Voters in South Tucson will soon decide the next wave of leaders at a pivotal moment in the city’s decision-making process. Eight candidates — including three incumbents — are running for three seats with four-year terms.
Current city council members running for reelection are Cesar Aguirre, Brian Flagg and Mayor Roxanna Valenzuela.
The other candidates running are Diana Moreno-Sears, Christopher Dodson, Zeke Cook, Deborah Federico and local business owner Eduardo Baca from Baca Upholstery.
The primary election is July 21 with early voting beginning June 24. The three candidates who receive the majority vote are declared to be elected into office.
South Tucson elections are nonpartisan, meaning there is no representation of a candidate’s political party on the ballot.
General elections are not held unless there are other propositions on the ballot, which there aren’t this year. Candidates are sworn in around the end of November, to align with other cities who do hold general elections. The city council then nominates and votes in their new mayor on the first Tuesday following their swearing in.
Residents can vote by mail or drop off their ballots at the Sam Lena Public Library at 1607 S. Sixth Ave.
What’s at stake?
In February, the city council ended its license plate reader contract with Flock Safety, citing concerns over privacy. The issue has brought forth a broader discussion in the council about their differing views on public safety, and comes just as South Tucson is figuring out what to do with a $1 million gift from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe for public safety.
Another equally important matter is the slashing of the grocery tax — one of two of the city’s revenue sources — amid a $400,000 budget deficit. In April, the council cut the 1.5% grocery tax, citing concerns over affordability for South Tucson residents, many of whom are already under economic stress. The tax brought in $121,000 in revenue and was eliminated against the recommendation of their finance manager, who suggested securing a grocery retailer who would move into South Tucson before cutting the tax.
South Tucson is a 1.2 square mile municipality surrounded by the City of Tucson with its own city council, city manager, budget, police and fire departments.
It has a yearly budget of $35.5 million, with $28 million of that being restricted funds, or set funds designated to a specific project or department. With a population of 4,550 people, nearly 30% of residents live below the poverty line, more than double the rate in Tucson which is 14%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It’s also diverse, with Indigenous and Hispanic immigrant communities making up nearly one in five people.
Survival has been a part of this small city’s history, something that has instilled a deep sense of pride into the many generations of South Tucsonans. The elected council members will have to make decisions that will directly impact their constituents, such as how they want to address public safety and how they will ensure the financial sustainability of the city.
Where the candidates stand
To give voters an insight into what the candidates think and plan to do, Arizona Luminaria asked each candidate two questions about some of the city’s most pressing issues. Candidates were given one week to respond. All responses were submitted in written format except for Flagg, who answered the questions over the phone, with light editing for length; and Baca, who responded in Spanish, in-person at his place of business.
Moreno-Sears and incumbent Aguirre did not respond to questions despite multiple attempts to contact them. Neither have campaign websites nor have made any public comments regarding their positions. Aguirre volunteers with Casa Maria Soup Kitchen, a Catholic worker nonprofit headed by Flagg, where Valenzuela also volunteers. The three ran a joint campaign in 2022 and for every ordinance passed within the past eight months, they voted the same way, according to meeting minutes.
What does public safety mean to you and what are some key solutions you have for strengthening public safety in South Tucson?
Zeke Cook — Public safety for me means providing citizens with sidewalks in good repair, adequate lighting, crosswalks and traffic lights. It means not being in fear of assault or burglary.
The most effective method to increase public safety is installing license plate reading cameras. The Flock cameras were up for only six months, but led to 14 arrests and one solved murder. Despite this success, the current council took the cameras down. At the end of May, thieves took copper wires from street lamps, causing an estimated $39,000 in damage. This was in an area that was previously covered by Flock. No video, no leads.
Retaining police officers allows community relationships to be maintained, making everyone safer. But our police officers are paid significantly less than neighboring departments. Offering competitive pay will solve this issue.
Christopher Dodson — Public Safety is at the forefront of my concerns and a foundational responsibility of local government. I will make it a day one effort to rid our community of the open air drug, prostitution, and human trafficking that plagues South Sixth. Crime in South Tucson is a choice.
Brian Flagg — Public safety is having a strong police and fire presence (but it) is also about preventative measures. On this council, we’ve been able to do things like fund the John Valenzuela Youth Center and that’s also related to public safety because kids are at the youth center instead of getting in trouble, so it’s connected to public safety. Public safety means our cops doing community policing, and we’re trying to further the whole idea of being out of your cars, out of the station, talking with the people, demanding accountability. We had a project where we (cleaned up) South Tucson along with Barrio Restoration. A part of that is talking to people and saying, “don’t do fentanyl and lay out here in the streets. If you do, you’re going to have to leave town.” So it’s demanding accountability from people who eat here, use services here or even live here. Be a responsible community person or get down the road.
