Meet your IVA Board - Rob Samuelson

Director of Incorporate Vail Arizona

Former Chief Finance Officer / Director of Finance - Pima Association of Governments / Regional Transportation Authority

Given Samuelson’ experience, it would be expected to have a comprehensive financial plan that has been verified by an independent firm. While IVA has claimed to have both, they have presented a feasibility study that is both incomplete and to date, unverified by an independent firm.

Let’s cite some examples:

1. The budget in the study fails to account for Road Improvements, despite the numerous references to our ‘terrible roads’ on radio interviews and social media posts.

2. Referenced in the addendum of the feasibility study is the Pavement Preservation Plan Estimate. This estimate shows that Vail’s portion of these costs to be $21.6M. Samuelson’s ‘plan’ for this in the budget is that he ‘hopes’ to convince Pima County to absorb these costs. The kicker is that he also states that our roads are ‘better than most’.

3. Now, let’s move on to the top line costs that our neighbor to the west, Sahuarita, references as the utmost important cost to any incorporated town/city. The line item is a mere total of $3.8M. While that seems like a LOT, it’s quite literally ONLY for the level of service that we AVERAGED when the study was compiled nearly two years ago. It does not account for the additional families that we have added. It does NOT account for added development. It also ties our hands to increase service levels if needed where we are able to now lean in to additional services as part of unincorporated Pima County.

4. Samuelson and others have hyped up parks as a major selling feature of incorporation. Sounds great, right? However, not a single line item in this budget accounts for building, designing, equipping nor maintaining a park.

5. In addition to building the park and maintaining it, law enforcement costs would need to be increased to cover the costs of policing the park(s) to keep it safe. You guessed right, also NOT accounted for in the budget.

6. There are ZERO funds allotted for Animal Control. Guess we’ll wing it or call Rob?

7. There is a VERY limited budget allotted for Computers and NO line item for cybersecurity. A data breach for a newly incorporated city/town would bankrupt Vail.

8. Rent and Utilities - No clue where these would be but the costs are only accounted for as $32.5k/year. Where would our municipalities be located?

There are more budget examples - feel free to review their feasibility study with your critical thinking skills. Imagine it as your own household budget!

Now let’s talk about how this individual shows up for their community. He admits to ‘muting’ members of the community with whom he disagrees. Is this what we would expect out of a future town council member?

On numerous occasions, members of the community have asked for details about this proposed budget and plan just to be ignored, muted and on occasion blocked entirely from participating in the discussion. Many of these community members have offered their assistance to help redraft either the budget or the lines proposed to make this a more manageable (read affordable) endeavor with zero response from Samuelson or the rest of the IVA board.

He and another IVA volunteer went on to the private property of a person who opposes Prop 402 one morning to install signs. In the process, they startled that person’s young children who were playing outside. When confronted, instead of apologizing to that person, they instead made a rude remark - ‘good luck getting your road fixed’.

Help me understand how this establishes trust and good faith in our community.