Update: Oro Valley Mayoral Candidate Joe Winfield dropped out of the race on Oct. 3.
Mayor Satish Hiremath and three Oro Valley Town Council members face recall challenges in a Nov. 3 election in the upscale Tucson suburb.
The recall was driven by the council's decision to spend $1 million to buy a country club and its amenities, including 45 holes of golf.
The recall ballot will have three candidates for mayor– Pat Straney, Joe Winfield and incumbent Hiremath.
Here’s a quick bio of each candidate, for more details, visit our Election Center.
Satish Hiremath Satish Hiremath
- Mayor of Oro Valley since 2010
- Dentist
- President Emeritus of the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance
- Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce Community Leader of the Year in 2007
Pat Straney, candidate for Mayor in Oro Valley
Pat Straney
- Retired General Motors executive
- Board President of Rancho Vistoso Community Association
- President of Vistoso Highlands HOA #1, seven years
- Foundation Chairman and member of O.V. Rotary, eight years
Joe Winfield, former Oro Valley mayoral candidate.
Joe Winfield
Winfield announced at a candidates' forum Saturday that he was dropping out as a mayoral candidate and throwing his support to Straney. His name will remain on the ballot.
- Landscape architect
- Vice-Chair Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
- Oro Valley General Plan "Community Committee" member, 2014 – 2016
- Catalina Shadows Home Owners Association, 2009 – 2011 president
The Town Council’s decision to purchase the El Conquistador Country Club for $1 million in December 2014 ignited a recall effort against Hiremath and three supporting council members.
Public discussion of the purchase began at a December 3 town council meeting. The Council approved the deal two weeks later, along with a half-cent sales tax to fund the 30-year-old property’s remodel and management.
“It was kind of a take-it or leave-it,” Hiremath said. “There were two other buyers in line.”
A group called Teed Off Over Tax Hikes filed a petition with more than 3,000 signatures in mid-January to put the purchase to a public vote. A paperwork error disqualified the petition and the purchase was finalized on May 1. The country club is now the Oro Valley Community and Recreation Center.
“I think as a result of the vote and the fact that there wasn’t the community involvement, it created some suspicions behind the vote from the mayor and council,” Winfield said.
Hiremath acknowledged the deal was expedited, but said the vote was conducted publicly. He said the Council held three public forums after the purchase to gather community input.
“I said ‘look I know why you’re upset, and believe me, had I been on your end I would have most likely been upset as well,’” Hiremath said.
Straney said he is aware that not every part of a business transaction can be conducted in public, but that the town could have done more to involve its citizens.
“Decisions were made; a vote was taken; and then we went out and told the people why it was a good deal,” Straney said. “That is exactly the wrong way from my business experience to do it.”
What did Oro Valley buy? 324 acres that includes:
- 45 holes of golf
- 65,000-square-foot country club
- 31 tennis courts
- 2 pools
- restaurant
Oro Valley Citizens for Open Government filed petitions to recall the three council members that voted in favor of the purchase and later filed a petition to recall Mayor Satish Hiremath, who also supported the purchase.
Recalled officials had a choice: resign or run in the election. All decided to appear on the ballot.
The challengers agreed– a new mayor alone is not a fix for the divide the deal created in Oro Valley’s community.
“I think there’s a real need to restore trust, to build community unity,” Winfield said.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.