In the spirit of regional collaboration, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Chairman Peter Yucupicio thanks PAG’s and the Regional Transportation Authority’s regional stakeholders for their continued interest and support of PAG and the RTA and valuing the importance of our regional role of working together to invest in and advance the environmental and economic vitality of the region.
MEMO
Date: June 22, 2021
To: Regional Stakeholders
From: Chairman Peter Yucupicio
RTA Board Vice Chair
Regional Council Treasurer
Re: Regional Collaboration
Solving major cross-jurisdictional challenges requires a culture of collaboration and deep respect for a diversity of opinions. Fortunately, these qualities are in Pima Association of Governments’ and the Regional Transportation Authority’s DNA as regional organizations.
PAG is an association of governments that was established to bring all the communities within Pima County together as equals with a unified voice to represent the entire region at state and federal levels. The RTA is a state-established taxing district within Pima County that has invested over $1.3 billion in our transportation infrastructure since 2006. The RTA Board is proud of the RTA’s accomplishments and grateful for what PAG and the RTA have done to support every single jurisdiction in this region.
PAG and the RTA are true models of good governance and continue to operate in the spirit of regional collaboration. The PAG Regional Council and RTA Board are independent governing bodies that work on behalf of the region. That is by design. Nearly 50 years ago, the founding members of PAG wanted a regional governing body with each member representing the entire region on behalf of each jurisdiction. That means wearing a regional hat while serving PAG to understand and address needs from a broader regional perspective rather than from a single jurisdiction.
RTA Board members similarly represent the needs of the region as a whole vs. the local needs of a single jurisdiction. Under this model of governance, the process is democratic, which allows one vote per member with a majority rule. No single jurisdiction has or should have veto power over decisions that affect the entire region. In fact, RTA’s governance and culture have earned the trust of the public in the region and the RTA plan is the only example of a citizen-driven and regionally supported plan. Our focus is to unite all members to find common solutions. One real value of the regional approach is the pooling of our resources for the betterment of all.
Everyone on the RTA Board has equal say, including our two tribal government members. Talk of lessening the value of their voices on the RTA Board undermines the value of regional leadership. I invite everyone to recognize how one vote per member levels the regional playing field.
Above all, our main interest is to continually build public trust by demonstrating that we are accountable in effectively executing policies and plans that lead to beneficial results for everyone. This is best accomplished by demonstrating a willingness to come together and respectfully work toward solutions.
Statement of Regional Collaboration_Chairman Peter Yucupicio_June 2021
