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Date: 5/1/26
Topics in This Issue:
Questions or comments? Let us know by emailing ward6@tucsonaz.gov
 Ward 6 staff photo by Julius Schlosburg
  Happy May Day to all who labor!
Welcome to May!
It’s been sweet these past couple of weeks to see all the graduating seniors getting their photos taken whenever I walk my dog on the UA campus or bike through on my way to the office. Popular spots are on the grass in front of Old Main, the entrance to campus by Centennial Hall, and a pretty tree-lined walkway close to the Olive Street streetcar stop. Fun fact: the streetcar is also known as the SLink, short for Sun Link— you can use it as a verb, as in “I SLinked to the Annex.” We’re getting into a time of year familiar to locals, which is when many non-local UA students leave for the summer and leave behind a Tucson that’s a little calmer and more chill.
I’m finishing up my weekly summary earlier than normal because I’ll be in back-to-back sessions for the Local Leaders Summit as part of a small cohort of local elected officials and county administrators from seven counties around Arizona for the next couple of days. We’ll be given briefings and behind-the-scenes tours to show how the University of Arizona is producing research. I’ll be sure to share highlights next week!
Monday started earlier than normal with a wonderful visit to Cross Streets Community, a program run out of Southside Presbyterian Church twice a week that provides a hot meal, showers, laundry services, and a clothing room to anybody who needs it. Paul, one of their volunteers who’s been with them for the past five years, had reached out to the Ward 6 office to make the connection a few weeks ago. It was a valuable opportunity to be around the real people we talk about in general or abstract terms much of the time and heartening to see the impacts of creating a space where people are treated with dignity and compassion.
That afternoon, we had a surprise visitor to the office—a friend of Ward 6 who also happens to be a transit operator. We had a wonderful discussion about transit and safety solutions that center the needs of transit operators and people who ride the bus on a regular basis. One of my top focuses for the coming weeks is to connect with more bus drivers and riders, so if you see me reading a book at the Ronstadt Transit Center, I hope you’ll say hello!
A major Tuesday highlight was our field trip to visit Community Safety, Health & Wellness (CSHW) at the El Pueblo Community Hub. Brandi and her team gave us overviews of the programs under CSHW, including Housing First and the Office of Violence Prevention & Intervention. I’ve been a big fan of CSHW ever since it started in 2022, so it was an exciting afternoon! The program is housed in the City Manager’s office and aims to:
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Provide a civilian response to non-emergency and low acuity calls coming into our 9-1-1 call center related to complex social service needs including mental health, substance use or homelessness
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Coordinate across city departments, non-profit and community-led organizations to prevent crises related to mental health, substance use or extreme poverty, and to reduce violence and advance racial equity
Many constituents have engaged with our office regarding the increased visibility of unsheltered people living in public spaces, oftentimes expressing frustration that they aren’t more receptive to receiving assistance or getting connected with resources. Thanks to CSHW’s approach of putting the right work in the right hands and focusing on building trust, service acceptance (i.e. people accepting assistance) has gone from 10% to over 50%. It turns out that building a relationship with people by showing up for them repeatedly and continuing to offer help really works. I also really appreciate that 67.5% of CSHW staff have lived experience with homelessness, housing instability, and substance abuse and recovery because of the way it informs their work and allows them to forge genuine bonds with the people they’re helping every day.
 Ward 6 loves Community Safety Health and Wellness!
At the end of the day, Kylie and I popped over to Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium for a celebration of their 50th Anniversary and bumped into Giselle and Michelle from the Ward 1 office! One of my favorite exhibits was the touch tank that housed various animals that live in the Earth's intertidal zones. We also enjoyed learning about how the Giant Water Bug procreates from a student of aquatic entomology. The female lays her eggs on the back of the male and then leaves him to care for them until they hatch several weeks later.
 Wednesday started off with a demonstration to protest the auction of 160 acres of Arizona State Land for the Copper World/ Hudbay project. Pima County Board Chair Jen Allen, Vice Chair Matt Heinz, and Supervisor Andres Cano were also in attendance, along with a crowd of community members and advocates. Lisa and I spoke with some of the attendees, many of whom had been involved in the project of protecting the Santa Ritas for many years. We gathered in front of the State building on Congress, urging Governor Hobbs to reconsider her stance.
 Stop Copper World
Since the agendas for the May 5 meetings were available, the Ward 6 team and I spent much of that afternoon discussing and divvying up agenda items. My day wrapped up with the opening reception for the UA Local Leaders Summit—a highlight was definitely getting to connect with students who are in the BIO5 KEYS (Keeping Youth Engaged in Science) program about their research and internship experiences.
