Marana Adopts Amended Public Art Policy; Council Hears CFD Election Results, Debates License Plate Readers

MARANA — The Marana Town Council on Tuesday unanimously approved amendments to the town's public art policy, canvassed election results for a new Community Facilities District, and received an update on state legislation affecting the town — including a CFD-related bill expected to be signed by the governor — during a regular meeting at the Marana Municipal Complex.

Public Art Policy Amended

The council voted unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 2026-037, amending the town's public art policy to clarify which projects must contribute to the public art fund and which are exempt. The changes, recommended by staff and the Marana Public Art Review Committee, specify that new public assets — including new roads, parks, and public facilities — are required to contribute, while projects deemed solely operational, safety, or maintenance-related, such as HVAC upgrades, new generators, or minor remodels, are not.

On the private development side, the amendments remove tenant improvements as a project type subject to art fund contributions, aligning private requirements more closely with the updated town capital improvement project standards. Private development contributions remain capped at $150,000, calculated at 1% of building permit valuation using ICC data. The amendments also add a formal appeal process reviewable by the town manager and authorize the town manager to make future administrative updates without returning to council, provided the core intent of the policy is unchanged.

Vice Mayor Roxanne Ziegler asked how much CIP projects had contributed to the fund to date; staff was unable to provide an exact figure but pledged to follow up. Council Member Patrick Cavanaugh noted the Amazon facility near Ina and Silverbell roads had voluntarily installed sculpture along the Santa Cruz River prior to the policy's adoption and would not have been required to do so under the current framework. Mayor Jon Post highlighted existing public art installations at a roundabout near town, Tangerine Sky Park, the Ina Road area, and the Marana Regional Airport. A council member noted that students at Marana High School have been physically designing and fabricating the pieces.

CFD Election Canvassed; Mayor Raises Transparency Questions

Sitting as the board of the Cascata Community Facilities District, the council voted to adopt Resolution CFD No. 2026-03, canvassing the results of a CFD election. The vote passed with one member opposed. The election authorized a general obligation debt cap of $300 million and an operations and maintenance levy cap of 30 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, with a separate ad valorem levy capped at $2.50 per $100 of assessed valuation set by the board.

Mayor Post raised pointed questions about the structure, saying the arrangement felt "sneaky" and comparing it unfavorably to practices associated with D.R. Horton. He expressed concern that rising property values could allow the levy to increase annually without meaningful constraints. Staff clarified that the levy cannot exceed the $2.50 cap established by the board, and that no tax will actually be levied in the current fiscal year — the first levy is not anticipated until fiscal year 2028, when the board will determine whether conditions warrant it. Post acknowledged he had misunderstood the cap structure. "I totally misunderstood," he said. "I understood it to be a free run home for them to increase it every year."

Council Member Cavanaugh noted that CFDs are not unique to Marana and exist nationwide, adding that legislation has been proposed at the state level to create a dedicated state agency overseeing CFDs. Town Manager Terry Rozema confirmed that legislation — House Bill 2999 — has passed both chambers of the Arizona Legislature and is awaiting the governor's signature, despite Marana having registered opposition to it. "Holy crap," Post said upon hearing the governor was expected to sign the bill.

License Plate Reader Program Defended

Rozema defended Marana's license plate reader program during the legislative update, drawing a distinction between the town's system and the Flock camera network referenced by a public speaker. Unlike Flock, Rozema said, the town owns all data from its LPR system, which is accessible only to Marana police and other Pima County municipal law enforcement agencies.

Rozema said the system does not conduct passive surveillance of all passing vehicles — officers must actively query a plate to retrieve information. When a plate associated with a stolen vehicle or crime enters the system, an alert goes to all officers on duty. "Chief Pridgett has spoken to me numerous times about some of the crimes they've been able to solve as a result of the LPRs," Rozema said, referring to Marana Police Chief Jeffrey Pridgett. "They are very effective." The update came after a public speaker urged the council to oppose the Marana Detention Center and surveillance of residents, and after Cavanaugh asked Rozema to clarify how the readers are actually used.

House Bill 2917, which would have effectively outlawed LPRs statewide, is not moving in the Legislature, Rozema said. Marana registered in opposition to that bill.

Four Speakers Address Council on Detention Center, Data Center

Four members of the public addressed the council during the call to the public. One speaker, representing DeFlock Tucson, urged the council to pass a resolution opposing the Marana Detention Center, noting that Tucson City Council, Pima County, and several Arizona congressional Democrats have done so. A second speaker raised concerns about the proposed data center project, including what he described as an undisclosed fact that the facility's combined 1,500-megawatt demand at full buildout represents approximately 60% of Tucson Electric Power's entire service territory peak demand, and that no financial guarantee for the decommissioning plan had been made public. Two other speakers spoke in support of the data center, with one reading a statement from investor Kevin O'Leary dismissing opposition to a similar project in Utah as misinformation.

Also discussed:

Town Manager Rozema reported 78 single-family residential permits approved in May, down from 92 in May 2025.
The Marana Aquatics and Recreation Center drew approximately 5,000 visitors over the Memorial Day weekend; Rozema said the final Concert in the Courtyards of the season was held May 21 featuring the Mark Miller Band, which will also headline the Star Spangled Spectacular.
The town's Dine and Discover program has returned; residents can pick up a card at the Marana Chamber of Commerce, have it signed at local restaurants, and redeem it for branded merchandise.
Development Services reported new commercial permits in May — one new retail, one remodel, one industrial remodel, and three commercial remodels — and no new multifamily development applications.
Senate Bill 1787 on exactions was vetoed by the governor. Senate Bill 1431, which would have prohibited municipalities from requiring homeowner associations, has not moved. House Bill 2873, dealing with data center referendums, passed the Senate but was skipped on the House floor and has not been rescheduled.
Council Member Herb Kai, Council Member Teri Murphy, and Council Member John Officer reported attending a tour of Tucson International Airport, where a 10,000-foot concrete runway is under construction.
Council Member Patti Comerford announced she is cancer-free and celebrated her 41st wedding anniversary.
Mayor Post reported hosting USDA Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, and Congressman Juan Ciscomani at an event in Marana.