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Regina Romero, Ward I City Council CandidateCandidate Regina Romero outlines priorities, experience and principles. ------------------- Q1)What would your first priorities be as a Ward I council member? A1)1. Securing funds for our neighborhoods and parks. As Pima County neighborhood reinvestment coordinator, I spent five years working with neighborhoods to help them apply for $3.5 million in local, state and federal funds for improvements such as walking paths, landscaping, traffic circles, lights and parks. We need leaders who can bring the jurisdictions together and leverage their shared resources for our existing neighborhoods. I will work to implement the May 2007 mayor and council-approved Infrastructure Report, which invests in parks and utilities and streetscape for our downtown, and also actively look for capital improvement funds for high stress areas in Ward 1. 2. Safe and secure streets I have been on the board for the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault for the past four years, and am committed to safety for all our citizens. I will assemble a working group to solicit ideas and offer suggestions for a separate, permanent funding stream for police and fire. We must guarantee a competitive wage for the working men and women who put their lives on the line for our safety. 3. Investing in seniors, children and youth As a mother of a one-year old son, I realize more than ever the need to give new parents support and training to promote healthy development for their children. Early childhood development programs need to be promoted. We all need to take responsibility for children - they are our future. I will work in a community-wide collaborative effort to hire teachers to expand our existing KIDCO program to bring in training for languages, natural history, math and sciences. I worked for five years for Pima County Youth Employment, where I placed more than 2000 youth in jobs with the city, school district and county, giving them the skills they need to compete in a global economy. I supported creation of the Joint Technological Education District, which gives students choices for career tracks in fields such as medical technology, biotech and automotives. As a participant in the Tucson Regional Town Hall, I will continue to work to create a higher-wage, knowledge based economy. Our population is aging, and we must continue to focus on programs offering respect, dignity and independence for older adults and their families. Comfortable transportation alternatives and access to health care must be a priority. Q2) What do you see as the main need or needs in Ward I? A2)Neighborhood reinvestment to make our streets more walkable, beautiful and safe. Q3) How would you approach the Rio Nuevo situation? A3) I strongly support the Mayor and Council's investment of TIF funds for infrastructure, parking, the eastside civic plaza's hotel and convention center and the westside's cultural plaza's world-class UA research and museums. Our history and culture is a strong selling point for downtown tourism. We should leverage the TIF funds to generate private investment, particularly in market rate workforce housing. More people living downtown means more support for the existing local businesses that are struggling to survive. Q4) What is your feeling about open vs closed meetings? Would you have a strong policy in this regard, especially for subcommittees that are currently sometimes meeting behind closed doors? A4)I believe in open meetings and will hold my subcommittee meetings in public. Q5) Is there aything you feel needs to be changed in the way the current council operates? A5) We need to encourage infill development in our city to help prevent the sprawl into our desert. We need guiding principles - a clear, public process for how new development is approved. The process must be fair to neighborhoods, residents and developers. |
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