"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 #990, February 11, 2022
Issue #990, February 11, 2022
Maureen "Mo" Benedetto read the following letter during Call to the Public.
"In Carefree these days, Town “progress” can be measured several ways. An unsightly Hampton Inn, designed for mass tourism, at the heart of downtown. Commercial development slated to consume every remaining bit of open desert space. Our Town government being laser-focused on “economic development” and attracting developers. The government seizure of private land and forced industrialization of open desert space. And Town Hall deciding what is best for Carefree residents, never bothering to ask us.
Deception has been instrumental to this “progress” in Carefree. The Town claimed that western residents on Cave Creek water suffered from poor water quality, requiring it to “consolidate” water service. But the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has never received a single complaint from a Carefree resident. ADEQ also insists that Cave Creek water is perfectly fine and has told Carefree to cease claiming otherwise.
The Town has told western Carefree residents (and Arizona courts) that a costly new water tank must be built to extend water service to the West. But it told its creditors that it could serve the area even without a new tank. It also admits that no study has ever concluded that a new tank is necessary. The Town even says that it plans to resume purchasing water treated by Cave Creek.
Town officials amended the General Plan to permit dense development at the corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway – over 150 transient rooms. It used a procedure that eliminated any need to put this to the voters, despite the mayor previously saying that residents would have a vote on any such change.
Town officials in private emails with the property owner and a potential developer have discussed how to increase the water available for the development of this corner. Unsurprisingly, the plan involves new water lines from Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway, directly downstream from the proposed tank. Could this be the real motivation for building a new tank?
The Town today faces an immediate fiscal crisis – the chronic underfunding of our essential fire protection and public safety. The City of Scottsdale just terminated its “mutual aid” agreement with Carefree. We now are on our own, in an increasingly wildfire-prone environment.
The cost of joining surrounding communities in “automatic aid” will run into the millions, and is probably unsupportable without a property tax. Town officials insist that increased development and sales tax revenues are the way forward. But unbridled expansion, unnecessary infrastructure development, and reliance on uncertain revenues already has landed us in the current predicament.
Tell Town officials your thoughts about rampant development and spending. Tell them that you want them to listen to ALL the voters, not just a noisy few. Tell them why you chose to live here: the beauty of our special desert, its peace and tranquility, and its night skies lit only by the stars and the moon. Tell them you do not want the government waste, increased traffic, noise, litter, and inevitable crime that comes with unchecked development.
In August you will be able to vote to prohibit the abuse of eminent domain to seize preserved open desert space and private property for the benefit of developers. Remember to VOTE and to SAVE OUR DESERT!!
Maureen “Mo” Benedetto
Chair, Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government"
Mayor Les Peterson asked Greg Crossman, the General Manager of the Carefree Water Company, to address the relationship between the water storage reservoir along Tom Darlington Drive, and the Northwest corner of Carefree Highway and Tom Darlington Drive, which was the development mentioned by Ms. Benedetto.
Mr. Crossman noted that he has responded multiple times to questions from The Boulders HOA about whether he can serve the property at the N.W. corner of Tom Darlington Drive and Carefree Highway from the new water storage reservoir. "The simple answer to that question is no. But I will say this again for the record. No, I cannot serve water to the property at the N.W. Corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway from the new Tom Darlington storage reservoir, and the reason for this is simple. The pipeline that runs by this property from the reservoir does not have adequate pressure to serve the property. The water storage reservoir was always intended to serve Neighborhood A of the acquisition area, and it doesn't generate enough pressure until it gets to Neighborhood A to serve Neighborhood A, which is about one mile away from this corner property, one mile downhill from the property at the N.W. corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway. So the assertion that there is some nefarious reason to construct the new water storage reservoir to serve the property at the N.W. corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway is definitely bogus and simply not true. So that is one thing I would like to clarify for the record." He asked if there were any questions on that information.
Councilman Vince D'Aliesio asked if, at any time, any residents want to make an appointment to speak to Mr. Crossman or to Gary Neiss to "clear the air", can they do so? What is the process for that? Mr. Crossman said absolutely. They can call his office to set up an appointment, and a couple of other staff members would be there as well to help answer questions, because there can be a lot of different questions. Mr. D'Aliesio asked if any residents, to date, contacted Mr. Crossman to get clarification. Mr. Crossman said none had in the past six months to a year.
