Pima County started ramping up the pressure Wednesday to get state lawmakers to back off on a plan that would give satellite jurisdictions veto power over county borrowing for roads and other projects.
Those who have benefited from previous county bond projects - or who hope to when the next round of bond projects goes before voters again - spoke at a press conference demanding the bill sponsors withdraw the effort to force the county to first get a majority of a new six-member board to sign off on any bond package before it could be sent to voters.
With the proposed board consisting of one member from the county plus a member from each incorporated city within the county, the plan could conceivably allow Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita to band together to scuttle any new bond package.
"It's going to politicize the process, and it will be very parochial - and that's not the way we function currently," said attorney Larry Hecker, chairman of the existing Pima County Bond Advisory Committee, which has representatives from every jurisdiction among its 25 members.
Without a $1 million cash infusion from county bonds, the Pima Air & Space Museum wouldn't have been able to raise $6 million in private donations to expand its exhibit space and bring in 74 new aircraft, said Ferdinand von Galen, the chairman of the Arizona Aerospace Foundation.
Without county bonds, the county would not have a new psychiatric facility that's freeing up space in the emergency room and diverting people from jail, said Neal Cash, the chief executive of Community Partnership of Southern Arizona.
County bond funding has helped preserve Davis-Monthan Air Force Base by funding the acquisition of land in the departure corridor to cut down on the risk of encroachment, said Mike Grassinger of DM-50, a group of community leaders working to keep the base here.
Others talked about the impact on low-income housing, on open space and on roads throughout the county.
Despite the litany of speakers, state Rep. Vic Williams, R-Tucson, one of the bill's sponsors, said the question isn't whether bonds can help fund important services.
"This bill is a reaction to the abuse of power that the county Board of Supervisors and the county administrator have used in using bonding measures as a political tool," said Williams, who is eyeing a seat on the county board as Supervisor Ann Day retires. "This brings more parity to the system."
Williams, however, could not immediately cite any examples of abuse. As for whether the bill gives too much clout to smaller areas, Williams said, "We'll be looking forward to having that discussion as the bill continues to move forward."
The primary sponsor, Republican state Rep. Terri Proud, contends the county rolls over smaller communities and shifts bond funding with impunity instead of following through on promised projects.
But County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry countered that of the 69 specific projects approved by voters in the 2004 and 2006 bond programs, 42 have been completed. Two have been retired - one because Rosemont Copper doesn't want to sell land the county wanted and another at the request of Oro Valley. The remainder are under development or planned for the future. Huckelberry said he anticipates no substantial deviation.
Some shifting has occurred, Huckelberry concedes, but he said there are checks and balances in place. The bond committee reviews changes in cost, scheduling and scope of projects. Any changes to projects requested by other jurisdictions must get approval from that area's mayor and council. The county board has to approve such changes at a public meeting.
Gary Davidson, a county parks commissioner, said the measure leaves county residents at a disadvantage, since they can't appeal to a city or town for help with their needs.
If the concern is the bond packages aren't being monitored sufficiently, he said, then state lawmakers should write a law that covers the entire state and require independent auditing of any bond program. "This idea that they can just step into our local process is the wrong approach," he said.
The bill so far has passed the House Committee on Technology and Infrastructure. Huckelberry said the county would likely sue if the bill actually passes.
Contact reporter Rhonda Bodfield at rbodfield@azstarnet.com or 573-4243.
