“So, dream along with me,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero in her State of the City announcement. “Imagine the Tucson we want for ourselves, our kids, our grandkids, our next seven generations. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world: blue skies, majestic mountains, heritage, and culture spanning thousands of years.”
The city is partnering with Department Directors to complete strategic plans for:
- Our transportation and mobility future through MOVE TUCSON and Housing Affordability for Tucson
- Economic Development
- Art, history, heritage and culture, and climate action.
Click to see Full Text Mayor Romero’s speech. |
“These are 21st-century action plans to get us to the future we deserve reflecting the wishes and needs of Tucsonans,” Romero said. “Imagine Tucson as the sustainable, economically vibrant, progressive city of the future.”
She said Tucson must lead on climate change. Tucson is the third fastest-warming city in the country.
“We know we are on the frontlines of the fight against climate change. That’s why I led my Council to declare a climate emergency in September 2020. Since then, we have continued to develop our vision and actions as we move towards becoming a Carbon Neutral community by 2030.”
In 2021, she launched Tucson Million Trees – a nature-based initiative to reduce the urban heat island effect, especially in our most vulnerable communities. To date, and in partnership, with Trees for Tucson, the city has planted or distributed nearly 39,000 low water use trees in heat vulnerable communities across Tucson.
To water these trees, Tucson’s Green Stormwater Infrastructure program captures, retains, and filters stormwater in order to create more climate-resilient spaces.
“Working collaboratively with our private partners, I secured donations totaling over $400,000 to increase our tree planting efforts in 2022,” Romero said.
To get to a net zero-waste city by 2050, Environmental Services Director, Carlos De La Torre is re-imagining how the city views its landfill. What used to be considered a dump, is now viewed as an asset. At the Los Reales Sustainability Campus, the city will grow trees, use methane gas as a resource, compost, and foster the innovation necessary to lead in this sector.
“I’ve worked with my colleagues on the Council and our City staff to implement the Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap that will accelerate the adoption of EVs not just for city government; but, to construct an EV grid throughout the entire Tucson community in partnership with the private sector,” she said.
“Creating a climate-resilient city is important to all Tucsonans and an important driver of our economic development. Green jobs are critical to our economic future. It is estimated that the green economy creates 9.5 million full-time jobs and generates 1.3 trillion dollars in annual sales revenue in the United States.”
In 2021, the city worked with TuSimple to expand its operations in Tucson, adding another 75 jobs developing and testing autonomous vehicle technology intended to increase the safety and efficiency of interstate commerce. Additionally, CIS Global, now nVent, expanded its operations in Tucson, adding nearly 100 new jobs manufacturing metal components, some of which are used in the renewable energy industry.
Meets Biden in DC
Romero represented Tucson at the White House Infrastructure and Jobs Act signing ceremony with President Biden, Vice President Harris, his Cabinet, Congressional Leaders, and 39 other Mayors.
“I’ve been working diligently throughout the past year engaging with the Biden-Harris Administration to keep Tucson on their radar. Just yesterday, I received a call from Mitch Landrieu, the White House Federal Infrastructure Czar. While speaking, he made clear that Tucson and Southern Arizona are important to the President.”
“I was happy to report The City of Tucson is ready to receive federal infrastructure dollars,” she said.
Improving roads, accessory dwelling units
Thanks to Proposition 101, the City of Tucson has repaved 268 lane miles of arterial, collector, and residential streets and invested more than $50M dollars in this effort. Thanks to Proposition 407, Tucson has completed a remodel of Fire Station 11, and are actively reconstructing Fire Stations 7, 8, 9, 15, 16, and 18.
The city b built new playgrounds, walking paths, pickleball courts, and added six mobile recreation vans to Parks and Recreation services.
“As we all know, finding an affordable place to live in Tucson has become an increasingly difficult task,” she said.
In August, the Mayor and Council directed the Department of Housing and Community Development, led by Liz Morales, to craft a strategic plan that comprehensively lays out the path ahead. Recently, they voted to approve the ordinance that will launch the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units.
“This is an important step in addressing our affordable housing crisis, disrupting systemic racism, and helping to keep more people in their homes while contributing to building generational wealth and stability for families.
An example is Tucson’s 911 Communications teams, led by Interim Director, Chad Kasmar, who fields nearly 1,500 calls per day. They are on pace to process over 600,000 calls during 2021, a 5% increase over last year.
Tucson’s Housing and Community Development Department housed more than a thousand people in our hotel program and placed 78% in permanent housing as part of the city’s Housing First initiative.
Tucson Police Chief Magnus, and Assistant Chief Hall introduced an innovative program designed to reduce violent crime, particularly those committed with guns, through the Place Networks Investigation Project. Their analysis identified three sites to use as pilots to disrupt violent crimes.
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