It’s bright and early on Thursday morning as I wrap up this week’s summary. Looking ahead, the Ward 6 team and I are excited to attend the opening night of Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at the Arizona Theatre Company this evening. We’ll be at An Evening to Empower Ed (the official education celebration of Pima County and the City of Tucson) hosted by the Southern Arizona Education Council on Friday.
 Aren't we scary?!
As per usual, the weekend ahead here in the Old Pueblo is packed with activities. Three specifics on my radar are the Colonia del Valle Community Garden event, Ben’s Bells annual Celebration of Kindness, and the Armory Park Porchfest. Whether you decide to venture out or stay in, I hope you catch some moments of relaxation and joy.
  All smiles at the end of our open house. Photo by June Hucko
Mayor and Council Meeting Preview
schedule. The next meetings are set for Tuesday, May 5th – Study Session will begin at 1pm, and the Regular Meeting at 5:30pm. A reminder that Study Sessions happen first and are longer meetings intended for Mayor and Council to hear reports, dig into details, and request more information. Regular Meetings include call to the audience, proclamations, consent agenda items, and public hearings. You can watch both meetings online via the livestream link or attend in-person at City Hall.
Keep in mind that you can always find the full agendas (with addendum materials) for upcoming meetings and summary reports from past meetings (which include details such as final votes and who made motions) on the Mayor and Council Meeting Agendas & Legal Action Reports page. And if you have thoughts or expertise on items, we encourage you to connect with us!
Here are few items of note on Tuesday’s agendas:
The monthly Safe City Initiative Updates provide information on key initiatives and actions underway to improve public safety and quality of life for Tucson residents. This month’s update includes a Public Safety Communications update, which will cover insights from the co-located crisis professionals at 911; 311; MD Ally; TUSD security co-location. The Safe City Update will also include updates from the Dept of Transportation and Mobility and Tucson Police Department about engineering and enforcement strategies currently underway to address illegal street racing.
Proposed Changes to Park Tucson Rates and Fees:
During Study Session, M&C will review an updated proposal for Park Tucson Rates and Fees. This new proposal comes after M&C requested additional time for public feedback back in January and reflects changes raised by constituents. The updated proposal focuses on cost recovery for Park Tucson, recommending rate increases for meters, lots, and permits but not extending fare collection times and days beyond existing parameters and already approved plans. After Study Session conversation, this item will be before M&C for consideration and action during the Regular Meeting later in the day.
Recommended Budget – Updates and Public Hearing:
Study Session will include a presentation by Business Services, specifically covering responses to inquiries raised by M&C last meeting, information about the recommended employee compensation plan, and findings from employee budget engagement sessions. The Regular Meeting will include designated time for a Public Hearing, when constituents can offer feedback about the City Manager’s Recommended Budget.
Additional Items:
The agenda also includes an Executive Session for a Colorado River update, ongoing budget updates, approval of the Downtown Tucson Partnership annual workplan and budget, adoption of the Heart of Tucson Tourism District, and considering resolutions relating to opposing the proposed Copper World Mine and Marana ICE detention center.
You can view the meeting on the City of Tucson’s Livestream Youtube channel and find materials + meeting summaries (including legal action reports) from past and future meetings on the City’s M&C meeting agenda webpage.
Policies and Projects of Note
Safe Streets Mini-Grant Program
The Depart of Transportation and Mobility (DTM) has announced the neighborhood Projects who were selected for funding for Round 3 of the Safe Streets Mini-Grant program. Funded by Prop 411, this program addresses neighborhood specific safety improvements for traffic calming such as traffic circles, chicanes, and speedhumps. Through neighborhood connections and coordinated planning, this program exemplifies ways to address community safety through collaboration and collective empowerment.
We were excited to see Ward 6’s Avondale neighborhood be recommended for their request of a traffic circle and four speedhumps!
Safe Streets Mini Grant Round 3 highlights:
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8 total projects selected, representing approximately $450,000 in funding
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100% of funding is located in high-equity areas
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1 contingent project and 1 alternate identified
Applications for the next round of Safe Streets Mini-Grants are open now! Review the Safe Streets Mini-Grant program website for criteria, project options and application details.
UDC Data Center Changes – Next Steps
On Wednesday, May 6 at 6pm (doors open at 5:30pm) the Planning Commission will review the Proposed Data Center Regulations to be added to the City’s development codes. This update would create standards and regulations for large-scale data centers. Location: City Hall, Mayor & Council Chambers
The next step in the Planning Commission review process would be a Public Hearing and recommendation to Mayor and Council. Following the Planning Commission review, the proposed code amendment would advance to the Mayor and Council for consideration and possible adoption.
State and Federal
Flat Tax Impacts
In 2021, the Arizona legislature passed (along party lines) a flat income tax (SB1828). This has severely impacted state revenue and, as such, the Urban Shared Revenue (USR). The USR was enacted by AZ voters in 1972 in exchange for cities and towns giving up the authority to have local income taxes and luxury taxes. It is distributed to a city or town based on the incorporated population according to the census and based on income tax collections from two years prior.
