It’s baffling to me how certain Cave Creek Town Council members running for re-election voted in favor of the very projects about which they are now complaining. I must presume one is the “redundant” Phoenix Interconnect Project to back up the unreliable, overloaded and unmaintainable Cave Creek lifeline to Central Arizona Project (CAP) water. As Council members, they provided no viable alternatives let alone motions to consider for securing a 30-year-old pipeline that delivers our only source of surface water 12.5 miles into our community.
Unfortunately for Cave Creek, these Council members have not had any notable successes in their first Council term. In fact, they have become the problems rather than part of rational solutions. Their inability to be contributing team members stands out. Cave Creek government works best in tackling issues when a constructive atmosphere of wise teamwork exists. They came in with a divisive agenda and have sustained it for the last 1.5 years.
They had no role in establishing or paying for the Cave Creek Fire Department and emergency system. They voted to defund that centerpiece and many other recent successes in town government with their vote against the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. It was a reckless and irresponsible attempt to sabotage town government leaving us unable to spend ANY money on police, water, sewers, fire, emergency services, roads, or to even issue permits because employees would not be paid.
It must be easy to overlook real successes like our preserving 30 acres of Spur Cross land in 2023. The State Trust land on the west side is the biggest target ever for Cave Creek. Buildable land is going for $20,000 per acre. 4,000 acres of land at that price is $80 million. For the State Trust land, we will plan wisely and carefully, just as was done with the Cave Creek Fire Department. We’re securing appraisals, hired land use experts, and will plan a fiscal analysis that should accompany any major undertaking. Their lobbying to take money out of the current budget to “show interest” to the State Land Department that we’re serious about a purchase was unnecessary—which we were directly advised by the former Director of the State Land Department at a CAP meeting neither one of them bothered to attend.
The approach of implementing programs and purchases without due diligence has hamstrung the Town for years and caused the very problems being addressed by myself and other responsible leaders on Council right now. We do not need another ill planned, badly executed project to add to our Hall of Shame.
When you vote, note carefully who are the doers and who are the complainers. Who has produced the results we all enjoy? What will happen if incapable individuals are given the reigns of Care Creek’s future? It should be clear to all which Mayor and Council members have campaigned on their successful records, and which don’t have a single accomplishment to show. The proof is in their multiple letters and comments, which offer nothing but complaints, fabrications and hypocrisy rather than successes. I only wish they would have worked as diligently and productively on Council issues. Cave Creek would have been much better for it.
Vote Results Over Rhetoric!
Bob Morris, Mayor
Cave Creek
