Carefree Truth
Issue #503, August 12, 2016
The second Carefree Truth sponsored Carefree Candidate Forum was again hosted by the Carefree Resort. Preston Westmoreland graciously agreed to serve as our Master of Ceremonies. Preston and his wife Nancy have been proud Carefree residents for nearly 30 years. He is a member of the Arizona Broadcaster's Hall of Fame, won the Marconi Award, radio's "Oscar" for Best Large Market Radio Personality in the US, and spent 26 years at Phoenix radio station KTAR interviewing over 25,000 people. Needless to say, he was a great speaker and told some interesting stories, so check the videos. Mr. Westmoreland began by introducing the candidates and citing many completed and/or ongoing projects he felt enhanced what he considers the best place in the world to live. He called on the candidates to give their 2 minute opening statements.
Current Councilman Gene Orrico has seen many excellent changes since he's been on the Council, like the bike lanes, the arches, and the Kiwanis splash pad. As the Vice President of the Kiwanis Board of Directors, he got Kiwanis to donate $135,000 which paid for the splash pad. The first installment has been made and they are ready to make the next one now. He would like to see more businesses in downtown Carefree, and noted that his wife, Victoria, has an art gallery there. The Orricos have been Carefree residents for 6 years. He loves many of the folks who live in Carefree and feels there is no other place like it.
Councilman Mike Farrar has spent many years in Carefree and raised his daughter here. He's been in business for most of his adult life, and is honored to have served on the Council. He brought independent thought, fiscal restraint, and due diligence to his job as Councilman. Mr. Farrar is committed to preserving and nurturing the qualities that make Carefree unique, with a great lifestyle, services, and amenities.
He strives to implement his "ABC Plan", consisting of Accountability, Budget restraint, and Commitment to core services. The Town has great reserves, with a fiscal year surplus of over $131,000 and a balance of approximately $6.6 million dollars in the bank, even after the $1.2 million dollars spent on capital improvement projects. Town Hall has better financial organization and more resources, with an outstanding staff. Despite hard times, the Town has staved off large layoffs, done more with less, and kept up a first class marketing execution. Tough choices had to be made but Carefree is stronger now than ever.
Mr. Farrar is proud of this Council, the work the Town has done, the prudent management of the budget, and the community enhancements. Ed Lewis' condo project is underway, a property was purchased for the Council Chambers, and efforts were made to revitalize the downtown despite difficult times. Carefree is prepared to stave off potentially more tough fiscal challenges. He is committed to responsible fiscal investment in community improvements and services. As your community champion, he will continue his sincere efforts to preserve and nurture quality in Carefree. He knows he can make the town work for the citizens and is committed to making "Carefree be Carefree", the slogan of our dear departed Mayor Schwan. Together, we can find ways to make life better. He asks for your support and your vote.
Candidate Jim Van Allen retired after 35 years in the hotel business. He was single and had children in Texas, California, and Arizona. He came to the Desert Foothills and bought a lot in Cave Creek. He decided to get married and brought his bride to his lot in Cave Creek after a monsoon storm. She was unwilling to cross a running creek to access her home, so he sold that land and found a lot in Carefree, where he built a home. Looking around at the mountains, flora, and fauna, he felt this was God's place for him.
He wanted to give back to the community, so volunteered for 8 years with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Posse. He then decided to try politics, since his father had been mayor of his hometown. He served 15 months on the Council before resigning, but that situation has been resolved and he is ready to run again. He is constantly working for Carefree in different ways. What do we want Carefree to look like and be in 2-1/2 years? He is proud of the resumes of his fellow candidates. 2 were outstanding marketing executives, and 1 spent years in a nuclear submarine. At this point, Mr. Westmoreland cited the time and told Mr. Van Allen he would have a chance to pick this up during his closing statement. Mr. Van Allen joked, "That's what the Mayor does to me all the time!"
Mayor Les Peterson thanked everyone for coming, saying he appreciated it. He spent 40 years in business. He was appointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission, then ran for the Council in the last election. He became Vice Mayor. With the unfortunate resignation of Mayor David Schwan, who was diagnosed with ALS 20 months ago, he assumed the position of Mayor.
