Eight candidates are vying for three seats on the South Tucson City Council in a nonpartisan primary election ending July 21, with public safety, a persistent budget deficit and the future of the city's surveillance camera system among the central issues in the race.

With early voting underway, candidates include current members Roxanna Valenzuela, Cesar Aguirre and Brian Flagg, and challengers Christopher Dodson, Diana Moreno-Sears, Zeke Cook, Debbie Federico and Eduardo Baca.

Dodson and Baca previously ran as write-in candidates in the August 2025 recall election that sought to remove Valenzuela, Flagg and Aguirre from office. The recall failed, and all three incumbents retained their seats.

The three candidates who receive the most votes in the July 21 primary will join the council.

Tucson Spotlight reached out to all eight candidates with questions about public safety, budget deficits and development plans for the one-square-mile municipality. Dodson, Moreno-Sears and Aguirre did not respond.

Roxanna Valenzuela

A hair stylist who once owned her own salon, Valenzuela has served on the South Tucson City Council since 2022 and was appointed mayor by her fellow council members following the 2024 election. She, Flagg and Aguirre have campaigned together and volunteered together at Casa Maria Soup Kitchen.

The three incumbents have governed largely in lockstep since taking office.

In February, the South Tucson City Council voted 5-1-1 to cancel its contract with Flock Safety over concerns about data collection and privacy. Residents have continued to speak about the issue since the contract's cancellation, with a small majority supporting the implementation of a new system.

Flock cameras were credited by South Tucson Police Chief Danny Denogean with an arrest in the homicide of a 60-year-old South Tucson resident. The council is currently in talks about potential camera implementation.

"We are building a comprehensive safety network that combines rapid emergency response with deep community care," Valenzuela told Tucson Spotlight.

Valenzuela's plan includes keeping a fully staffed police department, funding operations through the $1 million Pascua Yaqui Tribe donation and continuing to take legal action against slumlords.

"Crucially, our safety strategy puts a massive focus on expanding prevention and youth programming, giving our young people better opportunities and positive paths away from street life," Valenzuela said.

South Tucson passed a tentative budget earlier this month that reduces a $1.6 million deficit to $400,000. The elimination of the 1.5% food and consumption tax in late April has added pressure, leaving the city to manage a persistent shortfall with a constrained budget.

"Moving forward, we will continue balancing the budget through strict administrative fiscal discipline and by aggressively leveraging external regional partnerships for our infrastructure and operational needs, ensuring our residents don't bear the financial burden," Valenzuela said.

On development, candidates were asked what they would like to see in the city.

"Our absolute priority is expanding affordable housing, starting with our plan to secure 300 stable, dignified units across the municipality," Valenzuela said. "We are investing directly in our community's families and culture by increasing direct funding for after-school youth activities and sports, launching a low-cost municipal Wi-Fi network to provide free public internet and lower monthly utility bills for everyone and by bringing back beloved celebrations like the Norteño Festival."

Brian Flagg

Flagg has been a longtime advocate for South Tucson residents and has served on the council since 2022.

He credits recent safety improvements to voter-approved fire department upgrades under Proposition 409. He also wants to maintain a fully staffed police department while exploring new strategies, including a police bike patrol inspired by Ward 3's safety initiative and continued barrio walks and cleanups with Barrio Restoration.

"When you go knock on doors, which we do in South Tucson, people tell you what they want," Flagg said. "They want public safety, and they want to have a responsive police department … we feel like we're on the right track on that."

If reelected, Flagg plans to work with Pima County to offset jail costs while continuing discussions about opioid settlement funds.

"There's an estimate of $150,000 for our jail bill … and in recent history, Pima County has deferred our jail bill. I would like to explore that possibility," Flagg said.

He'd also like to see local programs and safety initiatives funded before development can take hold.

"The base of that is to have a strong fire (and) police presence in our town," Flagg said. "I think if people feel comfortable bringing up business here and coming down here to do business, to shop, to eat at a restaurant … that's what we need. Public safety things related to the economic development piece."

Zeke Cook

Cook is running alongside Federico and has emphasized a data-driven approach to the city's budget and public safety.