Councilman Stephen Hatcher asked if the question could be answered that Ms. Benedetto brought up regarding the land that was offered to the Town or the Water Company with respect to location. Mr. Crossman replied that there was not an offer of land by the property owner at the N.W. corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway. There was a discussion about placing the reservoir there. It was looked at, but was not an appropriate location for the water reservoir. It's not at the correct elevation and doesn't generate the pressure by gravity that is needed in Neighborhood A, so was ruled out as an option. One of the criteria for the water storage reservoir was based on elevation, and the location along Tom Darlington happens to be at the needed elevation. "It's as simple as that." There never was an offer from the property owner. In fact, when the property owner was told the pipes that would be constructed adjacent to the N.W. corner would not be able to serve the property, he was quite upset about that. If he had known that the reservoir would be unable to serve the property, Mr. Crossman did not think he would have made an offer to put the water storage reservoir at the site. But the discussions never got that far, so some of these claims are not accurate.
Mayor Peterson wished to address one of the innuendos and baseless suggestions that came out in a Boulders communication the previous day that he and John Lassen, the owner of several lots which comprise 22 acres on the N.W. corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway, have a relationship. "We are friends. I am friends with a lot of people in town. There are a lot of people in town I'm not friends with. And there is nothing that goes beyond that. We have spoken with our attorneys and we will be responding to The Boulders, because these unfounded innuendos based upon speculation and amateur engineering where tanks can go and pressure can go and line speeds, etc, line sizes are totally uncalled for. And if you want to know more, come in, talk to Greg, bring an engineer with you. But don't make speculative judgments, don't make speculations of what all it could be. Who knows? That's ridiculous."
https://vimeo.com/674255562
(Lyn's note to Ms. Benedetto and her allies: "Many people are unable to make a coherent argument. They can vent their emotions, question other people's motives, make bold assertions, repeat slogans--anything except reason." -Thomas Sowell
Ms. Benedetto's letter was also published in the Sonoran News. The letter below is in response to Ms. Benedetto's claims and accusations from the Vice Mayor and two Council members.)
HOW MANY TIMES MUST WE SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT?
Fact based, reasoned discussions are always welcome and healthy. But the letter to the editor that appeared in the February 2, 2022 edition of the Sonoran News from the Chair of Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government, Maureen “Mo” Benedetto, is laced with misinformation and baseless statements. Let’s sort through what is fact and what is fiction.
First, who and what is Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government? According to required election filings, it is a Delaware Corporation that has raised $19,250 from non-disclosed sources. Ironically, this ‘dark money’ funded corporation calls for ‘responsible government”. Responsible government starts with transparency. To date, monies have been spent for a consultant / influencer ($6,250) who writes articles for the Foothills Focus, paid petition gatherers ($3,000) to get their Eminent Domain and Term Limits initiative on the ballot and legal fees ($3,750). This is hardly what one would call a grass roots organization. All this information is public record and can be found in the elections section of Carefree.org, our Town’s website.
Interestingly, this group was formed when the Town was trying to sell revenue bonds to fund the Water Consolidation Project. This group was originally formed in the Boulders to oppose the Town burying a water reservoir along Tom Darlington Road. It will not result in, as claimed in the February 2 letter, “industrialization of open desert space”. Go to www.carefree.org and click on the Public Safety Update banner at the top. Here you will find the simple facts of what was publicly vetted, why it is needed, what was the location criteria and why and what it will look like once completed and its impact on the surrounding area.
The second task is to figure out how to get the real facts. The documents that provide the real facts are in the public domain. It is a question of finding them and reading them. The February 2 letter to the editor attacks Town officials and their motives, Economic Development plans that have been in the works for years, the need for the Water Consolidation Project and our Fire Protection program.
For insight into the Town’s Economic Development plans go to www.carefree.org, click the government section and then click on the Economic Development tab. You will find actual facts on what the Town is trying to accomplish. The Town’s economic development initiatives have been discussed in the open for many years at publicly advertised meetings. The overriding goal of these economic development efforts has been to diversify the Town’s revenues to ensure a financially sustainable community with complement quality businesses. Carefree’s identity has always been and will always be a high-quality residential community. The Council has never sought to change that, but to find complementing parts which provide the required revenues to sustain the community.
We also suggest you go to www.carefreeunity.com and read a recent post dated February 5, 2022. It is a reprint of a letter sent to the Boulders HOA Board’s attorney from the Town’s attorney setting the record straight regarding potentially libelous claims the North Boulders HOA has made regarding the Town, its officials and the motives for their actions. This will provide counterpoints to many of Ms. Benedetto’s false claims.
The February 2 letter also claims. “The Town faces an immediate fiscal crisis – the chronic underfunding of our essential fire protection and public safety”. This statement ignores the fact that the Town, since the early 2000’s has invested millions of dollars in fire and emergency services starting with an award-winning state-of-the-art fire house with an emergency operation center and fire truck. Recently a citizen committee, through a series of public meetings which can be viewed at the Town’s website, has been exploring how Carefree can join the regional dispatch system called Automatic Aid. For the facts on the Town’s fire protection program, what challenges we face and how we can move forward, go to the Town’s web site: www.carefree.org and click on the Public Safety Update banner. Here you can read the Public Safety Committee’s 40-page report which will provide the facts, backed up with real data. It spells out the history of the Town’s fire protection efforts, the tens of millions of dollars spent to date, the current challenges we face in a changing environment and specific recommendations on how to move forward. The committee will present their findings to the Town Council February 15. This is a complex issue that cannot be understood in a sound bite.