Carefree has a "working Council" which gives direction but must also "do things". For example, Scottsdale has 80 times the budget that Carefree has. They have 18 people on their marketing staff and a similar number of staff in their planning and zoning department. Carefree has one staff member in each of those departments. So, the Carefree Council members spearhead and help implement projects. Part of the challenge is that all the Council members must be headed in the same direction and pulling together, not always easy for strong people. The Mayor feels that these candidates can do that.
One of the challenges lying ahead is to revitalize the town center, making it a place of pride for residents, a place they will utilize and to which they will bring family and friends. The other major challenge is economic development. Carefree does not impose a town specific real estate tax, and so is dependent on sales tax revenue. The average cost of a house in Carefree is around $580,000. Residents of Phoenix and Scottsdale with the same priced house pay an additional $3000 a year in property taxes. Carefree is striving to provide the services residents desire while maintaining the status quo of no real estate taxes. The Town provides fire and police protection. These services are supplemented by numerous local volunteer organizations which provide tremendous participation and contributions to the community. At this point, Mayor Peterson noted that he was getting a signal from Mr. Westmoreland.
Candidate Cheryl Kroyer thanked the audience for coming and thanked Herbert and me for organizing the forum. She is excited about the opportunity to get involved with deciding the future of Carefree. She first visited this area in 1988 and fell in love with it. She bought land in 1991 and built a home in 1993, moving out here in 1998. She considers herself lucky to live the life she has lived. Since retiring, it's been about giving back. She has been involved with a number of local foundations and would really enjoy serving the Town.
Mrs. Kroyer spent 30 years in the advertising business. She participated in advertising campaigns for Acura, Porsche of North America, Polaroid, Gallo Wines, Starbucks, Bank of America, and "Got Milk?" She investigated finding the best target markets for each client, the best way to reach that market, and the best and most efficient way of spending the client's advertising dollars. She was known as creative, fair, a strong strategic thinker, and a team builder, and she knows how to manage budgets.
She will bring the same skill set to work for the Town. Mrs. Kroyer will make sure Carefree is getting the biggest bang for the marketing efforts and that the available dollars are being used effectively. This is key as Carefree continues to support the current businesses and residents, while expanding to attract new businesses, residents, visitors from other Valley towns, and tourists. In sum, remember 3 things. She brings a strong marketing background, she has experience managing budgets, and she possesses a knowledge and love of this area like all of you do. She would appreciate your support.
Vice Mayor John Crane thanked Preston Westmoreland, Herbert and me, and the Carefree Resort. He has had the honor of serving on the Council for 4 years. He has served on Carefree's Planning & Zoning Commission and Subdivision Committee. He is currently the president of the Carefree Foothills HOA and is a member of their Architectural Committee. He is on the Board of Directors of the Desert Foothills Land Trust and is an active Arizona Site Steward, focusing on the Carefree/Cave Creek area. AZ Site Stewards are sponsored by the State to monitor Native American ruins and petroglyphs against vandalism.
Vice Mayor Crane graduated from Villanova University with a mathmatics major in 1978, after which he enlisted in the Navy, serving as a submarine officer for 7 years, as referenced by Mr. Van Allen. In 1985, he graduated with a MS in systems management from USC and went into electronics. For the past 22 years, the Vice Mayor has had his own company, working as a manufacturer's sales rep for companies and products around the world, selling them in North America.
He has 2 guiding principles as a Council person that he "lives by". He firmly believes that local government is the only form of government that truly works. It is the government closest to the people, where people can come in and talk directly to their representatives. It is imperative to listen and try to act upon this input where it's appropriate. It is also important to follow the rules, both Carefree's rules and ordinances, and those passed down by the State and Federal governments. Second, he is a fiscal conservative who keeps that in mind as issues come before the Council. He is a reasonable person who brings logical thought to the Council and is very passionate about serving the Town and "doing the Town right".
