Listen:
Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild.
Gov. Doug Ducey and Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild met privately Tuesday before Ducey spoke to an audience of local business and civic leaders, and the mayor said he was happy with the governor's commitment to Southern Arizona.
Ducey delivered a Tucson version of his State of the State speech, including a nod to the region.
"I want entrepreneurs and investors across the country to know if they are looking to build, relocate or add new jobs, then Southern Arizona is the place to be," the Republiucan governor said.
Rothschild, a Democrat, said he had a half-hour meeting with Ducey on his first visit as governor to Southern Arizona and came away assured that Tucsonans will have a say in state governing.
"He wants to be down here more often," Rothschild said. "He wants to make sure for certain appointments, whether it be the Arizona Commerce Authority or the Mexican American Commission, that there is more Tucson representation."
The mayor said in their conversation, he played into Ducey's emphasis on stimulating job growth and the economy.
Gov. Doug Ducey."We talked principally about trade with Mexico, keeping those relations open, getting the infrastructure that is necessary both in Mexico and Tucson," Rothschild said. "We talked about dealing with state lands and the expansion of the Arizona Commerce Authority."
One other member of the Tucson audience expressed skepticism at some of Ducey's budget and educational plans. Sahuarita Unified Schools Superintendent Manuel Valenzuela said he was worried about the governor's call for shifting money away from school administration to get more into classrooms.
"When you talk about administration or out-of-classroom expenses, you are often talking about things like transportation or health services, or guidance counselors or librarians or things that might not generally take place everyday within the four walls of the classroom," Valenzuela said.
After his speech, Ducey said at an informal press conference that he wants "to find efficiencies, because every dollar that is not being spent there (in administration) in terms of redundancy or duplication is a dollar that can go to the classroom."
Ducey acknowledged that some of his proposals have been vague, but he promised that details will be in the budget proposal he sends to the Legislature Friday.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.