lifts.
• Increase route expansion, especially to the east and south sides of Tucson, while reducing the number of routes with minimal ridership.
• Add new transit amenities at Udall Park, Park Place Mall and Pima Community College East Campus.
• Implement Van Tran improvements and Ride Express Paratransit Programs, which are under study by the City Council currently.
• And let's get our people off of the curbs and out of the sun and into more bus shelters.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements (Point to Map 9-4):

• Add 900 new miles of bikeways to reach 1388 total miles in region by 2020.
• Prioritize connecting new and existing bikeways to create a more continuous system throughout Tucson.
• Increase education on how to share the road, as well as increase enforcement of all traffic laws relating to bicyclist-motorist interaction.
• More sidewalks and streetlights as called for in the Bond elections of May 2000.

This is a forward-thinking plan. In the coming months, we will fine tune this plan and create a solid timeline for its implementation. But here's the bad news: These improvements, along with many others, will cost an estimated $10.7 billion over the next 25 years. However, only $6.6 billion is expected to be available from existing sources of revenue-that's a 40% budget shortfall. There are no simple answers and doing nothing is unacceptable. But there are things we can do to help erase some of that shortfall.

Together with our City Council, our newly elected state and federal senators and representatives and other civic and business leaders, there is a chance to find this additional funding in a number of ways, including but not limited to:

• Increasing our statewide gas tax and indexing it to keep pace with inflation.
• Increasing Pima County's share of federal and state revenues for transportation.
• Exploring all other options available to us.
• As Mayor, I will continue to take the lead role in improving relationships with state and federal officials on transportation matters. Last year with the help of Mary Okoye, the city's intergovernmental affairs director, a team of city officials, and our Senators and Representatives in Washington, we were able to get close to $5 million in extra federal appropriations for Tucson area projects. We need to redouble our efforts to steer what dollars are out there to Tucson.
• We must do more to increase our economic bucket in Tucson. Strong local businesses provide the tax base we need to pay for road improvements and everything else that we do. Making transportation a budget priority doesn't mean a whole lot in our current condition because the revenues are too small. We must look for ways to raise revenues across the system. We must grow and expand and strengthen our local businesses. And we must continue our efforts to make Tucson a good place for new high wage, progressive businesses. That will add needed dollars to the economic bucket.
• And finally, we must move ahead on annexation and incorporation of the highly populated areas of Pima County. Right on our borders we have over 120,000 people who do not count towards city state shared revenues or highway user funds because they are unincorporated. We cannot afford to lose this funding any longer. Therefore we must do all we can to encourage either annexation or incorporation, we must lower the barriers to annexation and we must create incentives for annexation to the City of Tucson. And that leads me to the third and last major initiative for the coming year: updating our city charter.

If we are to achieve our vision of Tucson as a balanced, dynamic city with entrepreneurial public spirit, it is time to look at a fundamental barrier to our success. We cannot move effectively into the future without updating our city's charter. Three strategic changes are necessary:

• Ward Expansion
• Non-Partisan City Elections
• Mayoral Parity

Ward Expansion would allow a newly annexed area that resembles a city ward in population and geographic size to form its own additional ward. Under the current system, this area would be absorbed into an existing ward. They would not have the ability to choose their own representative on the City Council. I believe that if the City will provide police, fire and solid waste disposal services to these new residents, it ought to provide a voice on the city council as well. That's the fair thing to do.

Either annexation or incorporation would help our region. It is absolutely up to the people of each area to decide their destiny. But annexation to the City of Tucson would bring additional benefits to both Tucson and the new area that self-incorporation would not. One strong Tucson would promote better regional planning, help restrict wildcat development, provide more leverage for our region at the state legislature, promote more efficiency of government services and give more people the right to vote on water issues. Tucson can also avoid becoming "another Phoenix" if we join together and not form many "satellite cities" that will compete with one another and duplicate services needlessly.

I also support Non-Partisan elections in the City of Tucson. Tucson is only one of a few cities left in Arizona that still cling to partisan city elections. This change would bring more opportunities to more candidates who want to serve the community. It would also encourage voters to judge candidates based upon their positions on issues and not upon their party affiliation. Water, transportation, workforce development and waste management are not Democratic or Republican issues; they are city issues that are too often made more complicated by political gameplaying.

So let me be clear about what Non-Partisan elections would mean. In the primary elections in each ward the top two vote recipients, regardless of party affiliation, would form the slate for the city-wide general election. And then all of the voters in Tucson would choose their representatives as they do today.

The third change I support this year is Mayoral Parity. In short, this change would allow the Mayor to vote whenever a councilmember votes. And it would allow the Mayor to count as part of a quorum. This change would finally allow Tucson's Mayor to become an equal partner with the council. If there is one thing that I have learned in my first year of office, it is that Mayoral leadership is absolutely crucial to the success of a city. A Mayor must listen to the entire city, must set an agenda for the entire city, and must lead the city where it needs to go. Therefore, the Mayor must have at least equal authority if you expect from him or her extra responsibility.

Ladies and Gentlemen: We have completed an exciting year and we are facing a challenging new one. However I believe the strength of these challenges-and the creative ways we respond to them-will reflect how serious we are about improving our city and embracing our shared future together.

Therefore, everyone must pitch in. If you own or operate a business, consider joining the Good Business Partnership. As we work on transportation issues, commit to being a thoughtful driver and participate in the public forums. As downtown improves, come on down every so often to eat or to see a show. And let me know what you think. Talk to your neighbors and find out more about child care issues. Volunteer or give financial support to organizations on the front lines that are fighting for children and working parents. And, lastly, get involved with the League of Women Voters, neighborhood groups and business groups that will be engaged with city charter issues this year. In short, I ask all of you to participate actively in the public life of our city. Tucson depends upon you.

When I look around this hall, I am inspired. I see neighborhood leaders, business leaders, teachers and students, medical professionals, artists and curators, planners and builders, parents and grandparents and children of all ages. Ladies and gentlemen, look around this hall. Can there be any doubt that the City of Tucson is stronger than ever? Thank YOU for all that you do to make Tucson a more active and more peaceful community.

Let us begin this new year with a common vision, working together on Economic Development, Workforce Development, Child Care, Transportation and More Responsive Government. Let's embrace the entrepreneurial public spirit that makes Tucson such a balanced and dynamic city. Let's make Tucson the best place to live in America.

I am excited and honored to be part of this with you. Thank you.