CAREFREE – Call to the Public during the Sept. 6 council meeting brought three people to the podium, beginning with Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Ryan Baranyos to announce the fifth annual Public Safety Fair on Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Desert View Bible Church, 105 W. Carefree Hwy.
The free family-oriented event is put on by MCSO, Daisy Mountain Fire and Honor Health and will include a simulated car crash with fire and extrication as well as numerous demonstrations by the K9 unit, S.W.A.T., explosives and more.
Fire engines, a ladder truck, MCSO vehicles and its newest helicopter will be available to explore.
Food trucks will also be on site.
Jim Van Allen spoke about the town’s finances and stated July reflected the lowest sales tax revenue in the last 13 years and was 20 percent lower than the previous year.
Total revenue, he said, was down 10.4 percent, which equates to $200,000 less than last year.
Van Allen said this is not a good way to start the fiscal year and questioned what he and Cheryl Kroyer, who were both just elected to council, would be inheriting.
Town Administrator Gary Neiss responded by explaining the Arizona Department of Revenue now collects sales tax revenue for all municipalities in the state and has implemented a new system to distribute the tax revenue.
Neiss also pointed out the town has a WIFA (Water Infrastructure Finance Authority) loan payment due on July 1 of each year, which the water company makes payments on later in the year.
He said, “So we start out the year in the red.”
Councilman Glenn Miller said July is also one of the slowest months of the year.
Black Mountain Coffee Shop owner Marty Holmes expressed concerns about the town allowing food trucks into the town that sell the same food items he sells in his restaurant and undercut his prices.
He said if the town wants to bring in food trucks they should be selling something unique.
Holmes said people ask all the time, “What is there to do in Carefree?”
He said looking around there’s really nothing.
Holmes noted the stage is empty most of the time and asked why the town doesn’t hold an open mic night on weekends.
Holmes stated Miller, who did not seek reelection, will be missed when he’s gone from council and the town will probably have to hire someone to do all the things Miller did for the town as a council member.
Council voted unanimously to approve the appointment of Tara Fuller, Alicia Lawler and Denise Scammon to the roster of pro-tem magistrates requested by Carefree/Cave Creek Consolidated Court Magistrate Stephanie Olohan.
Carefree will be holding a special meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at the Carefree Fire Station for the sole purpose of canvassing the official results of the Aug. 30 election.
