The Voice of Marana since 2007
Volume • Number April ,
www.Maranaweeklynews.com
Marana considers recession with ’23-’24 budget
Inside
This Week
ARTS.......................... 12 Great music blows through the town with the Marana Winds
BY VERONICA KUFFEL Tucson Local Media Staff
M
the Marana Unified School District. The May 15 deadline allows the district enough time to prepare for distribution before the school year. YES strives to provide 1,200-plus Marana students with new backpacks and supplies by Aug. 1. “The only way we’re going to lift kids up is through education, to change the life of a child from one of poverty,” Santy said. “If they have a good education, they can do something with it, and to get a good education, you have to have the tools.” The volunteer group started its work back in 2019 and have since raised over $200,000 for MUSD. A recent winner of the Marana Branding
arana Town Manager Terry Rozema opened the April 18 council meeting on budget with an anecdote, reminding the mayor, members and staff of the purpose behind town spending. “My dad used to always say, ‘I can tell what a person values if I look at their checkbook,” Rozema recalled. “That’s certainly true when you look at the budget of any organization: What do they value and what are they investing in? Our core values are the things that drive that for us.” Rozema and town financial director Yiannis Kalaitzidis met with Marana council to discuss the official budget proposal for fiscal year 2023-2024. During the presentation, Kalaitzidis indicated data suggesting an upcoming recession before the end of the year and how the town should prepare its finances moving forward. According to reports from Bloomberg, the National Association of Business Eco-
see BACKPACK page 8
see BUDGET page 6
An MUSD employee helps a family at last year’s YES Backpack Drive. (Judy Love/Submitted)
MUSIC ....................... 14 It's easier said with rum, according to Trevor Rosen of Old Dominion
YES Backpack Drive comes to a close BY VERONICA KUFFEL Tucson Local Media Staff
SPORTS ..................... 16 Jaelin Collins jumps into the fray as Athlete of the Week HOT PICKS.....................................4 FEATURES...................................... 8 YOUTH ......................................... 10 CHOW .......................................... 20 HEALTH ....................................... 21 BUSINESS .................................... 22 PUZZLE/HOROSCOPES ............. 23 WORSHIP/CLASSIFIEDS ........... 24 MLS #22307413
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he Youth Education Supporters are calling on Marana residents to support their upcoming backpack drive as the May 15 fundraising deadline draws near. YES founder Dot Santy compares the price of one quality backpack ($42), to the price of a meal out at a restaurant. “We go out to dinner and drop around $50 and think nothing of it,” Santy said. “The price of that meal could be a backpack for a kid. People don’t realize they could give up a night of going out and change a child’s life.” The annual YES Backpack Drive raises funds to provide backpacks and supplies for students in
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