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Time to Vote!
I love the smell of early voting season in the morning. As an elected official, civic engagement is in my blood. While we don't all have time to research every issue, it's still critically important we honor one of the most fundamental rights our country provides us: the right to vote. Every single voice is important, and I encourage you all to take advantage of one of the methods we have available for voting in Pima County: voting early or in-person on Election Day. If you have a mail-in ballot that you haven't returned, we highly encourage you to drop it off at a curbside drop off location (please note: you can drop your ballot off at any curbside drop off location; it does not have to be the one closest to you).
Make your plan to vote so you're not scrambling on November 3. Further, there are certain steps the City and County are taking to ensure we can all vote safely. You can read more about safety updates below.
Please also find important dates and information for Ward 4 constituents below. If you'd like to see previous newsletters, you can find them here.
Have a great week and a spooOooOooky Halloween!
Nikki
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Important Dates:
- Tuesday, October 27: Last day to mail your ballot!
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Wednesday, October 28 at 5:30 PM: Ward 4 Public Safety Virtual Town Hall. Join us as we host Chief Chris Magnus from the Tucson Police Department and Chief Chuck Ryan from the Tucson Fire Department as we discuss all things public safety. RSVP on Facebook here.
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Friday, October 30: Last day to vote early in person! Click here for a full list of early voting locations.
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Tuesday, November 3: Election Day! Polls close at 7pm. Click here to find your polling location and information about returning your ballot.
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Wednesday, November 4: City Council Meeting. Click here and go to "Mayor & Council Meeting Live" to watch!
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Tuesday, November 17: City Council Meeting. Click here and go to "Mayor & Council Meeting Live" to watch!
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October 20 Council Session Recap
Last week, the Mayor and Council approved a notice of intent to enter into a tax incentive agreement with local Tucson developers for 75 E Broadway; a new 19 story building coming to downtown Tucson. The building will offer retail, dining, office, parking, and residential space as well as a public alley and pedestrian corridor with art, landscaping, seating and many other public amenities. The Direct public benefit to the Tucson region is estimated at 89 million dollars with 25 million as a direct benefit to the City of Tucson.
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Vote Smart & Safe
We're seeing a lot in the news about voter safety. From cybersecurity to ballot security, from voter intimidation to COVID-19 precautions at the polls, there's a lot to keep track of. Here are a few updates on how our community is working to keep voting safe & secure for everyone:
- TPD is collaborating with the Pima County Sheriff's Department to ensure people can vote safely at the polls. You may not see them when you're there as they don't want to crowd voters, but they will be nearby when people are voting in case any issues arise.
- If you don't already, be sure to follow Secretary of State Katie Hobbs on Facebook and watch for her #TrustedInfo2020 posts. These posts provide up to date information on Arizona election laws and important guidelines for constituents with questions about voting.
If you have already mailed or dropped off your ballot, you can check its status here. If not, we highly suggest you return it ASAP at a curbside drop off location to ensure it's counted on time. Beat the crowds and drop off your ballot at the following eastside community locations:
Recorder’s East Side Annex
6920 East Broadway Blvd. Suite D. Located at the Southwest corner of Broadway and Kolb, near the Gaslight Theater and Little Anthony’s Diner.
Open 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. for walk- in voting
Curbside/Drive through ballot drop off available through November 2, 2020, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Miller Golf Links Library
9640 East Golf Links (Just east of Harrison Road)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday open for walk-in voting 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and Tuesday, Thursday 10:00 A.M to 7:00 P.M.
Curbside/Drive through ballot drop off available Monday, October 26 through November 2, 2020, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Kirk-Bear Canyon Library
8959 East Tanque Verde Road (Northeast corner of Tanque Verde Rd. and Bear Canyon Rd.)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday open for walk-in voting 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and Tuesday, Thursday 10:00 A.M to 7:00 P.M.
Curbside/Drive through ballot drop off available through November 2, 2020, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
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STEM Spotlight: U of A Helps NASA Make History with OSIRIS-REx
Ten years ago, The University of Arizona was selected to lead NASA's OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission. Last week, the spacecraft accomplished an enormous feat: touching down on the asteroid Bennu's surface to collect a sample of material to be studied back on Earth. This is a first for NASA, and this success was spearheaded by our very own brainpower at U of A. Dante Lauretta, professor of planetary sciences, is the principal investigator for the mission. U of A also leads the science team and the mission's science observation planning and data processing. We are so proud of their enormous success and can't wait to welcome OSIRIS-REx back to Earth in 2023!
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Jack and Jill of America
It was such an honor to join Mayor Regina Romero, Rep. Reginald Bolding, and Rep. Dr. Gerae Peten as a panelist for a fantastic Tucson Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. event called the "ABCs of Politics in Arizona" where we discussed the importance of voting among other civic duties. There is no more valuable use of my time than investing in the next generation of leaders, and there are definitely some amazing young leaders coming behind us to move Tucson forward! 🤩
If you're not familiar with the mission and work of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and the local Tucson chapter, please check them out on Facebook. Powerful work being done! A huge thank you to Misha George Dawson for the invitation and all of the time and love you pour into the Tucson chapter  .
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Wear Purple: LGBTQ Spirit Day + Domestic Violence Awareness Month
This month, my team and I honored two important causes by wearing purple. The first was LGBTQ Spirit Day on October 15, when we wore purple in support of LGBTQ youth. The second was on October 22, when we wore purple in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Both issues are critical to our friends, families, and community. Learn more about Spirit Day on GLAAD's website, and learn about DVAM through Emerge Tucson, a local organization that does amazing advocacy around domestic violence in our community.
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Rollin' Haunt
A HUGE congratulations and thank you to Tucson Parks and Recreation for their successful "Rollin' Haunt" Halloween event on Saturday! Our family had a great time (I promise there's a smile behind my daughter's mask in this picture). I sincerely appreciate everyone's innovation and hard work to create such a fantastic community event while taking all COVID-19 precautions into consideration. You nailed it! Thank you to everyone who made this happen for Tucson families, including mine 😊.
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Opening on Commission on Climate, Energy and Sustainability
We have an opening for a Ward 4 resident to serve on the Commission on Climate, Energy and Sustainability. The Commission serves to advise the Mayor and Council. Find out more information here. If you have an interest in serving, please email your resume, contact information, and note of interest to ward4@tucsonaz.gov
Mortgage Grant Assistance Available
The City of Tucson is offering a program to assist homeowners behind on their mortgages as a result of the pandemic. Homeowners must live in city limits and have a pre-foreclosure notice or a foreclosure scheduled. The program will be administered by the Community Investment Corporation, (CIC) through Family Housing Resources (FHR), and will provide $3,000-$5,000 per homeowner to assist in mortgage payments. Payments will be verified and paid directly to the mortgage loan servicer and will include fees incurred due to nonpayment of mortgages. These funds are only available until Dec. 31, and income limits apply. Call (520) 318-0993 (ext.114), or email info@fhrinc.net for more information and eligibility requirements.
How Can I Stay Updated?
There are multiple ways to stay updated with my office and the City's work:
- Looking for city updates? Follow the Ward 4 City of Tucson page to learn about core services, projects, events and helpful information about all things Tucson.
- Looking for me? Follow my Councilwoman Nikki Lee page to see what I'm up to around town, articles I write, official events I'm hosting, and more!
- Follow my new Council Member twitter account, @CouncilwomanLee.
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