"The most effective method to increase public safety is installing license plate reading cameras," Cook said. "The Flock cameras were up for only 6 months, but led to 14 arrests and one solved murder."

Cook pointed to a late May incident in which thieves stripped copper wiring from street lamps in an area previously covered by Flock cameras, causing an estimated $39,000 in damage.

"Give the police the tools they deserve to keep us safe," he said.

Cook said the city needs roughly $2 million more in annual tax revenue to bring staff salaries up to par and stabilize the budget.

"If it all comes from the transaction privilege tax, that implies that we need a forty million dollar increase in retail sales. In other words, we need responsible development," Cook said. "(In the) short term, we need grants. Grants to make the city more attractive to investors and citizens. The good news is that we have partners willing to help."

If elected, Cook plans to work with South Tucson Planning and Zoning Director Josue Licea to achieve financial milestones through a comprehensive development plan.

Cook also wants to shift the focus from the unhoused community to currently housed South Tucson residents who need assistance with home upkeep.

"There are grants available for home repair, and the city needs to aggressively pursue them," Cook said, adding that residents are selling their homes because they cannot cover major home repairs.

Cook would also like the city to implement a vacancy tax on empty lots and a blight tax on neglected properties, while encouraging the city's Housing Authority to invest in more third spaces for residents of all ages.

"We are not delivering a good first impression with the sight of open drug use, messy vacant lots and people simply wandering in the middle of traffic," Cook said. "A new comprehensive plan will give us a framework for improving this area."

Debbie Federico

Federico has emphasized fiscal discipline and an updated comprehensive plan for the city.

"Real safety means reaching people before the crisis, using every tool we have, county programs, nonprofits, treatment, not just a patrol car, and not leaving grants and partnerships on the table that other cities fight for," Federico said.

She also supports reinstalling the Flock cameras, but under strict rules, following guidelines provided by the American Civil Liberties Union, running independent audits and maintaining the previous camera transparency portal.

"I would require in the contract that the data stays in South Tucson, not shared with outside agencies, (keeping) residents safe and (keeping) our information ours," Federico said.

Federico also weighed in on the budget.

"We already lean on a sales tax, the most regressive tool there is, and we widened the hole by cutting the grocery tax but with no plan to replace the roughly $173,000 a year it brought in," Federico said. "Fill the empty Food City and the vacant storefronts on South 6th and South 4th, make it quick and cheap to open a business here. Chase every outside dollar we're owed, federal grants, tribal partnerships … and adopt an updated comprehensive plan so we stop making money decisions one vote at a time."

She agreed with the city's need for an updated comprehensive plan.

"Development, housing, and safety all depend on having a real plan instead of reacting vote to vote," Federico said.

She also wants to see a home repair and rehabilitation program for South Tucson residents, as well as small business support to help fill vacant spaces in the city.

"Funded through CDBG and similar grants, a local program keeps longtime residents in place and pushes back on displacement without a single new local tax," Federico said. "South Tucson is not an experiment. They're the basics South Tucson has been owed for years."

Eduardo Baca

A local business owner from Baca Upholstery, Baca previously ran as a write-in candidate in the August 2025 recall election seeking to unseat Aguirre.

Baca said he wants to speak directly to community members, include residents in safety planning and bring more beautification projects to the city.

"I want to speak to community members and assure them of safety needs," Baca said.

He would also like to see the city take more responsibility for the current budget deficits and reduce its overall spending.

"(The council) shouldn't spend funds they quickly gain," Baca said.

On development, Baca said he wants to see more investment in the community's cultural roots.

Inspired by his son's organization Ballet Folklorico Tapatio, Baca said he would like to increase youth-based programs while also maintaining new and legacy businesses in the area.

"Now is the time we do something about it," Baca said.

The three candidates with the most votes will be sworn in by the end of November, with the council electing its next mayor the following Tuesday.

Topacio “Topaz” Servellon is a reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact them at topacioserve@gmail.com.

Gabriel Sadza is a student at University High School and Tucson Spotlight intern.

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please consider supporting our work with a tax-deductible donation.