‘The Koz’ is upset with the State of Maricopa-appointed Rio Nuevo Board

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I received this Media Release TCCB 9-12-11.pdf (.pdf) in a Ward 6 e-mail from "The Koz" (Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik) complaining about the pace of upgrades to the Tucson Convention Center (TCC). Maybe he should take it up with lobbyist Rick Grinnell, a member of the Rio Nuevo Board appointed by the Arizona legislature, and "Hail Mary pass" GOP write-in candidate for mayor of Tucson.

Press release from the Pima County Democratic Party:

Republican Council Member Points to Rio Nuevo Board’s Failure

The Rio Nuevo board of directors, of which Mayoral Candidate Rick Grinnell is a member, has drawn the ire of Republican City Council Member Steve Kozachik.

Council Member Kozachik has condemned the State Legislature’s Rio Nuevo board for refusing to move forward with needed upgrades to the Tucson Convention Center.

The board approved the upgrades contained in an agreement with the city, but Republican lawmakers in Phoenix told their hand-picked board members not to sign the agreement. As Kozachik points out in a media release he issued Monday:

“The newly appointed Rio Nuevo Board has been seated for nearly 2 years. It has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on attorney’s fees, audits, investigations and studies. Its current budget allocates $935,400 for administration expenses for this year alone. And yet nothing is done to improve the projects in the District.”

Pima County Democratic Party Chairman Jeff Rogers says Grinnell can’t serve Tucson by working for political bosses in Phoenix.

“Councilman Steve Kozachik is criticizing the Rio Nuevo Board for the poor job it has done watching over taxpayer dollars,” Rogers said. “Rather than work for Tucson, the board is being directed by the Republican Legislature in Phoenix who appointed them.”

“The board Grinnell serves has made a $4.9 million dollar claim against the City of Tucson. Is Grinnell recommending that the city take that money out of our police department, our fire department, or our parks department?”

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See: Republican council member points to Rio Nuevo board's failure | KVOA.com