(Lyn's note: Please feel free to send us any pictures you'd like included. If your photos are for sale, let us know and we will put them under that category. We have a special section for that purpose. If anyone would like to buy a print of any of Herbert's photos, all profits will be donated to one of the local non-profit organizations. Here are the links to this week's Pictures of the Week. Enjoy!)
http://www.carefreeazbusinesses.com/pictures-of-the-week-4317.html
http://www.carefreeazbusinesses.com/pictures-of-the-week-4317.html
Steel sculpture by Michael Anderson
Photo by Herbert Hitchon
Town of Carefree Tourism Newsletter link:
http://us10.campaign-archive1.com/?u=4b736631f153ae846e0670316&id=ec1774bfe3
In The News-Town of Carefree link
http://www.carefree.org/DocumentCenter/View/1250
Desert Foothills Chronicle link:
http://www.desertfoothillschronicle.org/
City Sun Times link:
http://news.citysuntimes.com/
Dear Mr. Mayor:
As a reader of the City Sun Times, especially the sections covering Carefree and Cave Creek, it was interesting to read your column entitled “When It Comes To Fire Safety, Living In Carefree Has Its Benefits”, published in the April 2017 issue.
I could not agree more with your sentiment. Unfortunately, it appears that there was insufficient space to include all of the financial information to better inform the readers.
As you correctly pointed out, in 2007, Carefree enacted a “1 cent per dollar sales tax” to offset the annual costs of the $1.5 million fire service contract with Rural Metro.
Missing from your column was the fact that the 1% sales tax does not raise enough to pay the contract, leaving a shortfall of approximately $200,000 in each of the past two years. That shortfall has then to be taken from either the cash reserves, or from other areas of the operating budget.
During the time I served as a Member of the Town Council (2011-2013) the shortfall was larger, averaging $400,000 per year. The shortfall has been reduced by the negotiations for a new contract that eliminated the ambulance services previously provided. I voted for that revised contract.
In 2013, I urged Council to seriously consider the implementation of a “fire service fee” based on each property, both residential and commercial. I know that the words “property taxes” are considered to be dirty and the equivalent of four-letter words, but a $200 per year/per building would offset the shortfall. This is not a significant amount considering that many residents are saving in excess of $1,000 per year due to the fire service contract and lower homeowners’ property insurance. I am certain that commercial building owners are saving larger amounts.
At the budget workshop held earlier this year, the presentation included dire warnings of future decreases in sales tax revenues caused by a variety of factors including State tax-sharing of sales tax revenues. One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand why Carefree’s revenues are not changing as our population remains unchanged while the rest of the municipalities in Arizona are seeing major increases. The same calculations of the HURF revenues will continue to hinder the Town’s efforts to maintain its roadways.
In my opinion, the time has come for the Town of Carefree to bite the bullet and address the needs, both now and into the future. Personally, I do not believe that having no property taxes makes one iota of difference to people buying homes. People buy because they like the house, they like the Town, they like the schools system, etc. but having no property tax is not a high priority on their decision-making.
The Rural Metro contract for fire service and the contract with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement are both absolutely necessary if the Town of Carefree is to remain the jewel in the desert, and the way life should be. Without them, we will have no Town.
All Carefree property owners currently receive a Maricopa County property tax statement, which includes the Cave Creek school district, community college district, county flood control, Central Arizona Water district, library district, health district, bonds, etc. A $200 per year/per property would be an insignificant increase. For those who itemize IRS tax returns, it is a deductible item. As I suggested at the Council meeting on March 7, 2017, a fire service fee could include an annual COLA to keep up with adjustments. It would also provide, at a minimum, another $200,000 per year for public works and road projects before maintenance of the Town’s assets is deferred.
It is time to make Carefree great again!
Arthur Gimson
I love Mogollon, one of my fave bands. Damn, it's my b'day. I hope they come back.
Laurie Palace
Ray sure does a fantastic job fashioning images from the sand. So great Carefree has retained him.
Nancy Molder
Don’t you just LOVE those tortoises~!~! I cannot wait to read his story which is probably posted already or will be before the concert Sunday.
Micki Napp
(Andrew, the lost dog, was found all the way up past Spur Cross. The little guy did some serious traveling!)
Great!!
Eileen Crowley
Lyn, Such good news and thank you for being the community's platform to broadcast lost pets in helping to facilitate their recovery.
Always the best,
Michael Farrar
Great News!!!!! Have a wonderful weekend!
Catherine Zindell
GREAT WORK!
Loraine Simons
Happy he's home safe!!!
Barb Bankord
WHEW~!~! Dodged a bullet..or more appropriately, a coyote. That’s a terrier for you!
Micki Napp
Wonderful news! I had posted it on my FB Bosco's Biscuits page. Will repost FOUND! Yeah!!!
