Time to drain the swamp of the Marana Town Council’s gross conflict of interest and replace it with high caliber leadership. At a Candidate Forum, it was clear the 22-year incumbents all drank form the same Developer’s Kool-Aid. With well-rehearsed responses avoiding any debate on availability of water, economics and high double tax policy – i.e., Community Facility Tax Districts. So desperate are the incumbents that they have affiliated themselves with a so-called Marana Grassroots PAC. An immoral, unethical group based in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills was hired to influence Marana’s election. PAC’s do the incumbents dirty work with propaganda without legal recourse by new challengers. The Fix is in.
What was particularly disturbing was a deep dive into Incumbent John Officer’s history. If history repeats, Marana citizens are in danger.
First we have Officer’s character witness for his Arizona business license and lawsuit case # C-98-01806 lawsuit – none other than Rick Westfall, arrested for extortion with a $300,000 Waste Management project. Westfall was working with former Marana Mayor Bobby Sutton, who was arrested at the same time for extortion of Town of Marana Funds. Westfall also assaulted a competitor contractor.
Then you have Case # C-317002, Gross vs Officer covering Officer, his wife and Mormon Temple members harassing his neighbor, a little old lady (Rose) and her in-home hospice care husband former police officer Fred Gross. And case CV-970065HA, Gross vs Officer, injunction against harassment – for harassment of Rose and her family and visitors. Rose’s hospice nurse was attacked and bitten by the Officer’s Rottweiler. Officer’s wife assaulted a surveyor.
Then you have bankruptcy case #98-01806-TUC-JMM. Mysteriously, after losing the bankruptcy, Officer was able to immediately invest in a large new house.
Then, another deep dive revealed a demotion at work when he was a supervisor during which there was a truck/trailer fire involving herbicide that resulted in the evacuation of a section of Continental Ranch from toxic fumes.
Just for the record, the State pest control licensing board who issued Officer’s business license was shut down by state legislators due to corruption.
All of these events show someone of low moral character and no respect for the law.
It was refreshing listening to the challengers Tim Kossi, Patrick Cavanaugh and Mark Johnson. They provided sophisticated and knowledgeable solutions on water policy, housing and tax policy going forward. However, the meeting facilitators did their best to muzzle these three and stop them from talking.
I will be voting for the high caliber leadership of Cavanaugh, Johnson and Kossi. It is my opinion that the current Marana Town Council is corrupt and should be replaced.
Phyllis M. Farenga
Former Whitehouse delegate and Founder of the Marana Chamber of Commerce