Better regional cooperation and a large new upscale shopping development were the main issues in Mayor Bob Walkup's State of the City speech Friday at the Tucson Convention Center.
The mayor drew applause when touting last year's passage of the half-cent sales tax to fund a regional transportation plan.
He turned to regional cooperation when talking about the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities', or TREO's, role in job creation and increasing wages in the region. He also called for greater regional cooperation on water issues.
"We see the larger picture, and we are working together like never before," Walkup said. He praised the City Council and the Pima County Board of Supervisors "because they are the team," he said.
As expected, Walkup announced a new high-end shopping complex to be built by Westcor, a developer based in Phoenix. Walkup said Westcor, the developer of La Encantada shopping center in the Foothills, is expected to build a high-profile development within 8,000 acres of state trust land near South Houghton Road and Rita Ranch. See story, Page A1.
People are also reading…
Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said Walkup's focus on regional issues was very positive, when only a few years ago a mayor mentioning the county so many times in his State of the City address would have been greeted with skepticism and negativity.
"The level of cooperation between the city and the county is at unprecedented levels," Huckelberry said.
Several of Walkup's points on the environment also drew applause, especially when he said there is a new council majority made up of himself and council members Shirley Scott, Karin Uhlich and Nina Trasoff — the "hybrid" majority. All four drive cars with hybrid engines.
The crowd also cheered Walkup's proposal to increase the household recycling rate from 22 percent to 25 percent this year and increase it to 50 percent of all households recycling in 10 years.
This was Walkup's eighth State of the City address, and the last before this November's election when he'll be seeking a third term.
Walkup again spoke at length about revitalizing Downtown but, as was the case last year, he didn't refer to the effort as "Rio Nuevo" — the name of the city's special tax district to redevelop Downtown that voters approved in 1999.
