TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In South Tucson, a special election is set for August 5th to vote on whether some members of the council will be recalled. This comes after one of the members spent months collecting signatures to recall three others on the council.
Former South Tucson mayor Paul Diaz is asking South Tucson to recall Mayor Roxanna Valenzuela and Councilmen Brian Flagg and Cesar Aguirre.
"So for the two years that I was mayor, all my suggestions about the fire department, about the police department, was never taken in consideration," said Diaz.
He said their focus on affordable housing and the unhoused community, part of their work with non-profit Casa Maria, isn't what's best for South Tucson.
"Economic development you know, was not, was not put on the agendas or anything, you know, because of they were, you know, special interest group that were really only for their causes and not for the city of South Tucson," Diaz added. He clarified he supports affordable housing, but doesn't believe South Tucson has the capacity.
Councilman Brian Flagg says Diaz should focus on other issues.
"We have a bunch of issues that we are tackling head on here in South Tucson, and I wish that Councilman Diaz would join in that struggle, instead of do petty, stupid like like things to just bad mouth us," said Flagg.
Diaz says he went door-to-door collecting signatures on the recall petition. Pima County validated 163 for Brian Flagg,170 for Cesar Aguirre, and 173 for Roxanna Valenzuela.
Diaz is standing strongly against their decisions– including their support of Proposition 409, the voter-approved tax to fund public safety.
"We need economic development to bring sources in other than property tax and secondary property tax, because we can't afford that," said Diaz.
While Aguirre and Valenzuela could only provide statements, Flagg spoke on their behalf standing confidently despite attacks.
"We're just going to keep working really hard and make this a better place," said Flagg.
Councilman Cesar Aguirre and Mayor Roxanna Valenzuela provided the following statements:
The Allegations brought against me by Paul Diaz are motivated by the fact that he
has lost power and control of the city council. Under his leadership, the city had nearly gone bankrupt, our fire department had been so badly neglected we had to consider outsourcing, and crime on our streets had gone unchecked.
Paul Diaz’s claim that being a renter “may influence me” to “shift the financial burden onto others” shows his complete disconnect from the South Tucson community, whom we are meant to represent. South Tucson has the lowest property tax rate but the highest sales tax rate in the entire state. With nearly 80% of South Tucson’s residents being renters, we have been carrying the weight of the city’s financial burdens through our high sales tax for far too long.
The voters spoke on this by passing the bond last election for much needed funding for our fire department. The voters shall speak again with this recall so my colleagues and I can continue to increase revenue to improve public safety, fight for affordable housing, and together with the community, create an economic plan that benefits all South Tucson Residents.
My opponents claim that I’m “serving illegally” because, they claim, I live outside the city. I proudly live at the Arizona Motel, where I’ve led an effort to renovate and make it safe for low-income families. After clearing the motel of crime, I’m proud to raise my daughters there. I will make South Tucson a safe community, too. Under my leadership, voters approved a $6 million bond to improve our police and fire. At the same time, this Council increased the City’s bond rating, meaning we spend less tax money paying the banks. This council has filed lawsuits and issued citations against our largest slumlord. I've strengthened our relationships with the City of Tucson, Pima County, and Pascua Yaqui Tribe, giving us access to vital resources. We’re fighting to reclaim the $23 million in regional transportation money that former Mayor Paul Diaz willingly handed over to wealthier communities like Oro-Valley. We launched Barrio Keepers, a program hiring South Tucsonans to clean our streets while getting valuable job skills. I’ve started “cafecitos” where local residents can give input to their council. These are just a few examples. Don't let this baseless recall attempt distract us from the progress we're making together.
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Reyna Preciado is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after graduating Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Reyna by emailing reyna.preciado@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or Twitter.
