Dec. 2 marked exactly one year since I was sworn into office to serve as your mayor. To say we have faced our fair share of challenges this year would be an understatement. Despite all that this year has thrown our way, we have navigated through difficult times, proven our resilience and positioned ourselves to return stronger than ever.
Shortly into 2020, our nation was confronted with the worst health crisis our world has seen in recent history. Throughout the pandemic, we have made difficult but necessary decisions to protect public health. When our elected leaders in both the state and federal government failed to act, Tucson listened to our doctors and health-care workers and acted swiftly. I will be forever grateful for the immeasurable sacrifices Tucsonans are making to protect our loved ones and neighbors during these difficult times.
The pandemic has also taken a toll on our economy. With the help of federal CARES dollars, the mayor and council have allocated nearly $70 million to our community: $16 million in rent and utility assistance; $10 million to support local businesses; $7 million in cash assistance directly into the pockets of approximately 5,000 individuals and families; $3 million in assistance for nonprofits, arts and culture organizations and entertainment venues; and millions more to help with services ranging from isolation housing and testing, to grocery delivery and child care. My thanks to my colleagues on the council for their leadership in providing much-needed economic relief to Tucsonans.
Despite all of the challenges the pandemic has presented, we have been able to continue providing core services while launching new initiatives and building partnerships to position ourselves for a strong recovery.
We have made great strides under Proposition 101 to improve infrastructure. Thanks to the voters, we have paved 670 miles of road in our main corridors and 225 miles in our neighborhoods to date. The city is working diligently on Move Tucson — our city’s master plan for increasing mobility; whether you walk, bike, drive or take public transit. We have made great progress under Proposition 407 on new greenways and shared-use paths for pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Wildfires in our mountains and 100 days of 100 degree-plus heat magnified the unique challenges climate change poses to our city. The mayor and council have taken bold steps on climate action, unanimously passing Tucson’s Climate Emergency Declaration, allocating funds for a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, and advancing the electrification of our transit fleet with five new electric SunTran buses.
Our economy cannot grow without a sustained supply of water. Tucson continues to maintain strong water security with a 100-year water supply designation, and 50 years of stored water in our aquifer. We hired an Urban Forestry Manager, and launched the Tucson Million Trees initiative to combat the local effects of climate change, cool heat-stressed areas of our city and beautify neighborhoods.
This year, our city and our nation have also been confronted with difficult but necessary conversations about policing, equity and justice. While we still have work to do, we have made positive strides by creating a new Community Safety Pilot Program to look holistically at how we can meet the needs in our community, ranging from mental health to homelessness. Our Police Department continues to successfully implement strategies to reduce crime and keep our community safe. The mayor and council also created a new Housing First director position and in the last year alone, our Department of Housing and Community Development has housed a total of 925 Tucsonans, 385 of whom were previously experiencing homelessness.
We must continue planning for long-term initiatives to promote a robust local economy. The good news is we have momentum.
In May, Moody’s Analytics ranked Tucson among the Top 10 U.S. Cities Best Positioned to Recover From the Coronavirus. TuSimple, the world’s largest and most advanced self-driving truck company, is adding 40,000 square feet to its Tucson campus and creating more than 100 new jobs. Since taking office, I have also renewed our partnership with strategic regional partners including Pima County, Sun Corridor, the Tucson Airport Authority and Rio Nuevo.
My vision is to be a city that supports and leverages small businesses, startups, accelerators, and incubators to make Tucson a leader in creating green jobs, tech jobs and the jobs of the future. Through continued partnership with Pima Community College and the University of Arizona, we will continue to build the highly skilled workforce that our employers depend on.
For the first time, the city is in a position where we can set 10% of our General Fund in our rainy-day fund. Our city’s credit ratings improved this year once again from “stable” to “positive.” The mayor and council made a once-in-a-generation decision to take advantage of historically low interest rates to secure our public safety pension system, potentially saving Tucsonans more than $600 million taxpayer dollars over the next few decades.
Exciting new projects, community partnerships, and a strong financial position have set Tucson for a great future. We all have a common goal: to create a safe and sustainable city with economic opportunity for all. 2020 has tested our limits, but we have proven our resilience and positioned ourselves to come back stronger than ever. We are one — somos uno.