Candidate Mike Krahe, the current Vice Chairman of the Planning & Zoning Commission, said it's toughest for the guy who goes last. Everything everyone else said, he says too. Much of it resonated with him. He thanked everyone for coming, thanked the Resort, Preston, Herbert and me, and said and was pleased with the citizen turn out.
He and his wife have been full time Carefree residents since 2008, but came here prior to that. They immediately fell in love with Carefree, so he knows that special feeling that we all have.
Before retiring, Dr. Krahe worked for a Fortune 400 property/casualty insurance company with 5000 employees and 23 branch offices. He was in charge of all Human Resources, business strategy, and some technology pieces, 1 of 6 people who ran the company. After moving here, he started a training company with his son, who now runs the business, as was the plan.
Dr. Krahe has a Masters Degree in counseling psychology and a PhD in organizational administration, so he knows a bit about people and a bit about organizations. He can make them go fast, build them, and take them apart. He can do all kinds of things because he understands business strategy. That's what he wants to bring to the Council, "a skill set that is really valuable for establishing a runway that takes this wonderful town, together, to dialogue a conversation into the future." Sustaining the beauty of this town and allowing it to prosper is going to be tricky but, together, he believes it can be done. We have a lot of talented people and have done a lot of great things already.
The challenge he sees is, "How do we get to the future, and how do we get there together?" Dr. Krahe has been around the Town government for the past 4 years. He ran for Council in the last election, losing by only 4 votes, so he came close. At the time, Les Peterson encouraged him to run again. He was appointed to the Planning & Zoning Commission, eventually becoming the Vice Chair.
He seeks participation and dialogue, believing that, "we can't do this up here". He has come to know and appreciate the wonderful people in Town Hall. His focus will be on bringing everybody together. "What are we going to do, specifically, to make the future happen? What does that big picture look like? What does that road map look like?"
He is passionate about our Carefree; his family is here and he knows how you feel about it. He will listen to what you have to say. Come to meetings. Grab a Council person and tell them how you feel about it. Talk to us and share information, and we have to do the same with you. Thank you.
https://vimeo.com/178176924
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list. Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.
Issue #503, August 12, 2016
The second Carefree Truth sponsored Carefree Candidate Forum was again hosted by the Carefree Resort. Preston Westmoreland graciously agreed to serve as our Master of Ceremonies. Preston and his wife Nancy have been proud Carefree residents for nearly 30 years. He is a member of the Arizona Broadcaster's Hall of Fame, won the Marconi Award, radio's "Oscar" for Best Large Market Radio Personality in the US, and spent 26 years at Phoenix radio station KTAR interviewing over 25,000 people. Needless to say, he was a great speaker and told some interesting stories, so check the videos. Mr. Westmoreland began by introducing the candidates and citing many completed and/or ongoing projects he felt enhanced what he considers the best place in the world to live. He called on the candidates to give their 2 minute opening statements.
Current Councilman Gene Orrico has seen many excellent changes since he's been on the Council, like the bike lanes, the arches, and the Kiwanis splash pad. As the Vice President of the Kiwanis Board of Directors, he got Kiwanis to donate $135,000 which paid for the splash pad. The first installment has been made and they are ready to make the next one now. He would like to see more businesses in downtown Carefree, and noted that his wife, Victoria, has an art gallery there. The Orricos have been Carefree residents for 6 years. He loves many of the folks who live in Carefree and feels there is no other place like it.
Councilman Mike Farrar has spent many years in Carefree and raised his daughter here. He's been in business for most of his adult life, and is honored to have served on the Council. He brought independent thought, fiscal restraint, and due diligence to his job as Councilman. Mr. Farrar is committed to preserving and nurturing the qualities that make Carefree unique, with a great lifestyle, services, and amenities.
He strives to implement his "ABC Plan", consisting of Accountability, Budget restraint, and Commitment to core services. The Town has great reserves, with a fiscal year surplus of over $131,000 and a balance of approximately $6.6 million dollars in the bank, even after the $1.2 million dollars spent on capital improvement projects. Town Hall has better financial organization and more resources, with an outstanding staff. Despite hard times, the Town has staved off large layoffs, done more with less, and kept up a first class marketing execution. Tough choices had to be made but Carefree is stronger now than ever.
