Happy New Year, Tucson!
I hope you had a joyful and safe holiday season! My family and I spent some quality time together over the holidays, including a quick weekend trip to Northern Arizona to (finally) experience the Polar Express in Williams.
After our December Mayor & Council Meeting, I managed to squeeze in a quick trip to the Midwest to visit family with baby Nami. She even met Santa for the first time! It wasn’t the real Santa, of course, but she did great and seemed to really enjoy it.
Looking ahead, I’m filled with optimism for what we can achieve together in 2025. While the world and our nation may feel uncertain, I believe in focusing on what we can control: our actions, our decisions, and our efforts to strengthen our community. Here in Tucson, we have the power to make meaningful progress, and I’m committed to working with you, and for you, to keep our city moving forward in a positive and united direction.
December Mayor & Council Meeting Highlights
We had one Mayor & Council meeting in December, and I invite you to head to the City’s website and look at the agenda, materials, and summaries to see all of the items we discussed.
Unsheltered Homelessness & the Opioid Crisis
The Mayor and Council received an update from Dr. Francisco Garcia, Pima County Deputy County Administrator and Chief Medical Officer, on efforts to address unsheltered homelessness and the opioid crisis, including the use of $24M in opioid settlement funds. While these are separate issues that sometimes intersect, they require distinct approaches. Recent initiatives include grants supporting Narcan distribution, addiction recovery outreach, and regional collaboration to improve prevention and treatment services, alongside housing-focused strategies to support vulnerable populations. You can listen to the entire presentation here.
Looking ahead, Tucson residents will vote on Proposition 414 in March, a measure aimed at providing critical funding for programs and services that address challenges like unsheltered homelessness. These initiatives aim to address complex and often interconnected issues, ensuring resources are directed toward solutions that provide support for the most vulnerable members of our community.
Mid-Year Employee Compensation
The City Council voted to approve the City Manager’s recommendation for a one-time $1,000 distribution for all full-time employees, with a pro-rated amount for part-time employees. During the 2024-2025 budget process, we allocated funding for a potential 3% salary increase and implemented half of it (1.5%) early in the fiscal year, with the intention of reassessing mid-year based on the overall financial picture, including revenue trends and expenses. The City Manager recommended the one-time distribution instead of an additional 1.5% raise.
This decision highlights the need for a clear formula or strategy for employee compensation, an idea and a request I’ve raised for years. Despite ongoing discussions, we continue to revisit this issue year after year—or, as in 2024, even twice in the same year. We do not need to reinvent the wheel annually. Instead, we need a sustainable model that reflects the values of the Mayor and Council, prioritizes our employees, focuses on retention, and clearly communicates that we value our workforce and want to invest in their future with the city.
While the $1,000 distribution provided immediate financial relief for many employees, we must shift to a predictable approach to wage increases. As we begin budget discussions, I will once again advocate for cost of living increases that are built into the budget, prioritize long-term stability, and ensure that wages are planned in a way that reflects our commitment to equity and the well-being of all employees—especially those who need it most. Our employees are the city’s most valuable asset, and we must show them their value through meaningful and equitable compensation planning.
Ward 4 Neighborhood Recycling Center
It’s frustrating to have to share that the Ward 4 Neighborhood Recycling Center is temporarily closed because of ongoing issues with illegal dumping. People have been leaving things like mattresses, refrigerators and other trash outside and inside the recycling bins, and this has been an issue for years. It’s not just an inconvenience—it’s costing taxpayers a lot of money to clean up after this kind of behavior. When people place trash inside the recycling bins it contaminates the entire container, causing the entire bin to go to the landfill.
This is a picture of the site taken this morning upon my staff arriving at the office.
To address this, I’m working with the City Manager’s Office, IT Department, Environmental Services, and the City Attorney to implement a technology-based solution to monitor the site and cite individuals who engage in illegal dumping. It’s not practical or affordable to hire people to sit and monitor the site 24/7, so technology will have to be the bulk of the solution. The center will reopen once this system is in place. I will communicate more about this effort as it progresses, and we have a better sense of the timeline.
As someone who uses this site frequently, I understand the inconvenience of having to travel further to drop off excess recycling. I appreciate your understanding as we have to make these tough decisions.
In the meantime, here are alternative free recycling drop-off locations:
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Los Reales Sustainability Campus: 5300 E. Los Reales Rd.
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Ward 2 Council Office: 7820 E. Broadway Blvd.
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Ward 5 Council Office: 4300 S. Park Ave.
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Ward 6 Council Office: 3202 E. 1st St.
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West Tucson: 1925 S. San Antonio Dr. (behind Tucson Fire Station 15)
Additionally, if you haven’t requested a second blue bin for your home, you can do so at no additional cost. When the City switched to bi-weekly recycling pickup, the option for a second bin was introduced to maintain the same recycling capacity. To request a second blue bin, please call Environmental Services at 520-791-3171.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work toward a solution. Let’s all do our part to keep our community clean and sustainable!
Prop 101 Delivers – New Pumper @ Station 13
Station 13 recently got a new pumper, thanks to Tucson voters and Prop 101! In addition, remodel work is ongoing at Station 13 and other stations around town as we continue fulfilling the commitments made under Prop 101. You can track the progress on these promises, along with updates on Prop 407 and Prop 411, here.
Chief Ryan and I stopped by the station when the new truck was delivered. There wasn’t a big ceremony or any pomp and circumstance, but it’s still worth celebrating. Investments like this, made possible by Tucson voters, are crucial for ensuring our first responders have the equipment they need to serve our community effectively and make it home safely after every shift.
I know what you’re thinking: “Nikki, isn’t there an election coming up where we can vote on critical investments for our Fire Department?” Great question—yes, there is!
If approved by voters, Prop 414 will make critical investments in the Tucson Fire Department to enhance public safety and response times. These investments include adding 88 additional firefighters and funding new fire stations, updated equipment, and improved staffing levels. These enhancements are designed to ensure that when someone calls 911 for a medical emergency or fire, the Tucson Fire Department has the right number of personnel and proper equipment to respond quickly and effectively, safeguarding lives and maintaining the department’s Class 1 Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating, which ensures Tucson homeowners pay lower home insurance rates.
Prop 414 ballots will be mailed to voters on February 12th. You can read more about these investments, and the other items being proposed, here.
Pima Animal Care Center Featured Pet - Dave
DAVE
ID# A835688
Age: 7 years
Qualities: Dave is a laid-back gentleman whose favorite thing in the world is a good neck scratch! He can be a little nervous when meeting new people, but give him a few minutes to get to know you and he's your new best friend. Dave is housebroken and crate-trained and enjoys hanging out with other pups; he's even sharing his kennel with another dog at PACC. Come meet this guy and fall for his easygoing personality and winning smile!
Fee: Like all dogs at PACC, Dave has a $0 adoption fee. He is neutered, up-to-date on vaccines, and microchipped.
Contact: Pima Animal Care Center, 4000 N. Silverbell Rd., 520-724-5900. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 12pm - 7pm. Wednesday 1:30pm - 7pm. Saturday and Sunday 10am - 5pm.
Coming Up This Month
We have two Mayor & Council Meetings this month happening on January 7th and the 22nd. The agenda and materials are available here so you can see what we’ll be discussing.
Mayor Romero will deliver her Annual Report to Tucsonans tomorrow, January 7th, at 10:30 AM. This event is open to the public, so feel free to join if you can. She always does an excellent job of highlighting what we’ve accomplished over the past year and outlining the vision for what’s ahead.
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