Pima County supervisors yesterday settled on 56 road projects to include in the Nov. 4 transportation bond election.
Democrat Supervisor Dan Eckstrom deleted Marana's request for $2 million for design of a Linda Vista Road interchange at Interstate 10 from the $350 million bond package before the board approved it, 4-1.
Democratic Supervisor Sharon Bronson voted against the plan, saying she prefers the county's traditional pay-as-you-go approach. If voters approve the bond projects, the county will pay $147.6 million interest over 20 years on the bonds, using its share of state gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees.
"This way, $147 million goes to interest payments and our (state) money is tied up for (20) years," she said. "We can't predict now what our needs will be that far out. We give up flexibility and get nothing for (public) transit."
Eckstrom said he removed the Linda Vista interchange "because we had enough already. The board majority approved it."
Marana Mayor Ora Harn said Eckstrom told her he removed the interchange because no one from Marana called him.
"I can't say as I'm surprised," Harn said. "It seems that for a while Marana has been the bad lady to pick on. Our only support is from Sharon Bronson."
Marana roads now get only $2.9 million. The package earmarks $111.9 million for roads in Tucson, $5.3 million for South Tucson, $3.7 million for Sahuarita, and $3.5 million for Oro Valley.
Successful incorporations around Tucson would reduce the county's share of state gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees that it needs to pay off the bond debt.
County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said the county would have to negotiate with each new suburb to use the county's state road money to help pay for projects in those areas.
Plans call for selling $60 million worth of bonds every two years at a predicted 6.5 percent interest rate, ending in 2008 with a $50 million sale, said Jim Barry, Huckelberry's executive assistant.
The county would complete the roadwork in 12 years, he said.
The board dropped its recent threat to require Tucson to develop recharge projects for its Central Arizona Project water in exchange for the board adding two city road projects, Board Chairman Raul Grijalva said.
"We'll continue to work with the city on recharge projects," he said. "The issue was raised and we left it at that."
Huckelberry said he deleted $8.5 million in bridge improvements, $8.5 million to improve access roads from rural clusters to urban areas, and $2.5 million for bicycle paths and bus bays to accommodate Tucson and Marana.
The county made two late additions at the city's request:
* $15 million to help pay for the $35 million widening of two miles of Broadway from Euclid Avenue to Country Club Road.
* $2.5 million to widen a half-mile of East Golf Links Road from South Bonanza Avenue to South Houghton Road.
The mayor and a majority of the City Council agreed to support the bond package, as long as the county included those two projects.
Barry said Marana's deleted $2 million goes into a contingency fund.
In other action, the board voted 4-1 to approve a four-year contract for Huckelberry, who will be paid $138,000 this year - an $11,000 raise from last year.
Grijalva voted no. "I have a problem with the contract - it's one-sided," he said. "It has no performance standards and we'd have to buy him out with $75,000 severance pay if we want to make a change."
The board unanimously voted to accelerate spending on $5 million of general obligation bonds county voters approved in May. The affected projects are: $2.5 million for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund; $1.5 million for a neighborhood reinvestment program; and $1 million for new adult education space at El Pueblo and El Rio neighborhood centers.
