There is keen interest throughout Carefree on whether the Town should maintain its current status as a quiet and charming small town, or rush headlong into the commercial development of a few remaining open parcels in order to attract tourists and other nonresidents who pay sales tax here and thereby subsidize the Town’s operating budget.
The Town of Carefree has been on notice for several years regarding Automatic Aid. Current Automatic Aid participants have publicly stated that Carefree has “quite deliberately” chosen Rural Metro for its fire and emergency medical services with the full knowledge of Rural Metro’s limited capabilities – in effect requiring neighboring communities to subsidize another critical line item in the Town budget. Who has the town hired to provide it qualified advice on the issues of fire and emergency services?
Carefree residents that are part of the “water transition” want to know that they will not be receiving the same Cave Creek water and only a bill from their new water company. The documents provided to bond purchasers observed that the Town could resume its former arrangements to have Cave Creek Water treat Carefree CAP water in order to provide water to the new service area. Is this the plan for the near future? This huge expenditure and undertaking was done without asking for Carefree voter approval. Then, the Town aggressively sued its own citizens to seize land for a water tank (spending millions in the process).
YES on the OPEN SPACE/EMINENT DOMAIN initiative (472) will give a voice and vote back to the people – where it belongs. How can a Town the size of Carefree legitimately commit to spend tens of millions of dollars on a project that it never asked it citizens to approve? Instead, Town government said “Trust us, we know better.”
The Town hired the well-known election law firm of Coppersmith Brockelman months ago and has paid that firm significant amounts for services related to “initiatives” based on the memo line of the Town’s checks. What are the “initiatives” the Town has hired this firm to work on? Clearly it is not to SUPPORT any of the initiatives.
A limit of TWO 2-YEAR TERMS (473) will bring new ideas, check the power of entrenched government, and bring fresh new faces to public office: faces like Peter Sample running for Mayor, and council candidates Kathlina Lai, Sven Maric, and Duke Vukotic. Some current council members (Hatcher and Kroyer) have made donations to support an alternative 4-year staggered term limit initiative. This is supremely ironic since both of them were on the Town Council and did nothing to uphold the clearly expressed will of Carefree residents when Vice Mayor Crane (who is running for Mayor) went to court to overturn term limits. Why are the incumbents now expressing support for term limits?
Everyone has a view it seems, on what course the Town should take.
I urge everyone to vote and make your voice heard, particularly on the elections for mayor and Town council, as well as the ballot initiatives.
Respectfully,
Maureen Benedetto
Carefree Resident
