There will be two competitive Pima County Board of Supervisors primaries this August: one for Republican candidates in District 1 and the other for Republican candidates in District 4. There are no competitive Democratic primaries.
District 1 incumbent Ally Miller will face John Winchester in the Aug. 30 primary, and the winner will then face Democrat Brian Bickel in the general election. District 4 will be a larger field, with three Republicans — John Backer, Steve Christy and Marla Closen — vying for the seat held by Republican Ray Carroll, who announced earlier this year he will not seek re-election after nearly two decades on the board. There are no Democratic candidates in District 4, though the Green Party’s Josh Reilly will be on the ballot.
Early voting begins Aug. 3.
In addition to providing basic biographical information, each competitive primary candidate was asked to respond to the same five questions over the phone. They were edited for length and clarity. Additional questions and answers can be read at tucson.com.
What is the biggest problem facing your district and what do you hope to do about it?
Miller (D1): Miller did not provide a response to any of the questions posed by the Star.
Winchester (D1): Roads are the biggest. It’s probably the number one issue in the district because there is such a large unincorporated population. That’s the population the county has to provide the service to, and if it’s not provided, they feel it, those constituents. I think what needs to happen is the county needs to bring a range of options that are both short and long term, and bring stakeholders from the community to talk and present these options in a great way to the community. The community has to have a voice, because at the end of the day, we are talking about possible taxation to provide the capital to start fixing the roads. Pima County is not in a position to just start fixing all the roads.
Backer (D4): I think it basically comes down to budget priorities not being properly set. With budget priorities not being properly set, you have symptoms of that: Our roads are not being repaired, our sheriff’s deputies are not getting the step increases that they deserve. For example, the World View deal: mortgaging county property for $15 million for a company that should be pursuing venture capital from private industry, and also purchasing Pima County land for more than appraised value. We’re going to have to determine what our priorities are and start at the top and work our way down, and learn to say no.
Christy (D4): Our biggest problem facing District 4 is roads and infrastructure needs. I plan on focusing on addressing the road conditions and infrastructure problems facing District 4 by utilizing my tenure as a five-year member of the State Transportation Board and chairing it, as well as my tenure as a five-year member of the Regional Transportation Authority and chairing it. I will use my experience of serving on those entities and utilizing that experience to address the road and infrastructure needs of my district.
Closen (D4): I’ve been going door to door since last May, and I’ve been talking with developers and community members. I have found really from the average taxpayer that they are scratching their head, wondering why we pay the highest taxes out of Pima County and Arizona and literally have the least to show for it. And the roads, that’s what I’m getting listening to them. What I’ve observed going to the board of supervisor meetings is that we need to get back to basics and we need to overhaul the economic structure of our county first. We need to do the hard work necessary to make this a county that families and businesses want to come to.
What is the biggest problem facing the county as a whole and what do you hope to do about it?
Winchester (D1): The largest problem in the county is leadership. I think there are a lot of problems in the county, but we’re not creating solutions because we don’t have the leaders at the table that are creating or informing those solutions. The reason I’m running is because I see a need for change in leadership, but it’s also engaging community leadership in the broader problems of infrastructure and economic development.
Backer (D4): As I walk neighborhoods and talk to voters, one of the biggest concerns I hear from them is they don’t feel that anyone is listening. For example, one voter told me, “If you’re not currently in office you have my support.” A quote that I commonly use is, “God gave us two ears and one mouth, so therefore we should listen twice as much as we speak.”
Christy (D4): The biggest problem is a lack of faith and trust in our county government. And with my experience as a 40-year business owner in Pima County as well as an active member of the business community, I intend to bring that perspective, experience and knowledge to the board that will treat all the issues that come before the board in the same manner that I would have treated them while running my business.
Closen (D4): “I think our problems can be solved with three straightforward solutions: stop the irresponsible and special interest spending and prioritize spending on core county services, like our roads and public safety; create a low-tax, low-debt environment, and provide services from a streamlined budget, not through increased taxes and selling bonds; and enact pro-business policy to expand our tax base, that includes streamlining county processes and regulations to make business startups easier.”
What is going well in county government?
Winchester (D1): It’s easy to be really negative in a political season, but I think the ship is steering in the right direction. Economic development is becoming the primary focus of the county, and that will entail infrastructure development as well as addressing some of the other problems in the county. Businesses want to come to a city or region that has high quality of life and good infrastructure, as well as a good tax structure.
Backer (D4): I’ve been impressed with the work of Ally Miller of District 1. I’m really impressed with the work that she has done to put forth a road plan to repair our roads without raising taxes. It won’t happen overnight, but the plan she has put forward is a good starting point. I was happier about the Caterpillar deal than World View, for sure. It’s good to see some jobs coming to Pima County.
Christy (D4): It appears that there is a newfound attraction and discovery among county government for economic development, which has been greatly lacking over the last decade or more. Economic development will be a priority for me along with job creation and retaining and expanding businesses that we already have in Pima County.
Closen (D4): There’s a new election coming up for board of supervisors. That’s my answer. Although we do have some wonderful attractions, and Pima County is a beautiful place to live, we have to change the way we do business in our county if we want to prosper and grow.
