Local opinion: Marana mayor and his brother's land deal

Marana Mayor Jon Post is once again at the center of controversy — this time for promoting the annexation and rezoning of his brother’s suburban ranch property. The plan? To convert it into high-density development with 15 three-story apartment buildings and 150 small homes — right next to long-established suburban ranch homes on multi-acre lots with horses. Fair? Hardly.

Mayor Post has a track record of questionable actions, and this is no exception. As noted in a June 2024 Letter to the Editor in the Explorer Newspaper, he has previously been accused of nepotism and appointing friends and family to prominent positions within the Town of Marana. So it’s no surprise he is once again blurring ethical lines — this time to benefit his brother, Dan Post.

Despite previously downplaying the need for boundary adjustments — saying efforts to clean them up are “a never-ending battle” — the Mayor is suddenly eager when his own family stands to profit. Working with development firm The Planning Center and landowner Mike Goodman of WGML Investments, the mayor and his brother crafted a plan to annex three adjacent parcels totaling 52 acres — currently zoned Suburban Ranch in Pima County and located within a designated conservation area. Pima County had no intention of allowing rezoning, but Marana, under the mayor’s influence, has other ideas.

The intent is clear: annex the land into Marana, rezone it, and cash in. Dan Post, still living on his 13-acre property, seems unbothered by how this will affect the neighbors he’s lived among for many years. But money talks, and the potential to increase the profit from selling his property to developers by five-to-tenfold — turning modest holdings into millions — is apparently too enticing for the Post brothers to resist.

This scheme was quietly put into motion years ago, only becoming public at an April 15 Marana hearing — poorly attended because neighbors weren’t notified and The Planning Center was unprepared for public scrutiny. Yet the mayor aggressively supported and promoted the plan.

Once the community found out, the backlash was swift. More than 50 outraged neighbors showed up at the May 6th Town Council meeting, with 9 speaking out forcefully against the annexation. A petition opposing the annexation plan has already gathered over 100 signatures from nearby residents — and continues to grow.

The proposed development disregards existing homes and neighborhood character. The plan clearly shows all three parcels being scraped clean, with no concern for the long-standing suburban ranch lifestyle surrounding them. For residents like us, who’ve lived here 21 years, it means staring at apartment buildings instead of the beautiful Tucson Mountains from our backyard — something that would never have been approved in Pima County due to conservation and zoning protections.

But annexation into Marana allows a complete zoning overhaul — one that favors developers and insiders over current residents. Dan Post could have sold his property like anyone else. Instead, his brother, the mayor, is leveraging his office to maximize family profits at the community’s expense.

This isn’t just unethical — it’s damaging to the integrity of the Town of Marana. It disrespects Town staff, fellow Council Members (especially those who recognize the conflict), and residents alike. Is this the kind of leadership Marana deserves? Are we back to the days of early-2000s corruption?

This annexation is not about responsible growth or community values — it’s about money, greed, and power. It’s about bulldozing neighborhoods and open land — literally and figuratively — for personal gain.

Marana deserves better. It’s time for voters to demand integrity, transparency, and leadership that serves all citizens — not just the well-connected few.

Randy and Rhonda Karrer have been adjacent property owners for over 21 years.