Tucson’s city election is past, and no matter how we feel about the outcomes, bridges have been burned — partly due to the Public Safety First Initiative which went down in flames. The embers of disappointment will smolder for a while.

The initiative, Proposition 200, turned businesses against one another; friend against friend, and family members against family members. 

Voters evidently were concerned their taxes would be raised to pay for the initiative’s requirements. They may also have disliked the inflexibility of a city charter mandate that locked in increases to police and fire personnel.

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The community values public safety, but putting an unfunded measure on the ballot at a time when there is an economic downturn was imprudent. The city has a transparent budget process and has given public safety a majority of the money in the general fund for the current fiscal year. 

Voters also turned down Proposition 400 (Home Rule) by a thin margin. This was a budget override that did not raise taxes, but would have allowed the city to spend what it collects. The loss will force the city to make even larger cuts to services in the future.

It looks as if two new faces will join the city council next month. Richard Fimbres will take over the Ward 5 seat held by perpetual council member Steve Leal, who didn’t run for re-election. In Ward 6, challenger Steve Kozachik appeared to have defeated incumbent Nina Trasoff according to ballot counts that were still underway as of late last week. But in Ward 3, Karin Uhlich held less than a 250-vote margin over Ben Buehler-Garcia to barely hold on to her seat.

The council incumbents have been unpopular with some. They have been unfairly blamed for a lack of progress with Rio Nuevo. Downtown has been in decay for 40 years and cannot be turned around overnight. Past councils bumbled along with the project and should have put more stringent accounting practices into place. And it has been only six years since money began to come in from the tax increment financing district to help pay for infrastructure improvements. That’s money that otherwise would have gone to Phoenix.

The current city council has not been as engaged in community issues as past councils. Many of the members work at second jobs due to low pay. This has meant less time for them to research issues and meet with constituents. The new council must reach out to all Tucsonans, not just those who elected them.

Those elected and re-elected must realize there are daunting issues besides downtown redevelopment to deal with including the budget deficit, a long-term water supply, better cross-town mobility and better-paying jobs. The new council must become fully engaged to make the best decisions in these troubled times.

Defensive posturing has not solved Tucson’s problems. Mayor Bob Walkup must work harder to unite council members and get them moving together in the same direction. Earnest communication with all parts of the community is needed. That means listening too, which sometimes is hard for elected officials to do!

Tucson’s business people have at times been at cross purposes with one another. Proposition 200 was an example, businesses must unite with a vision for community progress beyond their self interests. What kind of future do we want for Tucson? How can it be accomplished? The answers to these should be conveyed to the city council for its consideration and participation.

While the business community may see the election as a partial victory, it is important for the anger and divisiveness that was so prevalent in the campaigns to go by the wayside. Reaching out to others with differing opinions should be the first step. A divided community cannot make progress. It will take real leadership to move Tucson’s stalled government forward.

Contact Carol West at cwwfoster@aol.com. West served on the Tucson City Council from 1999-2007 and before that worked as a council aide from 1987-1995.