Dear Mayor Les Peterson and Councilman Jim Van Allen,
I just read the email Carefree citizen Martena Miller of the Boulders wrote to you Mayor Peterson concerning her displeasure at the huge increase in building heights for our town center. You and all the other council members except Mr. Van Allen approved this height increase against the very clear wishes the Carefree citizens expressed on this subject last year at a packed town council meeting. I applaud Mr. Van Allen for his rare common sense.
I totally agree with Martena Miller’s thoughts articulated to you in her letter. I don’t want the building height restrictions increased at all in Carefree.
I do not want the Town Council to keep working hard to increase the population of Carefree with high density housing projects like high rise apartments, or with high density housing developments like Stage Creek Development. That would put 118 homes on 40 acres with up to 7 homes per acre after considering the large wash running through it, and the open space requirements for the 40 acres. The greater the population of the town, the greater the expenses of the town will be for road maintenance, fire protection, schools, and water infrastructure. Plus, we have a finite amount of water. Has anyone on the Town Council considered how much water many more residents would use?
You say these high density developments will generate tax revenue from the residents shopping at stores in Carefree. And that the town needs these revenues so we won’t have to have a Carefree property tax. Whatever sales tax revenues the Town collected would also be offset to some degree with the expenses of having a bigger population.
I’ve lived here for 23 years and Carefree didn’t need a property tax because the town didn’t foolishly waste money on projects to try to increase sales for the local businesses. Despite the record highs being set in the stock market, we are experiencing a down cycle in our economy in Arizona and the country. Combined with historically low interest rates, which adversely affects many retirees spending habits, it’ll probably stay that way for awhile. Have you looked at all the empty retail space in Carefree and Phoenix? Sales tax revenues are down all over because people have less money to spend. Nothing the Town of Carefree can do will change that.
The Town government spent a lot of money to create gardens, concerts, art festivals, but have you created more sales tax revenue than you spent to try to do that? I think not.
The garden is lovely along with the art and concerts, but it is the sort of thing that should only be done if there is a huge surplus of town money. It is not the town government’s job to spend a lot of money to keep failing businesses in business. That is crony capitalism, not free market capitalism. If some of our local businesses fail it is because the general population has less money to spend or choose to spend it elsewhere.
The town government should save their money, not waste it, to get through these lean times. Then you won’t have to initiate a Carefree property tax. The town needs to live within its means like responsible citizens do. I urge you to let Carefree retain the charming, peaceful, and quiet small town character it has now. That is why most of us moved here to begin with. To favor the needs of a small number of business owners over the wishes of the majority is the antipathy of democracy.
Sincerely,
Susanne and Robert Nyberg
Carefree residents
