Dear Friends:

During the June 3 Mayor and Council meeting, a budget for FY 2015 was approved by the Mayor and Council. This budget will start on July 1. The projected budget deficit of $35 million was dealt with through recommendations from the Manager’s Office and the Mayor and Council.

Sales tax and other revenues increased over the previous fiscal year. Businesses such as Costco, Curacao, Bruker Nano Industries, CAID Industries, APAC Pharmaceutical, American Tire, Valencia Crossing Development and Kalil Bottling, located in Ward 5, are helping to generate these revenues.

The Local Purchase Ordinance that I brought forward are helping to generate new revenues for Tucson’s economy. Increased tourism from Vamos a Tucson, the Rodeo Parade, the recent IGBO Annual Conference and Bowling Tournament, to name three of the many events held in Tucson, are bringing in the tax dollars for our City.

Other efficiencies through the Procurement Card program, something else I had brought forward, saved the City more than $4,000,000 in savings as well as bringing in more than a $500,000 in revenues for the City. It is stretching the dollars the City has further by spending smarter. In addition, an increased effort for advertising on city buses is succeeding, raising more than $400,000 in revenues. Plus the Bring Back the Splash private/public partnership to open city pools during the Summer helped to open eight more pools this past year.

The City Manager’s Office indicated that spending had been reduced but not to the point of showing a surplus yet for the City budget, with employee health care and pension costs being the main cause. This Mayor and Council took action to deal with this and will work with the Arizona Legislature – who oversees the pension fund for public safety employees. Steps were taken by the Mayor and Council and further discussions and actions will follow during this upcoming Fiscal Year. Again my office led the Mayor and Council with the smallest budget for which the remaining surplus went for road work, speed humps, bus stops and to help programs and services in Ward 5.

This Mayor and Council eliminated a lot of unnecessary expenditures that were in the budget, as well as vacant positions held open in City departments – resulting in 1,400 less positions now, then when I became your Councilmember on December 7, 2009. These cuts were only a piece of the picture that is Tucson’s economic recovery. We must continue to encourage and stimulate our local economic engine to help make this City move again and keep the progress that we have accomplished going.

Richard Fimbres
Your Councilmember
Ward 5