The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Councilman Steve Kozachik
Local government is your first and most direct touch with public services. If we don’t answer our phone or respond to your email, your options for getting answers are reduced to you trying to navigate a huge and largely unresponsive bureaucracy on your own. I am supporting Miguel Ortega for the Ward 1 city council seat because I have seen his constituent service work during his time as chief of staff in the Ward 3 council office, and I know he gets it.
Constituent services takes numerous forms. Yes, it’s helping you address issues such as accessing city services. And yet it’s also representing your interests on macro-scale issues such as rezonings, preserving your quality of life and standing strong in the face of challenges from institutional threats that may be counter to your interests.
During the rezoning of the Benedictine Monastery, I took action that ended with the preservation of that iconic structure in perpetuity, even at the threat of prolonged litigation. During the proposed rezoning of 6th Street and Campbell I joined with neighbors saying “no” to a proposed redevelopment. We said "come back and talk when you’ve got a reasonable proposal." One year later we’re back at the table trying to find that proposal with the development team.
On a similar note I know Miguel Ortega would have stood firmly in opposition to the proposed development of La Cholla and 36th Street. He would not have given up the open space, treated constituents dismissively, and walked away from commitments made at the time the area was annexed. And he certainly would not have followed giving into the rezoning by now taking money from the development team. I know we share the value of forcing the hard community engagement that may have ended with a "no, come back when you have a reasonable proposal." That’s not what ward 1 residents got.
During the runup to the proposed TEP franchise agreement vote I was the only member of the mayor and city council who openly opposed the deal. For west side residents it proposed using your money for the next 10 years to promote the aesthetics of other parts of the city and scattering crumbs of dollars onto undefined climate work — with no guarantee that even that would end up in your neighborhood. The voters saw through what the rest of the mayor and council supported and voted Prop 412 down. In contrast, Miguel Ortega had the courage and integrity to write his own editorial in opposition to Prop 412. I have invited TEP back to the negotiating table. A table that next time will include members from the community. That’s a value I know I share with Miguel.
When it comes to defending values and joining forces with constituents Miguel has shown by his actions he will hear you. When others proposed closing Manzo Elementary School, Miguel was there to oppose that action. It was 2012 and I worked alongside Miguel and others to preserve not only Manzo but also Sewell Elementary school in Ward 6. While 11 schools were closed, because our advocacy TUSD spared Manzo and Sewell. When others wanted to sell off El Rio golf course, Miguel and his team came out in opposition. I was there openly voicing that same opposition. The proposed sale to Grand Canyon College was eventually stopped and instead upgrades to Joaquin Murrietta Park were funded. I know our teamwork would have preserved 36th and La Cholla until an appropriate development was agreed on — with community involvement. And we just demonstrated that we can effectively push back against the large local utility until an appropriate proposal is ready to go to the voters.
The ballots will be mailed out July 5th. The primary election for the Ward 1 seat will decide who wins in November. Do not sit out the primary. Vote for your seat at the table, vote for your voice in the conversation, vote for excellent constituent services, vote for responsible use of your tax dollars, and vote for somebody who has a track record of standing up to institutional challenges to your values. Vote for somebody who will represent you, and who has a history of doing exactly that.
I would appreciate you joining me in supporting Miguel Ortega by casting your ballot for him as the new Ward 1 city council representative.
