By Jon Johnson
PIMA — Tooth B.U.D.D.S. (Bringing Understanding of Dental Disease to Schools) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization staffed by affiliated practice dental hygienists living in the Gila Valley. The organization will remain headquartered in Pima after the Pima Town Council approved renting office space in its former town hall building Tuesday night.
The vote was carried out 3-1, with councilmember Georgia Luster voting against it and council member Lucas Hoopes abstaining due to a conflict of interest: His wife serves on the Tooth B.U.D.D.S. Governing Board.
According to the rental agreement, the town agrees to rent roughly 500 square feet of office space in the rear of the former Pima Town Hall for $600 per month, including all utilities. The business may utilize two parking spaces in the front of the building between Pima Town Hall’s operating hours, Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The business must accommodate other uses of the front of the building, including using shared restrooms. On-site customer service is prohibited.
The criteria fit well for Tooth B.U.D.D.S. founder MiQuel McRae, who was looking for a new home since her current offices next to the Taylor Freeze are set for demolition. The non-profit mainly utilizes the offices to store instruments and other items needed for their visits to area schools. According to McRae, the organization provided more than $1 million worth of services to 2,692 students and gave out 8,157 toothbrushes with instructions on properly using them. She also reported that the organization has expanded from Graham and Greenlee counties into Maricopa County, with an agreement to service the Mesa School District.
Pima’s new town hall is in what used to be the Justice of the Peace District 2 building. The town held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last year after renovating the building.
After the move, the police—which has its station in the exact location—considered using the now vacant office space, but that did not materialize. Now, Tooth B.U.D.D.S. will rent out the space.
