Meet Melanie

Welcome! I’m Melanie Barrett, and I love living in and serving Oro Valley.  I wanted to share a little bit about myself so residents can get to know me a little bit better. 

I have served for 4 years on the Oro Valley Town Council as the Vice Mayor. I’m running for re-election because of all the wonderful things we have been able to accomplish in the last 4 years and because we have great things left to accomplish in the next four years!

My background is in the law, and now I work as your Councilmember and a full-time mother of 4 children. I attended law school at BYU, where I served on the law review and graduated magna cum laude. In law school I studied things that have been useful for my Town Council service, like Land Use Planning, Contracts, and negotiations. I also have a BA in English and I have passed the bar exam.

People frequently ask me how things are going in Oro Valley, and I tell them it’s going GREAT! We are annexing a resort, bringing in high quality employers, growing and helping businesses, expanding Parks and Recreation for families and all residents, preserving open space, and engaging in smart development. 

My family came to Oro Valley 13 years ago when my husband got a job at Raytheon. I grew up in San Diego, so the southwest felt like a good place to settle, and we have loved Oro Valley and intend to stay! I moved here with 2 children, and have had 2 more born here.

As a busy mother of four children, ranging in age from 16 to 5, I have had the opportunity to be engaged in so many Oro Valley activities at one point or another. My children have attended Oro Valley public schools, private schools, charter schools, and even home schooled during the pandemic. They have been involved in AYSO soccer, Little League baseball, swimming lessons at the aquatics center, tennis, band, orchestra, Odyssey of the Mind, and more.

Personally, I enjoy singing, playing the flute, biking, reading, and photography.

My love for the community led to my applying for a position on the Oro Valley Planning and Zoning Commission 8 years ago. I secured the position, and was the only woman on the commission for 4 years. The last 2 years I was elected the Vice Chair of the commission. 

While serving there, I became uncomfortable that I felt the voice of the citizens was not being well represented in final decisions. I learned about how developers in Oro Valley donate tens of thousands of dollars to councilmembers’ campaigns, and decided instead of continuing to try to work within the system, I would try to contribute to change. I ran for office with the commitment to not take contributions from developers. Mayor Joe Winfield, Josh Nicolson, Joyce Jones-Ivey and I all ran for office, and won with a record victory for Oro Valley. 

We have spent the last 4 years working hard for our community to represent residents, and want to be able to continue the great things we have started in the next four years. You can learn more about our joint accomplishments at VoteOroValley.com

Between my children’s many schools and activities and my service to the Town for the past 8 years, I have had the opportunity to meet so many of our residents. Representing you to the best of my ability has been a pleasure, and is something I work hard at each day.

Please vote on August 2 for me to remain on the Oro Valley Town Council, so I can continue to do my part in contributing to our great community. I am passionate about making Oro Valley the absolute best place to live in Arizona. I believe this is done by expanding the things that make us great, while protecting the things we have that make us special.