Deborah Federico — South Tucson gets painted as crime-ridden. The people who live here know better. We deserve safety like anywhere else, and that starts with a department that is funded, staffed, and equipped to do the job. But we can’t only arrest our way out of fentanyl and homelessness. Real safety means reaching people before the crisis, using every tool we have, not just a patrol car, and not leaving grants and partnerships on the table that other cities fight for.
It also means accountability. Money given to this city for public safety should go to public safety. Put the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s $1 million gift toward the police, as the city’s own committee recommended, instead of letting it sit. And restore the Flock cameras Chief Denogean credited with 14 arrests and 8 recovered vehicles in six months, with our data kept local. Listen to residents, then build what they deserve.
Eduardo Baca — To ensure things go well in South Tucson, we need good policing. We need people to help cut down on crime, disorder, and the homelessness — there are so many homeless people around, and they’re often doing things they shouldn’t be. First, I would speak with the community, and then with the City Council, to see if we could do something to clean things up and put a stop to all the chaos.
Roxanna Valenzuela — Public safety means ensuring our emergency services are fully equipped, and our officers have the necessary training to serve with dignity. We have invested millions in our public safety department and built some of the fastest response times in the region and reached a milestone of 15 fully staffed officers. To strengthen this, we must maintain these response times while actively investing in youth crime prevention programs to break generational cycles. True safety is proactive, not just reactive. By supporting our first responders and simultaneously uplifting our youth, we create a secure environment where families can thrive, and local businesses can invest with confidence.
Amid a $400,000 budget deficit and the recent cutting of the grocery tax, what are some things you will do to ensure South Tucson is financially sustainable?
Zeke Cook — As of early July, the projected deficit is about $400,000. This is probably optimistic because it includes a $220K payment from Pima County, even though city attorney Jon Paladini has told the council that the County can’t figure out a legal way to make said payment. The budget also fails to include the expected rise in employee health insurance costs.
Essentially, the city needs an increase of about two million dollars a year in tax revenue to bring staff salaries up to par, and balance the budget. If it all comes from the transaction privilege tax, that implies that we need a forty million dollar increase in retail sales.
The blighted area, on our South side, along I-10 is ripe for responsible redevelopment. We need the tax revenue from new investments to pay for our city’s services. If we fail, there will be fewer police and lower quality of life.
Christopher Dodson — South Tucson is on the verge of bankruptcy. Our current council bamboozled our citizens into an outsourced fire department and one of the highest sales tax rates in Arizona. The grocery tax is a day late and dollar short. We are so far from sustainability I feel a more appropriate goal would be survival. We must start treating our government as a business rather than a nonprofit.
Brian Flagg — I don’t think it’s the end of the world if the budget isn’t totally balanced. There’s no grocery tax now and that’s a good thing because people will pay less at the grocery store. Not having a grocery tax is a statement that says we’re serious about economic development, it’s like saying we’re open for business. We’ll just have to make it to the extent that we don’t have those businesses here right now, at this moment to replace Food City. We’re trying to do it, and we’re willing to do something like take some money out of our budget and do some economic development, to try to get businesses in here, especially a grocery store. And if you just wait till you have somebody lined up. It’s like, I don’t think that’ll ever happen.
Deborah Federico — South Tucson has a $400,000 hole, and we keep making decisions without a plan. We cut the grocery tax and gave up about $173,000 a year while staring at that deficit. Reaching for the sales tax, already 11%, is no better.
The fix is not one vote. It is discipline. We are the bridge between downtown and the south side, with some of the best Mexican food anywhere on our streets. We should be a destination, not a speed bump. For years we have been told to fear gentrification while storefronts on South 6th and 4th sit empty. Dread does not fill a storefront. Make it quick and cheap to open here, recruit a grocer, and chase every outside dollar: federal grants, tribal partnerships, a full census.
We also need what we’ve gone without: an updated Comprehensive Plan, and honest accounting of every dollar. That is the discipline Zeke Cook and I are running on.
Eduardo Baca — First of all, I would try to get the city council to have an agreement that would lower prices. I would fight to lower fuel prices, rent and for everything that right now people are struggling with.
Roxanna Valenzuela — Addressing a $400,000 deficit requires making city government leaner and driving local economic development. We are actively streamlining municipal operations and cutting unnecessary operational costs to protect vital services. Eliminating the grocery tax was a necessary step to alleviate burdens on struggling families and lower the cost of living and an attempt to bring in another grocery store. To build long-term financial sustainability, we must aggressively foster a thriving local business environment that generates new revenue. By cutting waste and prioritizing targeted economic growth, we can bridge the budget gap, support our residents, and build a resilient economy.
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