The three Democrats running for Tucson City Council in north-central Ward 3 clashed Wednesday on two proposals to raise the cityโs sales tax.
The proposals are Strong Startโs push for a half-cent increase in revenues dedicated to schools, and another plan for a one-tenth of a cent increase going to Reid Park Zoo.
Candidates Tom Tronsdal, Paul Durham and Felicia Chew are competing in next monthโs primary election for the Democratic nomination to succeed outgoing Councilwoman Karin Uhlich.
Local firefighter Gary Watson is running in Ward 3 as an independent. There are no Republican candidates for the seat.
During a live interview Wednesday on radio, host Bill Buckmasterโs KVOI program, only Chew, among the Democrats, signaled her support for the sales-tax proposals. Watson was not part of the interview.
A teacher, Chew said she is supporting Strong Start.
โWe would be investing in our kids and our future,โ she said.
Chew told Buckmaster that she supports the proposed tax for the zoo as well, saying the zoo serves a critical role in the community teaching adults and children alike about how to care for animals.
Durham, an attorney, said he believes strongly that education is important and additional funds for schools are part of the recipe to improve education standards.
However, he said he hadnโt decided whether he will back the Strong Schools initiative.
He told Buckmaster he has some concerns about the proposal, saying his read is that it does not have written standards in place to evaluate schools.
As for the proposal benefiting the zoo, Durham questions whether the city should play favorites and set aside funds to one park at a time.
Tronsdal, a small business owner, was dismissive of both proposals.
He called the half-cent sales tax to benefit schools a โwonderful idea,โ but said it is not the right solution as currently written.
As for the zoo, Tronsdal said the proposal was also flawed.
โIt isnโt the right policy for the city of Tucson,โ he told Buckmaster.
Reached for comment Wednesday evening, Watson said he wants voters to decide on both issues.
He said it was a shame that a third-party had to step in on the zoo issue since it is a service already provided by the city.
As for schools, Watson, who is also a JTED instructor, said education is important but not a service directly provided by the city of Tucson.
Watson said it should be up to the voters, not him, on whether they will pay additional taxes to go to education and the city-run zoo.
Both proposals for tax increases recently submitted signatures to the Tucson city clerk and are currently under formal review before being added to the November general election ballot.
At a forum Monday night organized by Progressive Democrats of Arizona and a grassroots organization called The AZ Ground Game, the four Ward 3 candidates offered various perspectives on how to create new jobs and improve the local economy.
Tronsdal, who owns Canyon Fence Company, said the city sometimes gets in the way of local businesses.
He said the former Wildcat House, which is now a BBQ restaurant, is a good example of how loopholes in the code can force one business to close while incentivizing another.
โThey ran into problems trying to get their parking lot up to code. It would cost the company way too much money, so they just sold the business,โ he said. โAnother business came in and was offered a tax incentive to go in there, and they came and didnโt have to worry about the parking lot.โ
Durham focused his remarks on trying to find a balance between city regulations and the desire for small, local companies to grow.
โI want to make sure they are no more burdensome than necessary to meet the (cityโs) policy objectives,โ he said.
Durham added he wanted to see additional support for education and vocational schools, saying a well-trained workforce is important to meeting the needs of the business community.
Watson said the City Council should reach out to both the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Tucson Metro Chamber for guidance on the needs of the business community.
Additionally, the firefighter told the audience that the city needs to focus on crime, as making sure residents feel safe is important to the business climate.
He noted that the city has lost several trade schools and it is important to working with Pima Community College to offer much-needed vocational training.
Chew said it is important to make the city of Tucson a destination for both families and businesses, borrowing the quote from the movie โField of Dreams.โ
โIf you build it, they will come,โ she said.
She added that while she supports giving seed money to help some local businesses get off the ground or expand, she suggested that those funds should be a loan that is eventually paid back to the city.
