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On behalf of the City of Tucson, Arizona, I cannot overstate our gratitude to our Congressional Delegation for their tireless efforts to pass President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan, and provide much needed relief to small businesses and non-profits, workers and families, and local governments.
We are lucky to have two staunch advocates for Tucson in the House in Congressman Raul Grijalva and Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick who helped ensure its passage in the House.
These funds represent a critical lifeline to so many Tucsonans who have been negatively impacted by the economic fallout caused by the pandemic. The City of Tucson is committed to continue being a strong partner with the federal government to quickly get these funds to community members who need them most.
 This past Monday, March 8, was International Women’s Day. I hope everyone had a happy and healthy International Women’s Day celebrating all the amazing mujeres in our lives.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with La Estrella Tucson for their special “Las Mujeres de la Pandemia” feature to discuss what it has meant to be Mayor during a pandemic. You can read the full story here.
 City Manager Ortega and I invite the public to join us in a series of town halls hosted by the City of Tucson. The goal is to provide the community a platform to share their priorities for the next fiscal year budget, beginning on July 1.
The series will be organized into four unique town halls that will have focused discussions on Infrastructure and Mobility, Climate Action and Adaptation, Community Safety, and a Resilient Recovery. This new and innovative approach to receiving community input for our annual budget will include moderated discussions on each of the four topics to enable community members to provide direct feedback to city leadership.
I welcome Tucsonans to join the conversation as we work alongside one another to re-imagine how we co-govern as one community. Feedback from community members is a critical component of the budgeting process as we approach budgeting decisions for the next fiscal year. I encourage all Tucsonans to participate and make their voice heard.
Our first town hall on Infrastructure and Mobility took place yesterday. If you were not able to tune in, you can view the whole discussion on my Facebook page.
 To register for the upcoming Climate Action and Adaptation Town Hall, click here.
The City Council and I voted to pause the Reid Park Zoo expansion project for 45 days so that the City Manager can organize an intentional dialogue with a diverse and representative group of community stakeholders. I appreciate all of the community input my office has received. I am confident that in taking a moment to pause and engage in a meaningful discussion, we can identify potential solutions.
At the end of the day, we all want beautiful open spaces available to everyone in our community AND we want an amazing zoo. I think we can accomplish both and the first step is stepping out of our silos and talking to one another.
 In these difficult times, I am grateful to announce, with full support from The State of Arizona, Pima County, and The City of Tucson, we have approved $27.1 million for Eviction Prevention/Emergency Rent and Utility Assistance to be administered through the CIC(Community Investment Corporation). We are all part of one community and together we will return from this pandemic even stronger.
 Also, please remember that this Sunday is the last day to make a payment plan for past due water bills. Please reach out to Tucson Water as soon as possible to make payment arrangements. Utility assistance funds are available for customers who have faced COVID-related hardships.
Tucsonans, we want your input in diverse city initiatives. Help us shape the future of the City by completing the following surveys:
 Our Climate Action and Community Survey is now live! Please tell us what your climate action and sustainability priorities are to inform the City’s Climate Action Plan.
Rumors are swirling that there may be a renewed effort to consolidate postal service centers across the nation. Please CONTINUE to share why Cherrybell is important to YOU by taking the survey so that we can communicate just how critical Cherrybell is to our community.
 You can now report online your own tree-planting efforts as we strive to plant 1,000,000 million trees by 2030! Be part of the Tucson Million Trees initiative and report your planted trees.
 Watch live here.
Tucson City Council votes to pause Reid Park Zoo expansion project
Tucson City Council selects Karin Uhlich to fill Ward 3 council seat
American Rescue Plan hits home in Tucson
Mayor encourages public to join virtual budget town hall meetings
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