"Thomas Jefferson said a democracy is dependent on an informed citizenry.  I don't care whether it sounds corny or not.  It's the truth." -Jim Lehrer

Carefree Truth
Issue #845, July 29, 2020

(Lyn's note: Letters from Readers, normally published on Wednesdays, will be sent out tomorrow instead.)

Let’s set the record straight, Mayor Bunch

Cave Creek Mayor Ernie Bunch made quite a number of inaccurate and misleading statements recently in social media regarding the water issues involving Carefree and Cave Creek. If one were to list these inaccuracies by Mayor Bunch, such a listing would be extensive, but the following are the facts pertaining to some of his more recent statements that reflect little or no relationship to the actual facts:


Mayor Bunch Inaccurate Statement #1: Carefree delayed the timing of the water arbitration hearings with Cave Creek until October, after the election.

The Actual Facts: Not true, Mayor Bunch. Cave Creek’s attorney, Joe Connor, requested this delay, and Carefree agreed. Mr. Connor told Carefree’s acquisition attorney, Chris Kramer, that someone on his (Joe Connor’s) team had the COVID -19 virus, and it would be a hardship for them to meet the specified timing.


Mayor Bunch Inaccurate Statement #2: In a recent statement, Mayor. Bunch stated: “In the spring of 2018 with the support of Cave Creek Town Council I went to (Carefree Mayor) Les Peterson with an Olive Branch to try and avoid litigation. . .” His communication continued, “One week later Les came back with a Counter Offer that was once again a slap in the face to Cave Creek.”

The Actual Facts: Here is the public record, the actual facts behind the communications between Mayor Bunch and Mayor Peterson These are taken directly from email records between you and Les Peterson, and written documents in the Carefree Archives. These portray a different scenario of these meetings and discussions than the one now being stated by you, Mayor Bunch. A summary follows:

Meeting between Carefree and Cave Creek on Thursday, February 8th, 2018.

Looking at Mayor Peterson’s 2018 Calendar record, at 8:00 am on Thursday, February 8th at the Grotto in Cave Creek, Carefree Mayor Peterson and Carefree Vice Mayor John Crane met with Mayor Bunch and Ron Sova to discuss water service. During that meeting Mayor Bunch brought up his thoughts relative to how Cave Creek and Carefree could address water service for the Northeast corner of Carefree Highway and Cave Creek Road. This property is in Carefree but it is included in the Cave Creek Water Company service area. Mayor Bunch suggested Cave Creek’s willingness to sell the rights to Carefree to provide water service to the Northeast Corner, with water supplied by the Carefree Water Company.
Carefree Mayor Peterson and Vice Mayor Crane thought that Mayor Bunch’s suggestion merited consideration, so we requested time to discuss his suggestion with others in Carefree and get back to them. We did this, and responded on February 9th in an email which follows.

Email to Mayor Bunch on February 9th:

On Friday, February 9, 2018 12:11 PM, Mayor <mayor@carefree.org> wrote:

“Ernie,

We have been mulling over the idea we discussed yesterday morning, and are intrigued. John Crane, Carefree’s Vice Mayor, and I would like to meet with you and Ron Sova at 4:00 this coming Wednesday, 2/14, to discuss it further and share some of our thinking. We would be happy to come to the Cave Creek town office to meet, or we would offer the conference room in our new Council Chambers if you thought that would work better.

Les Peterson”

Mayor Bunch responded positively via email on that same date, Friday, February 9th:

From: ERNIE BUNCH [mailto:ebb3@prodigy.net]
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2018 12:47 PM
To: Mayor
Subject: Re: The idea we discussed

“Mayor Les Peterson

 I'll contact Ron but for me that will work.
“Ernie””

Hearing nothing further on this subject, on Wednesday, February 28th Mayor Peterson wrote to Mayor Bunch.

On Wednesday, February 28, 2018 10:38 AM, Mayor <mayor@carefree.org> wrote:

“Ernie,

It has been two weeks since you, Ron Sova, John Crane and I met to discuss the water service request of Empire Development Company for the 23 acres they own on the NE corner of Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway, and Carefree’s conceptual proposal to take on this responsibility.
Carefree would like to continue our discussion on this topic and to reach a solution which benefits both of our communities. Please let me know as soon as you are ready to continue these discussions.

Best regards,

Mayor Les Peterson”

On March 5th, 2018, Mayor Bunch responded via email:

From: ERNIE BUNCH [mailto:ebb3@prodigy.net]
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2018 10:06 AM
To: Mayor
Subject: Re: Next Steps on Empire Development Company Water Service Request

“Les,

I should have a response this week. We're living in tumultuous times downhill from you.

“Ernie””



The public record speaks for itself.

1.      Cave Creek never responded following Mayor Bunch’s March 5th, 2018, email, and

2.      The “proposal,” which Mayor Bunch now refers to as “a slap in the face” from Carefree, was actually developed and put on the table by none other than Mayor Bunch himself, not Carefree, and

3.      Compounding the communications problem, Cave Creek has refused to enter into any further discussions concerning water service since that March 5, 2018, email.


Mayor Bunch Inaccurate Statement #3: Mayor Bunch has made reference to a “water policy” adopted by the Cave Creek Town Council in December, 2017, as the primary reason Cave Creek has not granted water service to the Northeast Corner of Carefree Highway and Cave Creek Road. This water policy requires new development to bring their own “wet water.”

The Actual Facts:

In making his recent statement, Mayor Bunch conveniently overlooks a number of relevant factors, including:

-          The IGA between Carefree and Cave Creek concerning water service in the Carefree Service Area, which dates to 2005 and includes water service by Cave Creek to the Northeast Corner, explicitly states that Cave Creek will provide water service to this area and contains no such provisions as are now contained in the December, 2017, Cave Creek water policy, and

-          The developer of the Northeast Corner, Empire Development, submitted their application for a “will serve” letter in September of 2017, three months in advance of the approval of the new Cave Creek water policy.  Cave Creek changed the rules on Empire after the fact and refused to process their application, and

-          Carefree has been informed that Cave Creek has worked with developers to circumvent your water policy for properties in Cave Creek.

So, Mayor Bunch, others on the Cave Creek Management team have stated, “Let’s set the record straight.” I would suggest that this starts with you.


Les Peterson                                        John Crane
Carefree Mayor                                  Carefree Vice Mayor