On Wednesday, February 5th, over 250 people attended the “Sahuarita State of the Town”, hosted by the Metropolitan Pima Alliance and the Green Valley/Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce. The event took place at the Desert Diamond Casino in Sahuarita, and included a VIP Reception, luncheon, and the annual “State of the Town” address, presented by Mayor Duane Blumberg.
Rural/Metro Fire Department and Rancho Sahuarita were the title sponsors for the event, which was also sponsored in part by Carondelet Health Network, Century Link, AAA Landscape, and Farmers Investment Co. A portion of the proceeds was dedicated to support education, though the Green Valley/ Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
The luncheon, which was themed “Aspiring for Common Ground” reflected a regional focus on partnerships, collaboration, and moving forward together to ensure growth and development. In his address, the Mayor spoke of what made Sahuarita unique, and the aspects that make it an ideal fit for new residents, employers, and businesses.
Along with the fact that Sahuarita has no property taxes, fees for business licenses, development or impact fees; the town is home to a highly educated population, a thriving school system, which will continue to build a strong local base of employees, and an expansive selection of land and locations for new businesses to choose from.
Mayor Blumberg also emphasized various accomplishments that have taken place in the last year since his last State of the Town address, many of which were themselves the results of successful partnerships. Accomplishments of many entities, including: the Towns of Sahuarita and Green Valley, Tucson, greater Pima County, Sahuarita Unified School District, (“SUSD”), Farmers Investment Co., corporate supporters and local employers like Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold, Rancho Sahuarita and others, were highlighted.
Prior to the Mayor’s speech, a check was given to the Green Valley/Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce Foundation on behalf of the two title sponsors. Among the presenters were Captain Grant Cesarek of Rural/Metro, and Bob Sharpe, Founder of Rancho Sahuarita. They were joined onstage by representatives of the Chamber Foundation and of the school district itself, including Superintendent, Dr. Valenzuela, and Governing Board Member and Sahuarita Town Council Member, Tom Murphy. Sharpe also announced that Rancho Sahuarita, due to its continued commitment to promoting and ensuring the highest quality of education possible for students of the area, would be doubling the contribution.
Jeremy Sharpe, Vice President of Community Development for Rancho Sahuarita, and fellow supporter of high quality education, spoke of the event and its benefitting the schools saying: “Our community is defined by the quality of its schools. We are proud to be a partner with SUSD, and to work closely with Dr. Valenzuela and his team to ensure local students have the best tools and opportunities to further their education and prepare them for the future.”