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Most, probably, are unhappy with Tucson's public safety and police response.

Broadly, Tucsonans see a city they love not living up to its potential. 

At the same time this public discontent is stewing in Tucson, Mayor Regina Romero is poised to win a stronger majority than she has ever had on the Tucson City Council. 

If the current city elections fall the right way for the Democrats, Romero will have three close allies on the council who, added to her, can win most any vote with a four-person majority. That's on top of the up to three other Democratic council members, who have voted with Romero most of the time. 

Those close allies would be: Lane Santa Cruz in Ward 1, who is not up for re-election until 2027; Selina Barajas in Ward 5, who is running unopposed; and Miranda Schubert in Ward 6, who is running against Republican Jay Tolkoff.

Barajas will be taking over a seat long held by moderate Democrat Richard Fimbres, until he stepped down in March this year. If she wins, Schubert will be taking over a seat held for 14 years by Republican-turned-moderate-Democrat Steve Kozachik, who resigned in April 2024 and was replaced in the meantime by Karin Uhlich.

In the Ward 3 race, incumbent Kevin Dahl, also a Democrat and often in alignment with Romero, is facing Republican Janet "JL" Wittenbraker.  

It's perhaps paradoxical that Romero and the progressive wing would win more power in a time of such public disquiet. But she and the City Council have been trying in the last months to catch up and address the public's complaints.

They're in the midst, for example, of planning a new bus-safety strategy, in the wake of a series of assaults on Sun Tran buses, at bus stops, or in transit centers. It came late, but at least they're grappling with that problem.

And last Sunday, Oct. 12, the mayor released her own "Safe City Initiative."

"As Mayor, I understand that residents need to see real solutions that prevent crime, break its cycle, and improve the quality of life for everyone," she said. 

As I read through her program, though, and heard the discussion of bus safety, it reminded me that Romero and some council members seem committed to status quo solutions to the problems they're finally facing.

And that has ramifications for how the mayor and council might perform after the election. 

Safe City Initiative

I was excited to read the when it appeared in the Star as a full-page ad last Sunday. After reading it a couple of times, though, I came away confused about what was new. 

First, although it's advertised as a public-safety initiative, it's almost entirely focused on people living on the streets — homeless, addicted, mentally ill, or some combination thereof. This population represents part of our public-safety problem, both as victims and perpetrators, but it's only part.

Considering that 47 people have died in Tucson so far this year in motor vehicle collisions, not counting the 22 deaths involving pedestrians and bicyclists, people living on the streets are clearly not our only public-safety problem.

Still, the initiative treats them as the focus.  

"We also understand that with all the programs and services we have activated, there are still gaps in effectively addressing the lack of services and connections for people with serious mental illness and substance use disorder," she wrote.

One of the key planks of the initiative is to set up a Safe City Task Force. Its charge: "guide us on ordinances and policies that can leverage law enforcement action into drug recovery options." 

Even the demand that Pima County and the state of Arizona do more in their duties as protectors of public health is something that Romero and others have been talking about for weeks or months. 

In other words, the plan struck me, overall, as a proposal to do more of what the city is already doing. But if that were working, why would we need a Safe City Initiative?

Cracks in Council unity

There are cracks showing in the often-united front displayed by the all-Democratic City Council, especially on the east side. 

Ward 4 Council Member Nikki Lee, in , made a detailed proposal for reinstating bus fares as a way of funding improved transit safety and addressing the city's anticipated deficit. City officials have estimated that reinstating fares could bring in up to $8 million. 

"Even if we reinstated fares today, it would take 4 to 6 months to fully implement. That is exactly why we cannot afford to wait," Lee wrote. 

"We need to move forward on both tracks: reinstating fares with a free and low-income option and pursuing RTA Next, which could add another $2.15 million per year to the pool of funding needed to make our transit system safe and sustainable."

Separately, Ward 2 Council Member Paul Cunningham is drawing up a detailed response or addendum to Romero's Safe City Initiative.

Among his proposals: 

— A new bus pass and security system paid for by fares and/or a quarter-cent sales tax Cunningham may propose for the ballot. The sales tax could generate up to $25 million, he estimated. 

— Establishing an incentive program for Tucson's community service officers to get into the police academy if they spend 30 months as a CSO in good standing

— Increasing Tucson police pay by $0.68 per hour to make the department the highest-paid in Pima County. 

Refreshing proposals

What I like about these proposals is that they are relatively specific, and they make a break from the conventional wisdom that has governed City Hall.

It worries me that a progressive majority of Santa Cruz, Schubert, Barajas and Romero will not make room for unsanctioned thinking, for proposals that deviate from the dominant ideology.

The mayor should have to make her case every two weeks, when the council meets, not every two years when the council elections are held.