Although no longer a resident of Carefree, I left a little piece of my soul there when we moved after 19+ years and now, unfortunately, I find it necessary to set the record straight.
In keeping with the recent call for less negativity, I’d like to clear the air by focusing on facts rather than innuendo and falsehoods. Let me begin by providing my response to Ms. Hitchon’s false statement that three Council Members from 2009-2011 were influenced by The Sonoran News. Speaking only for myself, I find it interesting that the Mayor would call for less negativity while Town Hall has been discreetly encouraging and supporting Ms. Hitchon to act as the Town Crier for years, even though she is an appointed Town Official acting in a capacity that has “influence” over resident’s zoning issues.
I recently received an email from a friend that occasionally keeps me informed of all things Carefree. In this communication, I was surprised to read that Ms. Hitchon mentioned me, not by name, but as one of 3 Carefree Council members had just been elected who had been endorsed by the Sonoran News and over whom he had influence.” In my case, I will say without hesitation “this is fake news”, and, worse yet, a bald-faced lie. It is Ms. Hitchon who distributes bias in every publication and often makes statements that are more likely to have been written by the questionably competent Town Administrator. In fact, she is no more distributing the truth than CNN.
For many years I have remained silent as the insiders continue patting themselves on the back for their great accomplishments while Carefree’s future as a viable Town languishes. Since Ms. Hitchon took an unwarranted cheap shot at my personal integrity, I offer the following “facts” that are easily found in past Carefree Town Council meeting minutes as a matter of public record, not in someone’s tainted self-serving memory.
Let’s talk about who first brought up the sound reason to consolidate the Municipal Court of Carefree and Cave Creek only to be undermined by the then Mayor and the Town Administrator, Mr. Gary Neiss, or to hold the Carefree Water Company responsible to repay the “strange loan” from the Town to fund infrastructure improvements (which took years following the agreement to begin), or to put before the Carefree voters term limits, or paying off the debt on the ill thought out financing arrangements for the emergency purchase of 8 Sundial Circle to the full benefit of the owner, which was put off until the three left the Town Council, or who built the first, and likely only, database of Carefree Town businesses by door to door solicitation, (in many instances not being greeted with open arms due to distrust of any Town official) and then gifted the finished product to the Town, or who was the driving force behind the Salute to Veterans Celebration along with a tremendous amount of help from Council Member Susan Vanick, and with obtaining a $10,000 cash donation to fund the event and the music series for the entire season.
Every one of these factual events were the direct work of one of the three, Bob Coady, Doug Stavoe, and Peter Koteas that occurred during the 2009-2011 term and are easily verified as they are part of the public record.
Unlike many that came before and some that came after, I firmly believe the three of us used our best judgement ‘to serve’ the Town of Carefree, not “to run” the Town of Carefree.
Now what I find, and continue to find, offensive and in my opinion a breach of ethics, is when an appointed Town Official pens a newsletter that is so obviously biased it would take a simple-minded person to believe it as written. Ms. Hitchon is nothing more than a Town of Carefree cheer leader who never admits to any misstep by the Town’s current administration whoever they may be. Also, only a person poorly schooled in running a business could ever believe the continuous investing of hundreds of thousands of dollars following an obvious clueless path, would believe her. While the Town tells the residents, they care about the merchants, they have yet to provide any land owner incentives, beyond the Easy Street developer and the up zoned Eastwood, to fill the empty spaces, however they erect arches and roundabouts and bike lanes. The Easy Street Project was a dead Goose the day it was conceived because Carefree is not, and will never be, Kierland Commons. The proof over the past few years of poor financial decisions and wasteful spending lies in a grossly modified “free fire contract” where the most beneficial original feature, free ambulance service for Carefree residents, was eliminated to lower its cost. Ask yourself, ” how many fires there are in Carefree compared to the number of EMS calls or ambulance runs?” Which has more value to the residents? Other evidence lies in vacant spaces, closing shops, and falling sales tax revenue.
In all fairness, the subject of retail vitality is a complex issue that requires a coordinated effort between the Town, the landlords, the businesses and yes, the residents of Carefree. Residents should voice their opinion regarding the types of businesses they would actively support. They should also speak out to encourage the Town and existing property owners to work together on programs to solicit new businesses, and to improve the overall aesthetics of the Town core environment, as residents and visitors alike vote their approval with their pocketbooks. Non-resident staffers are not the best choice to make those decisions. They may act as advisors, but they should not be the decision makers.
Another sad commentary is that the advice and counsel of hard working volunteers, that for years have given selflessly of themselves for the good of the Town, are dismissed. I am speaking specifically of Jo Gemmill, a person for whom my admiration grew exponentially year by year. Jo organized and ran the Carefree Christmas festival successfully for many years, yet her success and experience have been too easily cast aside by current staffers.
I encourage you to check out my voting record while I served and MY FACTS against Ms. Hitchon’s. If you do, you will find mine to be an accurate accounting of truths and not rubbish authored by those that love to hear the sound of their own voice. Cheerleading has its place, but not in Town government.
As a final point of information, I ask you to be mindful that the Town of Carefree was established under Arizona Statute Article 3 to be a Common Council form of government, not one that is managed by any other Town official, which includes the Town Administrator. The Town Administrator may be given certain duties by Town Ordinance as they pertain to day to day activity, however, they are not the chief executive who is responsible for the overall well-being of the Town. That falls at the feet of the Mayor along with the Common Council.
Article 3: 9-236 reads, “The mayor of the common council shall be the chief executive officer of the town, and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by law and ordinance. In case of the absence of the mayor the council may appoint one of their number to act in his stead.” No mention of a Town Administrator there.
And no, this letter isn’t negativity, it is simply clearing the air of an offensive odor.
Respectfully,
Peter Koteas
Former Carefree Town Councilman 2009-2011
Prescott, AZ
