Steve Farley

Cody Gerhart 

1. 1) Why is it so important for you to become the next Mayor of Tucson, AZ.?

I love Tucson and our amazing communities.  I moved here 25 years ago to start my family, and I have worked hard to served Tucson as a volunteer, as an artist, and as a representative.

An artist, I created the ceramic tile murals at the Broadway Underpass, and a lawmaker, I worked with the Red for Ed teacher’s movement to secure $415 million in new investments in public schools, including teacher pay raises. I also worked bring Obama’s Medicaid expansion to Arizona, which led to 400,000 people getting health coverage.  I know that in Tucson our roads need a lot of work, so I led the effort to improve our infrastructure, including road repairs. That effort also created Tucson’s streetcar, which created thousands of jobs.

I want to use my experience to find innovative ways to improve Tucson’s public schools. As Mayor, I would work with businesses, non-profits, parents and educators to identify best practices and new funding sources to create new opportunities for Tucson’s students–from after-school programs to job training–so our kids are prepared for jobs in the modern economy.

2) Our relationship with Mexico is crucial, and the purchasing power of its visitors is very important to our city’s economy. What is your experience in this matter, and how do you plan on maintaining this relationship?

I could not agree more that our economic and cultural relationship with Mexico is an important part of our city’s foundation.  Tucson is an immigrant-welcoming city, and like cities near national borders everywhere on Earth, trade with our close neighbor is both positive and necessary. 

In the legislature, I worked to strengthen this relationship in several ways. In 2010, I voted AGAINST SB1070 in 2010, and spoke out against it as well. I was a critic of Governor Brewer, and stood up for deepening our ties with Sonora. When Governor Ducey was elected, I encouraged his policy of rebuilding the trade relationship that had been damaged by Governor Brewer. Even though I ran against Ducey in 2018, his embrace of cross border trade has been a bright spot in his administration. 

As Mayor, I would travel to Mexico regularly, and maintain positive relations with local governments in Hermosillo, Nogales and across Sonora. Our message must be that Tucson is open for business, and we welcome Mexican tourists, shoppers and business people. 

3) Do you think The police should respect the fact that Tucson is considered a friendly and welcoming town. If so, how would you plan on sharing this message with Tucson’s residents and foreign visitors ?

“Friendly and welcoming” is in Tucson’s DNA, and it’s one of the reasons I chose to raise my daughters here. Tucson police currently follow the policy of NOT asking people about their immigration status, which is the correct policy. Police are here to both protect and respect the people, and I know that Chief Magnus shares this belief. Not only do we want to encourage tourism and trade with our neighbors, but it is vitally important for our public safety that someone who is the victim of a crime should feel safe calling the police for help. It doesn’t matter whether that person is a longtime resident, a visitor, or a new arrival. 

As Mayor, I will share this message every single week, speaking through TV, radio, internet and print media. I will also encourage Tucson’s tourism center to continue to market our city in Mexico.