Mr. Farrar is proud of this Council, the work the Town has done, the prudent management of the budget, and the community enhancements. Ed Lewis' condo project is underway, a property was purchased for the Council Chambers, and efforts were made to revitalize the downtown despite difficult times. Carefree is prepared to stave off potentially more tough fiscal challenges. He is committed to responsible fiscal investment in community improvements and services. As your community champion, he will continue his sincere efforts to preserve and nurture quality in Carefree. He knows he can make the town work for the citizens and is committed to making "Carefree be Carefree", the slogan of our dear departed Mayor Schwan. Together, we can find ways to make life better. He asks for your support and your vote.
Candidate Jim Van Allen retired after 35 years in the hotel business. He was single and had children in Texas, California, and Arizona. He came to the Desert Foothills and bought a lot in Cave Creek. He decided to get married and brought his bride to his lot in Cave Creek after a monsoon storm. She was unwilling to cross a running creek to access her home, so he sold that land and found a lot in Carefree, where he built a home. Looking around at the mountains, flora, and fauna, he felt this was God's place for him.
He wanted to give back to the community, so volunteered for 8 years with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Posse. He then decided to try politics, since his father had been mayor of his hometown. He served 15 months on the Council before resigning, but that situation has been resolved and he is ready to run again. He is constantly working for Carefree in different ways. What do we want Carefree to look like and be in 2-1/2 years? He is proud of the resumes of his fellow candidates. 2 were outstanding marketing executives, and 1 spent years in a nuclear submarine. At this point, Mr. Westmoreland cited the time and told Mr. Van Allen he would have a chance to pick this up during his closing statement. Mr. Van Allen joked, "That's what the Mayor does to me all the time!"
Mayor Les Peterson thanked everyone for coming, saying he appreciated it. He spent 40 years in business. He was appointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission, then ran for the Council in the last election. He became Vice Mayor. With the unfortunate resignation of Mayor David Schwan, who was diagnosed with ALS 20 months ago, he assumed the position of Mayor.
Carefree has a "working Council" which gives direction but must also "do things". For example, Scottsdale has 80 times the budget that Carefree has. They have 18 people on their marketing staff and a similar number of staff in their planning and zoning department. Carefree has one staff member in each of those departments. So, the Carefree Council members spearhead and help implement projects. Part of the challenge is that all the Council members must be headed in the same direction and pulling together, not always easy for strong people. The Mayor feels that these candidates can do that.
One of the challenges lying ahead is to revitalize the town center, making it a place of pride for residents, a place they will utilize and to which they will bring family and friends. The other major challenge is economic development. Carefree does not impose a town specific real estate tax, and so is dependent on sales tax revenue. The average cost of a house in Carefree is around $580,000. Residents of Phoenix and Scottsdale with the same priced house pay an additional $3000 a year in property taxes. Carefree is striving to provide the services residents desire while maintaining the status quo of no real estate taxes. The Town provides fire and police protection. These services are supplemented by numerous local volunteer organizations which provide tremendous participation and contributions to the community. At this point, Mayor Peterson noted that he was getting a signal from Mr. Westmoreland.
Candidate Cheryl Kroyer thanked the audience for coming and thanked Herbert and me for organizing the forum. She is excited about the opportunity to get involved with deciding the future of Carefree. She first visited this area in 1988 and fell in love with it. She bought land in 1991 and built a home in 1993, moving out here in 1998. She considers herself lucky to live the life she has lived. Since retiring, it's been about giving back. She has been involved with a number of local foundations and would really enjoy serving the Town.
Mrs. Kroyer spent 30 years in the advertising business. She participated in advertising campaigns for Acura, Porsche of North America, Polaroid, Gallo Wines, Starbucks, Bank of America, and "Got Milk?" She investigated finding the best target markets for each client, the best way to reach that market, and the best and most efficient way of spending the client's advertising dollars. She was known as creative, fair, a strong strategic thinker, and a team builder, and she knows how to manage budgets.
