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The Oro Valley Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to join Pima County’s $33 million regional broadband project, which will bring new fiber infrastructure through the town and expand high-speed internet access across the county.

Town officials say the project will boost public safety and network reliability, lower broadband costs through competition, attract high-tech businesses, support public-private partnerships, and expand digital access for residents.

Scott Zufelt, the town’s innovation and technology director, told council members that the Middle Mile project is an opportunity to create internet access for anyone within a 25-mile radius of the fiber path, with one conduit serving government and anchor institutions and another reserved for commercial use.

Currently in the design phase, the project will eventually provide bandwidth for next-generation 911, support future growth, and make it easier for new internet providers to enter the market and drive down prices.

The project, which includes 442 miles of fiber, has a total price tag of $33 million. As part of its agreement with Pima County, Oro Valley will contribute $200,000 to the project during the 2026-27 fiscal year. Pima County will contribute $13 million, and the federal government will pay the remainder.

Oro Valley will also handle inspections, fiber plan reviews and provide free permits.

“All of our residents are Pima County residents, and all of them are paying Pima County property taxes. In fact, they’re paying quite a bit of Pima County property taxes,” said Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett. “I always feel like it sort of double taxes Oro Valley residents when the county pays for something and then Oro Valley contributes on top of what the county is paying.”

Mayor Joe Winfield expressed concerns about the possibility of federal funds being pulled back, which he said had already occurred in some communities, but Zufelt said the federal portion of the funds would remain available.

“It is moving forward, unless the federal administration makes some drastic changes,” Zufelt said. “It has already gone through two approval processes and it’s been funded, so these funds are actually available to the county now.”

Barrett said she worried about how the project would affect Oro Valley roadways and multi-use paths, saying that trenching and repaving could make roads uneven. She said she feared negative impacts to the cycling community.

Public Works Director Paul Kessler said that while details are still being worked out, many of the sections that will run through Oro Valley will be installed via boring, a trenchless technique.

“That’s to avoid things like tearing up the paths. (On) La Caňada, we have a pavement moratorium. You have to replace not only the pavement, you have to replace it when you cross 500 feet in either direction as well,” Kessler said. “They’re going to avoid that as much as possible. Now there are some areas where they can do an open trench, so they’re mixing and matching it through there for whichever is easiest way to be able to deal with whatever the existing infrastructure is in place right now.”

Construction will also be on the shoulder rather than the main road, which will primarily affect landscaping, Kessler said, adding that the town plans to create a photo diary of the site before and after the work is done.

Pima County has been conducting formal outreach to local businesses throughout the area. Zufelt said the hope is that the town will be able to connect the new line to the Oro Valley Police Department’s new station on Oracle, providing a boost to the town’s public safety communications network.

“I’m really excited about the enhancement for public safety that this is going to bring,” Councilmember Mary Murphy said.

The council also unanimously approved separate motions to post no-parking signs on Calle Buena Vista, north of Calle Concordia near Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene, and on Moore Road, west of La Cañada Drive.

Ian Stash is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact him at istash@arizona.edu.

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