Alison
YEAH!!!
Pat Patterson
One lucky dog…. lots of predators out there!
Barbara Groszkruger
WooHoo. Good news. Good thing they found him: too small to be out on his own.
Kathy Reimer
Photo by Herbert Hitchon
Town of Carefree Tourism Newsletter link:
http://us10.campaign-archive1.com/?u=4b736631f153ae846e0670316&id=ec1774bfe3
In The News-Town of Carefree link
http://www.carefree.org/DocumentCenter/View/1250
Desert Foothills Chronicle link:
http://www.desertfoothillschronicle.org/
City Sun Times link:
http://news.citysuntimes.com/
Dear Mr. Mayor:
As a reader of the City Sun Times, especially the sections covering Carefree and Cave Creek, it was interesting to read your column entitled “When It Comes To Fire Safety, Living In Carefree Has Its Benefits”, published in the April 2017 issue.
I could not agree more with your sentiment. Unfortunately, it appears that there was insufficient space to include all of the financial information to better inform the readers.
As you correctly pointed out, in 2007, Carefree enacted a “1 cent per dollar sales tax” to offset the annual costs of the $1.5 million fire service contract with Rural Metro.
Missing from your column was the fact that the 1% sales tax does not raise enough to pay the contract, leaving a shortfall of approximately $200,000 in each of the past two years. That shortfall has then to be taken from either the cash reserves, or from other areas of the operating budget.
During the time I served as a Member of the Town Council (2011-2013) the shortfall was larger, averaging $400,000 per year. The shortfall has been reduced by the negotiations for a new contract that eliminated the ambulance services previously provided. I voted for that revised contract.
In 2013, I urged Council to seriously consider the implementation of a “fire service fee” based on each property, both residential and commercial. I know that the words “property taxes” are considered to be dirty and the equivalent of four-letter words, but a $200 per year/per building would offset the shortfall. This is not a significant amount considering that many residents are saving in excess of $1,000 per year due to the fire service contract and lower homeowners’ property insurance. I am certain that commercial building owners are saving larger amounts.
At the budget workshop held earlier this year, the presentation included dire warnings of future decreases in sales tax revenues caused by a variety of factors including State tax-sharing of sales tax revenues. One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand why Carefree’s revenues are not changing as our population remains unchanged while the rest of the municipalities in Arizona are seeing major increases. The same calculations of the HURF revenues will continue to hinder the Town’s efforts to maintain its roadways.
In my opinion, the time has come for the Town of Carefree to bite the bullet and address the needs, both now and into the future. Personally, I do not believe that having no property taxes makes one iota of difference to people buying homes. People buy because they like the house, they like the Town, they like the schools system, etc. but having no property tax is not a high priority on their decision-making.
The Rural Metro contract for fire service and the contract with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement are both absolutely necessary if the Town of Carefree is to remain the jewel in the desert, and the way life should be. Without them, we will have no Town.
All Carefree property owners currently receive a Maricopa County property tax statement, which includes the Cave Creek school district, community college district, county flood control, Central Arizona Water district, library district, health district, bonds, etc. A $200 per year/per property would be an insignificant increase. For those who itemize IRS tax returns, it is a deductible item. As I suggested at the Council meeting on March 7, 2017, a fire service fee could include an annual COLA to keep up with adjustments. It would also provide, at a minimum, another $200,000 per year for public works and road projects before maintenance of the Town’s assets is deferred.
It is time to make Carefree great again!
Arthur Gimson
I love Mogollon, one of my fave bands. Damn, it's my b'day. I hope they come back.
Laurie Palace
Ray sure does a fantastic job fashioning images from the sand. So great Carefree has retained him.
Nancy Molder
Don’t you just LOVE those tortoises~!~! I cannot wait to read his story which is probably posted already or will be before the concert Sunday.
Micki Napp
(Andrew, the lost dog, was found all the way up past Spur Cross. The little guy did some serious traveling!)
Great!!
Eileen Crowley
Lyn, Such good news and thank you for being the community's platform to broadcast lost pets in helping to facilitate their recovery.
Always the best,
Michael Farrar
Great News!!!!! Have a wonderful weekend!
Catherine Zindell
GREAT WORK!
Loraine Simons
Happy he's home safe!!!
Barb Bankord
WHEW~!~! Dodged a bullet..or more appropriately, a coyote. That’s a terrier for you!
Micki Napp
Wonderful news! I had posted it on my FB Bosco's Biscuits page. Will repost FOUND! Yeah!!!
Alison
YEAH!!!
Pat Patterson
One lucky dog…. lots of predators out there!
Barbara Groszkruger
WooHoo. Good news. Good thing they found him: too small to be out on his own.
Kathy Reimer