Do you support eliminating the hotel bed tax that was passed this last June to offset budget deficits?

Data from the MTCVB estimates that visitors have an annual economic impact of 3 billion dollars.  I believe that the June decision was incorrect on two fronts; it made Tucson one of the most expensive markets in the Western United States while at the same time reducing funding to our principal tourism marketing arm (MTCVB). Would a business seeking to maximize their customer base increase their pricing while at the same time reducing their advertising budget?

Too many candidates make the mistake of campaigning in a manner that makes it impossible to govern once elected. Budgets must be examined within the entire context of resources and needs. As such it would be inappropriate to comment on specific taxes or fees beyond my philosophical positions on those areas of taxation.

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What internal cost cutting measures would you direct the City Manager to take to reduce spending?

Under Tucson’s current government structure, the role of Mayor and Council is to provide broad vision & direction to the City Manager/Staff and allow them the discretion to implement specific measures that conform to that vision.  Even during the best economic times it is incumbent upon government that every possible opportunity for budgetary efficiencies must be examined. Fulfilling the core services as dictated by the city charter must be the starting point for all spending decision.

What plan or plans do you have to help stimulate the economy?

An often overlooked element of economic development is “attitude”. There are communities where a “can do” attitude permeates all decisions. Unfortunately, Tucson has developed a reputation of creating impediments to business development rather than facilitating it as a key component of any healthy community. This attitude must come from the top down.

Clearly, specific initiatives that reduce the unpredictability of doing business in Tucson (such as reworking the Land Use Code) must take a higher priority. Space limitations of this questionnaire prevent in-depth discussion, but I am leveraging over twenty years of professional experience in community/economic development and small business advocacy in developing specific initiatives that municipal government may undertake to make Tucson business friendly again.

What are you plans to address downtown development?

The role of a tax increment financing district should be to invest in the infrastructure necessary to facilitate and spur private sector investment. Elements that generate additional sales tax revenue within the district should be first out of the gate in order to maximize the amount of funding that can then be invested in other elements of the overall plan.  The unfortunate reality of our current situation is that the combination of the economic downturn and potential legislative action may leave our community with very few resources with which to achieve the original plan.

However, a healthy and vibrant downtown is essential to any healthy community. With proper prioritization, a commitment to implementation and increased private sector engagement, we can still achieve the kind of downtown district that Tucsonans and others will be interested in visiting.

Do you support the City creating a new Professional Services tax?

Please see my answer to the question above regarding specific fees and taxes. I would not be inclined to implement a tax on services.

Do you support the City reintroducing the renter’s tax?

Please see my answer to question 1 above regarding specific fees and taxes. I would not be inclined to implement a rental tax.

 

Do you support the Public Safety First Initiative? If so, how will you pay for it and are tax increases part of your proposal?

I do. The crime rate in Ward III is one of the highest in the City. Insuring proper resources are directed to public safety is one of the principal responsibilities of municipal government. Crime impacts not only individuals but also adversely impacts economic development and leads to a viscous cycle; the lack of economic opportunity generates crime and crime reduces the potential for attracting and retaining businesses.

As stated above, the issue of funding must be examined within the context of the overall budget but it must be a top priority. The potential costs of not addressing Tucson’s crime problem may create greater long term economic consequences than finding the resources to pay for implementation of the initiative should the voters approve it.

Again, an aggressive and pragmatic focus on making Tucson business friendly again will grow the overall revenue base and help create the additional resources to address important community needs such as public safety.