The Tucson City Council approved a new office under the city manager this week that city leaders say will better align the economic development efforts with long-term goals on climate, equity, and poverty reduction.
Lane Mandle, currently City Manager Tim Thomure’s chief of staff, will enter a new role as executive management professional of the Office of Community and Economic Impact.
The city’s Prosperity Initiative, a partnership with Pima County and several nonprofits to reduce generational poverty, will be moved under the new office where the Cultural Affairs division, Office of Economic Initiatives, sustainability efforts, and the Office of Equity were already housed.
The reorganization comes amidst stagnant job growth in Southern Arizona and a reckoning with Tucson’s “fragmented” economic strategy, said Regina Romero in a 2025 op-ed.
People are also reading…
Mandle said the office will go beyond traditional business attraction efforts with a new focus on poverty reduction, workforce development, and long-term financial health for residents.
“Economic success must not be measured by the businesses we attract, but by the opportunities we create for Tucsonans,” Mandle said.
City leaders said the plan to reorganize does not impact the $2.5 billion budget passed at Tuesday’s meeting in a 6-1 vote.
