Serving Oro Valley: A look back and a look ahead

Published on April 14, 2025

By Jeff Wilkins, Town Manager

Nearly two years ago, I was honored when the Town Council selected me to be your Town Manager. My journey in public service began with a simple belief: great communities don’t just happen—they are shaped by people who care about their fellow citizens. Having spent my career in local government, I’ve seen firsthand how leadership, collaboration, and a shared vision can make a real difference.

At its core, my job is to ensure that Oro Valley remains a place where people love to live, work, play, and visit. That means delivering high-quality services, maintaining fiscal responsibility, and fostering a responsive, accessible local government. But more than that, it’s about problem solving—helping residents navigate challenges and finding thoughtful solutions that strengthen our community.

In Oro Valley, as we manage the present, we plan and work to shape the future.

Celebrating our accomplishments

Oro Valley’s 50^th Anniversary was a major milestone. As we celebrated over the past year, we reflected on how far we’ve come, and the progress we continue to make together. Recent achievements reflect our shared commitment to preserving and enhancing quality of life:

Expanding parks and open space: Major improvements at Naranja Park, upgrades to the Community and Recreation Center, and ongoing planning for Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve.
Boosting recreation: Golf revenues now cover operating costs, and Community Center memberships continue to climb.
Strengthening public safety: From upgraded vehicles, training, and equipment to strong legal prosecution and a safe court facility, we ensure Oro Valley remains one of the safest communities in Arizona.
Quality public transit: Increased ridership, a new customer portal, and strong public support.
Enhancing Infrastructure: Continuous road improvements, new multi-use paths, and traffic signal upgrades.
Community engagement: Inclusive efforts like the OV’s Path Forward General Plan and OV Trails Connect master plan process.
Tourism and economic growth: Continued partnership with the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) for festivals, events, and live music. In 2024, the Town earned official designation as a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) to promote this amazing community year-round.
Water sustainability: Ongoing progress on the Northwest Recharge Recovery and Delivery System, securing our future long-term water capacity.

These achievements don’t just reflect what we’ve done; they also show how we’re preparing Oro Valley for the next 50 years.

Challenges met and overcome

With progress come new challenges. While Oro Valley’s population growth has slowed, the demands on our infrastructure and services continue to evolve. And with recent changes to Arizona’s revenue-sharing model, we must be even more strategic in funding community priorities.

The state’s revenue share with Oro Valley is projected to decline for the next few years. In response, we’ve tightened our operating budget and reevaluated all capital investments.

We also hope residents maximize local shopping in Oro Valley. Every dollar spent in Oro Valley supports essential services like police, parks, road maintenance, and recreation.

Planning for a responsible budget

Our fiscal strategy centers on effectiveness, structural balance, and resilience. Careful planning today gives us more flexibility tomorrow. That’s why the new fiscal year’s proposed budget includes a decrease in overall spending while preserving core services and advancing strategic priorities.

Key elements of the next budget include:

A slight reduction in overall full-time staff, while adding one new police officer to support public safety.
Investments to recruit and retain our police officers and talented workforce across all departments.
Flat Operations & Maintenance spending, with increases limited to essentials like utilities, liability insurance, and vehicle replacement.
Prioritized capital projects with an emphasis on water infrastructure and community safety.

These steps ensure we’re using taxpayer dollars wisely while staying focused on long-term excellence.

Strengthening our financial future

To sustain what makes Oro Valley exceptional, we’re prioritizing areas that matter most and making targeted investments for long-term impact:

Local sales tax: Our partnership with the Oro Valley Chamber promotes shopping locally, ensuring that dollars spent in Oro Valley stay in Oro Valley.
External funding: We actively pursue state and federal grants, and we’re grateful for the continued advocacy from U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani and U.S. Senator Mark Kelly.
Tourism and economic development: Tourism supports our local economy. By investing in amenities, trails, parks, cultural events, and business support, we’re positioning Oro Valley as a destination of choice and thriving economic hub. Our recent DMO status is a major step forward in how we market and elevate our community.

The future of our Town isn’t determined solely by government—it’s shaped by residents. Oro Valley thrives when residents participate and engage. Please consider participating in community celebrations, volunteer opportunities, planning events, or sharing your thoughts with us at ask@orovalleyaz.gov. Together, we’ll continue building the community we all love and call home.