County tackles housing shortage, RTA redux, and more

Sheriff investigation back on the agenda ... First look at new transportation deal ... More sonic booms coming to Southern Arizona.

If you’re interested in transportation, tomorrow’s meeting of the Pima County supervisors could be a big one for you. As local officials inch toward a multi-billion dollar agreement, the supervisors (and the public) are going to hear from Ted Maxwell, chair of the Regional Transportation Authority board. He is going to make a presentation about a recent compromise that could keep the RTA Next plan afloat.

At the request of Supervisor Steve Christy, the supervisors will revisit a recent Arizona Attorney General’s report on Sheriff Chris Nanos’ handling of an accusation that a sergeant sexually assaulted a female deputy at a holiday party. The AG’s Office said they found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Nanos and his command staff, but they may have violated several department policies.

The local housing crisis hasn’t gone anywhere and the county supervisors are looking for ways to come up with another $5 million for affordable housing each year. Supervisor Matt Heinz has been pushing for this since the spring and in July the supervisors asked staff to figure out their options.

County Administrator Jan Lesher laid out those options, and the obstacles for each one, in a memo for Tuesday’s meeting. They could raise property taxes by $10 for the average homeowner, approve a sales tax, cut costs elsewhere in the county budget (based on the housing study they commissioned recently), issue bonds, or create a trust fund.

In other housing-related news, the county’s Industrial Development Authority decided last month to issue $150 million in Single Family Mortgage Revenue Bonds. Now they have to get approval from the county supervisors. If the IDA gets the green light, they could continue the Lighthouse program that helps first-time homebuyers with down payments.

A local landscaping company says they were treated unfairly by the county’s procurement department. Arcadia Landscape protested the county’s decision to award a $1 million contract to another company, saying they submitted a lower bid. The county responded by saying Arcadia misunderstood the process for awarding the contract. County officials also said the company has tried in the past to overcharge for work like stump removal.

You can watch the Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting on the county’s YouTube channel, starting at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Closer to home: Environmentalists aren’t happy the U.S. Air Force plans to cause sonic booms and release flares at lower altitudes during training flights in Southern Arizona, the Tucson Sentinel’s Paul Ingram reports. The Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity and other groups asked the Air Force to keep the minimum altitude at 30,000, instead of the 5,000 feet proposed by the Air Force.

Legal avenues closed off: Advocates for migrants say the Biden administration’s restrictions on asylum could lead more migrants to risk the dangerous trek through the Southern Arizona desert, the Arizona Daily Star’s Emily Bregel reports. So far this year, the remains of 114 migrants were found in Southern Arizona, including 15 last month and 37 in July.

Coming up empty: After a complaint from a former employee, City of South Tucson officials say they found no evidence that Veronica Moreno —who simultaneously wears the hats of city manager, human resources director, and city clerk— created a hostile work environment, KGUN’s Reyna Preciado reports.

Tipping everywhere: The idea of not taxing tipped wages, which former President Donald Trump touted at his rally in Tucson and Vice President Kamala Harris also supports, would lead to tipped work in every part of our lives, Star columnist Tim Steller writes.

Stepping up: As the elections approach, the Arizona Luminaria profiled Arizonans who are taking active roles in registering Latino voters, supporting Indigenous voters, and making sure candidates engage with the Black community.

1,000: New apartments in Tucson that are already available or will be available by the end of the year, the Star’s Gabriela Rico reports. Nationwide, the 500,000 new apartment units built this year is on pace to break a record.