This chart shows the changes in Arizona state tax revenue over the last few years, with FY23 reflecting when the flat tax went into full effect with the pink background. Statewide, there has been a 28-50% drop in State Income tax revenue.
Although the USR percentage was increased from 15% to 18% in an effort to mitigate losses, Tucson has seen a substantial decline in this funding stream. According to the AZ League Data Portal, Tucson received $107.9 million from the USR for FY26, a reduction of more than $8 million compared to FY25 and more than $36 million compared to FY24. These reductions prevailed in spite of small increase in Tucson’s population over the same time.
As we enter this time of funding scarcity, Mayor and Council are working to intentionally and sustainably build a balanced budget and address the shortfall from the effects of the flat tax and the loss of Federal funding under the One Big Beautiful bill. The City is considering several measures, such as reducing capital projects, a hiring “frost” and increasing fees for City services that have remained unchanged for years. Collaborating with city departments, the County, and local partners is imperative to prevent the duplication of services and ensure decisions are data-driven.
While this is a challenging period, it is also one of opportunity. The budget is a moral document, and it should reflect the areas we as a community value for investment and growth. CM Schubert is excited to work with the community to understand priorities and address necessities while supporting the families and people on fixed incomes who are most impacted by federal cuts and regressive tax structures.
Constituent Corner: Code Enforcement Process
This week, the Ward 6 Team had a highly anticipated introductory meeting with the Planning and Development Services Code Enforcement Admin team, to meet the new Code Enforcement Administrator, Greg Carr. Many Ward 6 constituents are well-versed in the process for reporting a property for a Code Enforcement Violation, but a relatively new development is that the Code Enforcement team has been housed within the Planning & Development Services for only about a year. With these changes, Ward 6 sees the opportunity to streamline the risk management process for properties in Tucson-- as the building, zoning, and demolition permitting processes that PDSD oversees are often both the problems and solutions to Code Enforcement Violations.
What is Code Enforcement?
Code Enforcement is the regulatory mechanism responsible for ensuring compliance with the City Code with regard to many health and safety concerns about properties in the City of Tucson. We also met TK Hunter, who is the Code Enforcement Manager for Ward 2, 4, & 6.
TK manages a team of seven Inspectors who respond to Code Enforcement Violation Reports throughout the three wards. Greg and PDSD Director Koren Manning affirmed that the City of Tucson is large enough that they are looking to add more inspectors to address the volume of reports received. These inspectors are key to the many goals of PDSD to standardize Code Enforcement response time.
What is a Code Enforcement Violation Report?
The City Code outlines activities and conditions of both public and private properties in the City of Tucson that are prohibited. A Code Enforcement Violation Report can be filed by any resident if there is concern about a property owner being in violation of Code and can be filed anonymously. Code Violations are of particular priority to the Ward 6 office due to the environmental health and safety risks that can come from property owner activities that impact the neighboring residents and businesses. From industrial pollutants in use in residential areas, to vacant structures that are a fire risk and often a factor to social cohesion and mobility, keeping properties up to Code is a primary prevention for public health and safety. The image below outlines the process that a Code Violation Report goes through once a Report is filed.
Code Enforcement 4-tier priority list based on Case type (non-exhaustive list):
Emergency (immediate response):
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Vehicles driven into buildings
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Vacant buildings with trespassers
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Active swarms of bees & wasps
High Priority (same day response):
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Electrical issues (ex: exposed wires)
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Plumbing (ex: raw sewage issues)
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Heating & Cooling (lack of either depending on season)
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Excavation & trenching (unsecured)
Medium Priority (varying response time):
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Dilapidated structures not collapsing
Normal Priority (30 working days):
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Exterior building maintenance
With this sample of additional background prioritization of concerns by Code Enforcement, we hope that folks with and without experience reporting Code Violations feel empowered to submit a Code Enforcement report. When safety concerns arise, reporting is essential if government intervention is felt to be needed beyond neighborly interaction. If you’ve submitted a report, please feel welcome to forward the report confirmation to ward6@tucsonaz.gov. Our office can assist in providing both expected response time and follow up with Code Enforcement on inspection status.
Upcoming Neighborhood Meetings
Ward 6 is happy to share information about upcoming Neighborhood Association and community coalition meetings in our newsletter. If we are missing a meeting that you are used to seeing here, please reach out ward6@tucsonaz.gov to help us keep our list updated!
