🏛️ Government
Pima County voters face pivotal RTA Next vote next month. Propositions 418 and 419 would authorize a $2.67 billion transportation spending plan by maintaining the existing 0.5% Pima County sales tax first approved in 2006. The measure would fund road repairs, transit improvements, and regional projects across Pima County; critics note that Silverbell and Tangerine roads are still waiting on improvements promised from the last RTA cycle. No new taxes would be levied — voters are being asked to extend the current rate.
Tucson's lobbyists are fighting — and occasionally conceding — at the Arizona Legislature. A new Tucson Agenda analysis found the City of Tucson employs a team of contract lobbyists to advance its interests at the state capitol. The bill-by-bill review found notable positions, including that the city sided against public-records reform legislation among its lobbying priorities this session.
Arizona House votes on 250 bills in 19 hours, ends in pre-dawn chaos and a walkout. Arizona lawmakers debated or voted on more than 250 bills during a marathon Wednesday session marking crossover week — when bills must pass their chamber of origin to remain alive. The session extended past 4 a.m. Thursday and ended in chaos, with Rep. Alexander Kolodin clashing with House Speaker Steve Montenegro over the pace of voting and a sergeant-at-arms dispatch to retrieve absent members.
Oro Valley and Marana municipal elections moved to July 21. A newly signed state law has shifted the dates for mayoral and town council elections in Oro Valley and Marana to Tuesday, July 21. Both towns have updated their candidate filing deadlines accordingly.
Tucson Local Media / Explorer News
Ward 1 residents invited to vote on $200,000 in public spending. Tucson's Ward 1 participatory budgeting program, "Budget de la Gente," invites residents to submit and vote on how city discretionary funds are allocated in their area. The submission deadline is Friday, March 6.
KGUN 9 (ABC)
🎓 Education
TUSD board preserves attendance tech jobs while cutting $2.6 million. The Tucson Unified School District governing board voted to protect attendance technician positions — paraprofessionals who serve as a critical link between families and schools — as part of a broader $2.6 million budget reduction package. Attendance technicians, such as those serving Tully Elementary, help families navigate school processes and communications, particularly in schools serving Spanish-speaking and working-class households.
🏗️ Development & Business
New café The Hills to open at Sunrise and Kolb. Flores Concepts — the team behind El Charro Café and the Monica — is converting the former Commoner & Co. space at 6960 E. Sunrise Dr. into The Hills, a new neighborhood café serving brunch, lunch, and dinner. The concept aims to serve as a community gathering place for Foothills-area residents; the restaurant is currently holding a job fair for all positions.
Fairway Cigars to bring cigar lounge and putting green to Broadway this spring. A new venue called Fairway Cigars will open at 2900 E. Broadway Blvd., combining a cigar lounge with an indoor putting experience.
🎉 Community & Events
Endangered giraffe calf born at Reid Park Zoo. An endangered reticulated giraffe calf was born at Reid Park Zoo on Monday, Feb. 23, as part of the Giraffe Species Survival Plan. The calf has not yet been named. Reticulated giraffes are listed as vulnerable to extinction in the wild.
Wildflower season is starting early across Southern Arizona. A warmer-than-average winter has triggered early blooms at Picacho Peak and Lost Dutchman State Park, with superbloom potential forecast for 2026. The early bloom window offers Tucson-area residents good wildflower viewing opportunities heading north on I-10.
This Is Tucson (Arizona Daily Star)
⛈️ Weather — Tucson
No active weather alerts for Pima County.
Today (Friday): Sunny. High near 91°F — roughly 15–20°F above normal for late February. East-southeast wind 1 to 9 mph. Precipitation: 0%. Tonight: Mostly clear. Low around 56°F. Southeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Tomorrow (Saturday): Sunny. High near 94°F. South-southeast wind 1 to 10 mph. Precipitation: 0%. Outlook: An exceptionally warm and dry late-February weekend is in store for Tucson, with temperatures approaching 94°F Saturday — far above the seasonal average high of around 67°F for this time of year. No precipitation is in the forecast through the weekend.
NWS Tucson Forecast API