QUESTION:
The current Carefree administration, mayor and council have suggested that in Carefree’s near future a property tax vote will be needed again due to insufficient retail sales tax. WHY hasn’t ANY conversation been directed to reducing our inflated towns employee operating expense by a minimum of $500,000?
ANSWER: Because as long as the past and existing mayor agreed to pay our administrator over $200,000 with benefits to manage an inflated fiscally inexcusable employee budget of over $2,000,000 for a bloted operating budget of over $8,000,000 for only 3800 residents nothing will change.
QUESTION: In the past 10-20 years how has the high expense that our residents have been paying ever maximized our retail tax revenue?
ANSWER: They haven’t. All we get are excuses given with a lack of transparency. With development sites like the corner of Carefree/ Cave Creek and Tom Darlington/Carefree the idea of expecting another property tax vote is a glaring red flag to the ability and motives of our existing administration.
EXAMPLE: Ace Hardware is moving out in a month or two. What and how has our administration,mayor and council done to replace the lost tax revenue. Ace tax revenue will now give to Scottsdale? These questions are not about individuals. They ONLY address to what is in the best financial interest for our residents.
SUGGESTION: Unlike the non-resident administrator and the non-resident employees you are a resident like us. A first year economics /business major would know what and how to make Carefree more fiscally conservative and efficient. We made it clear.
We do not want another property tax vote. Honor whatever severance packages need to be honored. Honor all existing employment contracts. Then with the support of the new council and the residents they were voted to represent do your job and accept your obligation and responsibility to do what is right for Carefree.
George Nelson
Carefree