Wednesday, May 6th:
Pie Allen NA - 7:00 pm
Screwbean Brewing - 103 N Park Ave
Thursday, May 7th:
West University NA - 6:30 pm
Virtual, email for link - wunatucson@gmail.com
Rosemont West NA - 6:30 pm
Email for address - RosemontWestNeighborhood@gmail.com
Additional Community Events and Opportunities
Palo Verde Community Yard Sale
Colonia del Valle - Community Garden Open House
Armory Park Porch Fest
Transportation Funding 101
Applications Now Open for Economic and Workforce Development & Special Events Grants
Resources and Asks for Donations
Available at the Ward 6 Office
Know Your Rights Cards, Rapid Response Cards, ICE Out of Tucson placards from Gloo Factory. Pick them up from the office Monday - Friday, 9am to 1pm.
Rapid Response Tucson
520-221-4077
Raids. Prolonged stops. Interactions with ICE or Border Patrol
Request witnesses and community presence to ensure your rights are respected
Family Preparedness Plan for Immigrant Families
Tucson’s Community Safety, Health and Welfare Program has prepared a very useful document, Family Preparedness Plan for Immigrant Families, in English and Spanish. Click the buttons below to download a PDF file of the plans.
Take Action Tucson
If you’re looking for ways to get involved in local efforts to support democracy and protect our fundamental rights, Take Action Tucson is a valuable resource: https://www.takeactiontucson.org/
 Together We Can - Business Pledge
Local, small businesses have organized to pledge no service or cooperation with ICE, BP, and HSI. Feel free to print the flyer from our newsletter or come in the ward 6 office and ask for a copy.
SERI - Fight Against Lead Poisoning
Donate Your Jars
 Donate Your Fruit
Donations for Kaleidoscope
State Engagement: Request to Speak
Did you know you can submit your comments on AZ State Policies with a simple online platform? The Request to Speak (RTS) system allows people to make comments on bills as they pass through the Arizona Senate and House of Representatives. The one catch is that the first time you register for the system, you have to do so in person. Luckily, there are groups that will go and register for you – for example, if you complete this RTS registration form, staff from the nonprofit Civic Engagement Beyond Voting will activate your account within the next few days. Don’t delay, register today!
Transit App
Did You Know that Sun Tran now uses the Transit App? This app is available through the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
If you are familiar with the Transit App, you may notice that the Pro features that are typically an extra cost are now included for FREE in the City of Tucson and surrounding Sun Tran service areas.
If you are not familiar with the Transit App, you can watch Sun Tran’s explainer videos:
Note: if you press *GO* for your route, at the end of your trip, you will be asked to complete a user survey, where you can give valuable feedback directly to Sun Tran about your ride.
311- Non Emergency number
Want to report an issue related to city services? 311 is the City of Tucson’s nonemergency number - but phone isn't the only way to utilize the service:
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Website: Allows you to see all your options for Request Category in one easy-to-navigate place. You can also choose the location of your request on an interactive map: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Residents/311-Service-Request-Portal
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App: Gives you the ability to input your request category, intersection, and email address to receive an immediate email confirmation that your request was submitted. Under the "Requests" tab at the bottom of the app, you can also see a map of all existing map of all the existing 311 contacts your neighbors and fellow Tucsonans have submitted across the city, request status, and submission date.
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Call: And of course, as always - you can dial 311!
Slow Down Signs, Now Available!
The Department of Transportation and Mobility has printed up these Slow Down signs for neighborhoods. Speeding on your street? Feel free to stop by the office Monday - Friday, 9am - 1pm and pick up one up!
 Two safety enthusiasts wearing surprisingly similar outfits, uncoordinated
Spring Preservation in Rincon Heights and Garden District
DTM will be in the Rincon Heights and Garden District neighborhoods, on or around May 4, May 9, and May 11, 2026. This project is part of the Prop 411: Tucson Delivers Better Streets Program. Here is the link for the Spring Pavement Preservation project website, which includes maps of the areas receiving treatments: https://arcg.is/0bHu4a0
If changes are made to the project schedule, we will immediately update the above link.
Country Club Manor AKA Arroyo Chico
Prop 411 will be in the Country Club Manor neighborhood beginning April 27th for a mill and pave project. Postcards will go out to residents early next week.
ADA Ramps: 4/27
Tree Trimming: 5/26
Mill & Pave: 6/15
Speed Humps/Striping: 7/10
 
22nd St Bridge Closure
The 22nd Street Bridge will be widened from a four-lane divided roadway to a six-lane divided roadway to match the lane configurations on each end of the project. This will increase the operational capacity and remove the bottleneck created by the current four-lane configuration. The 22nd Street Bridge is structurally deficient and will be replaced with a new bridge along the same alignment.
 
Prop 411 - Iron Horse
Project Start: Mid-April 2026
Tree Trimming: April 27th, 2026
Mill & Pave: Early June 2026
Thanks for reading and have a nice weekend!
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