We initially settled in Carefree to be near the Sonoran Desert and away from strip malls, Walmart, and busy highways, but still near modern conveniences and necessities such as personal medical care, various dining options, proximity to an airport, and police & fire protection. While considering Cave Creek, Scottsdale, and other neighboring communities, an enticing factor was the lack of a local property tax within Carefree. As a retiree I’m on a fixed income. And while Carefree met my needs including police & fire protection, the recent actions of neighboring fire districts to dissolve their mutual aid to the town of Carefree has caused me great concern. I simply cannot justify living without the essentials of fire and paramedic aid.
So, I attended all the presentations on local fire protection and studied the financing options as laid out in detail. While I resist a property tax of any design, I now see no option other than paying for fire protection by either subscription service or supporting the financing of an Automatic Aid partnership with one of the neighboring communities. For the same cost of a subscription Automatic Aid assures us of meeting federal standards for fire response, guarantees support from neighboring Fire districts, and will help keep insurance premiums at a manageable cost.
Furthermore, since the proposed tax would be restricted from other uses or from any increase unless requested by the residents of Carefree, we will support the ballot initiative by voting Yes. I strongly encourage all Carefree residents to educate themselves on this issue and join me in ensuring adequate fire and emergency response for Carefree.
Jim Northcutt
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