TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Voters in South Tucson will head to the polls Tuesday for a recall election — the third in just over a decade — amid mounting concerns over its cost and effectiveness.
The election, scheduled for Aug. 5, will decide the fate of current city council members: Mayor Roxanna Valenzuela and council members Brian Flagg and Cesar Aguirre. Critics of the recall say the special election is a waste of taxpayer dollars, particularly in a small city where every penny counts.
A recent report estimated the cost of the election could reach $12,000. That price tag prompted frustration from some South Tucson residents.
“Yeah, I mean, I think it’s ridiculous,” said Elizabeth Virgin, a South Tucson resident who supports the incumbents. “They’ve done a lot in the community, they’re always very active. They’ve raised a lot of money for the fire department. And just overall, I just see them putting in that work.”
City Manager Veronica Moreno said she couldn’t confirm the exact cost of the election but noted that it’s expected to be comparable to past recall elections in 2015 and 2018.
“We do have an intergovernmental agreement with Pima County Elections, and they conduct the elections on behalf of the city,” Moreno said.
The city’s next regularly scheduled election is in 2026.
Still, South Tucson officials say they are prepared to carry out the recall despite the unusual timing.
“It’s not part of the regular schedule to have an election on the odd year elections,” Moreno said. “But we’re prepared to facilitate any election that comes before us.”
Adding to the confusion, a filing error has limited voters’ choices on the ballot. Only the names of the current council members facing recall will appear. Any challengers must be written in manually by voters.
That complication may impact turnout in a city where election fatigue is a growing concern.
South Tucson, a city of roughly 4,500 residents, has held recall elections in 2011, 2015, 2018 and now again in 2025 — a cycle that some say reflects ongoing divisions within the community and dissatisfaction with local governance.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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