She will bring the same skill set to work for the Town. Mrs. Kroyer will make sure Carefree is getting the biggest bang for the marketing efforts and that the available dollars are being used effectively. This is key as Carefree continues to support the current businesses and residents, while expanding to attract new businesses, residents, visitors from other Valley towns, and tourists. In sum, remember 3 things. She brings a strong marketing background, she has experience managing budgets, and she possesses a knowledge and love of this area like all of you do. She would appreciate your support.
Vice Mayor John Crane thanked Preston Westmoreland, Herbert and me, and the Carefree Resort. He has had the honor of serving on the Council for 4 years. He has served on Carefree's Planning & Zoning Commission and Subdivision Committee. He is currently the president of the Carefree Foothills HOA and is a member of their Architectural Committee. He is on the Board of Directors of the Desert Foothills Land Trust and is an active Arizona Site Steward, focusing on the Carefree/Cave Creek area. AZ Site Stewards are sponsored by the State to monitor Native American ruins and petroglyphs against vandalism.
Vice Mayor Crane graduated from Villanova University with a mathmatics major in 1978, after which he enlisted in the Navy, serving as a submarine officer for 7 years, as referenced by Mr. Van Allen. In 1985, he graduated with a MS in systems management from USC and went into electronics. For the past 22 years, the Vice Mayor has had his own company, working as a manufacturer's sales rep for companies and products around the world, selling them in North America.
He has 2 guiding principles as a Council person that he "lives by". He firmly believes that local government is the only form of government that truly works. It is the government closest to the people, where people can come in and talk directly to their representatives. It is imperative to listen and try to act upon this input where it's appropriate. It is also important to follow the rules, both Carefree's rules and ordinances, and those passed down by the State and Federal governments. Second, he is a fiscal conservative who keeps that in mind as issues come before the Council. He is a reasonable person who brings logical thought to the Council and is very passionate about serving the Town and "doing the Town right".
Candidate Mike Krahe, the current Vice Chairman of the Planning & Zoning Commission, said it's toughest for the guy who goes last. Everything everyone else said, he says too. Much of it resonated with him. He thanked everyone for coming, thanked the Resort, Preston, Herbert and me, and said and was pleased with the citizen turn out.
He and his wife have been full time Carefree residents since 2008, but came here prior to that. They immediately fell in love with Carefree, so he knows that special feeling that we all have.
Before retiring, Dr. Krahe worked for a Fortune 400 property/casualty insurance company with 5000 employees and 23 branch offices. He was in charge of all Human Resources, business strategy, and some technology pieces, 1 of 6 people who ran the company. After moving here, he started a training company with his son, who now runs the business, as was the plan.
Dr. Krahe has a Masters Degree in counseling psychology and a PhD in organizational administration, so he knows a bit about people and a bit about organizations. He can make them go fast, build them, and take them apart. He can do all kinds of things because he understands business strategy. That's what he wants to bring to the Council, "a skill set that is really valuable for establishing a runway that takes this wonderful town, together, to dialogue a conversation into the future." Sustaining the beauty of this town and allowing it to prosper is going to be tricky but, together, he believes it can be done. We have a lot of talented people and have done a lot of great things already.
The challenge he sees is, "How do we get to the future, and how do we get there together?" Dr. Krahe has been around the Town government for the past 4 years. He ran for Council in the last election, losing by only 4 votes, so he came close. At the time, Les Peterson encouraged him to run again. He was appointed to the Planning & Zoning Commission, eventually becoming the Vice Chair.
He seeks participation and dialogue, believing that, "we can't do this up here". He has come to know and appreciate the wonderful people in Town Hall. His focus will be on bringing everybody together. "What are we going to do, specifically, to make the future happen? What does that big picture look like? What does that road map look like?"
He is passionate about our Carefree; his family is here and he knows how you feel about it. He will listen to what you have to say. Come to meetings. Grab a Council person and tell them how you feel about it. Talk to us and share information, and we have to do the same with you. Thank you.
https://vimeo.com/178176924
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list. Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.