The Chair of the Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government then questions the need for the Water Consolidation Project, calling it “unnecessary infrastructure development”. Carefree residents, served by Cave Creek have been complaining about their water service for the past 10 years. During the four quarters of 2019 the Arizona Department of Water Quality (ADEQ) issued warnings for elevated trihalomethane levels in the drinking water. Furthermore, these 550 Carefree residences have had no voice in their water services as the Cave Creek Council oversaw the system, not their own Carefree Council. Why will this dark money group which calls for “responsible government” not support 1/3 of Carefree’s population in seeking the same privilege as the remaining Carefree residents. The 1,000 residents currently served by Cave Creek Water have only wanted the exact same thing Ms. Benedetto and her allies enjoy - a reliable, long term water supply where they have a voice (vote) on those responsible for its oversight.
Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government offers no specific recommendations to address the issues they see facing our Town. What policies are they for? We certainly know what they are against. For insight, one should look at the two initiatives they have put forward and will appear on the August 2, 2022 ballot.
The first ballot initiative is regarding Desert Open Space/Eminent Domain. You can read the document on the Town website. If passed, this initiative will require that the buried water storage reservoir being built off of Tom Darlington in the Boulders open space be removed, the ground restored and the reservoir located to another, less optimal location in someone else’s backyard. This initiative, if passed, will cost the Carefree Water Company approximately $7-8 million. This is money that will have to be borrowed and the additional costs paid by all customers of the Carefree Water Company through additional increases in water rates. This hardly sounds like “Responsible Government” but a lot like “unnecessary infrastructure development”. Ironically, around the corner from this location, the Boulders community has a septic tank in the same track of land. But most importantly in the seven lawsuits brought before the Appellate Courts by those opposed to the installation of this tank, all seven were decided in favor of the Town.
The second ballot initiative calls for the implementation of term limits. Specifically, this initiative would limit any candidate to a total of two terms, including retroactively counting any terms served in the past, at which point that individual would be banned for life from ever holding public office again as a member of the Carefree Town Council or Mayor. While reasonable people can certainly debate the pros and cons of term limits, this initiative would have the impact of eliminating anyone with any institutional knowledge from serving and could force complete turnover of the council every four years. Currently we have elections every two years. Why does this group believe Carefree needs the most draconian term limits in the state of Arizona, if not the entire country? Is it all over the underground water reservoir? Ask yourself, are you comfortable having your choices for representation taken away from you by lifetime bans of candidates who have experience and want to serve their community? Good governance includes diversity of choice and thoughtful dialogue which yield sustainable solutions.
In today’s political environment it is easy to get caught up in the “throw the bums out mentality”. In a prior letter to the editor published in the December 1, 2021 edition of the Sonoran News, Ms. Benedetto referred to the mayor and members of the council as “career politicians”. There are no career politicians serving in Carefree. History shows no mayors or council members who have gone on to higher office or some lucrative political consulting gig. It is in fact Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government who have brought Washington D.C. style smash mouth politics to Carefree with out of state, dark money, paid consultants / influencers and paid petition gatherers.
Let’s have healthy, fact based, reasoned discussions to arrive at the best solutions for Carefree and leave the dark money funded misinformation and baseless statements at the Town boundary.
Signed,
John Crane, Vice Mayor
Tony Geiger, Council Member
Cheryl Kroyer, Council Member
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Copyrighted
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.
"In Carefree these days, Town “progress” can be measured several ways. An unsightly Hampton Inn, designed for mass tourism, at the heart of downtown. Commercial development slated to consume every remaining bit of open desert space. Our Town government being laser-focused on “economic development” and attracting developers. The government seizure of private land and forced industrialization of open desert space. And Town Hall deciding what is best for Carefree residents, never bothering to ask us.
Deception has been instrumental to this “progress” in Carefree. The Town claimed that western residents on Cave Creek water suffered from poor water quality, requiring it to “consolidate” water service. But the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has never received a single complaint from a Carefree resident. ADEQ also insists that Cave Creek water is perfectly fine and has told Carefree to cease claiming otherwise.
The Town has told western Carefree residents (and Arizona courts) that a costly new water tank must be built to extend water service to the West. But it told its creditors that it could serve the area even without a new tank. It also admits that no study has ever concluded that a new tank is necessary. The Town even says that it plans to resume purchasing water treated by Cave Creek.
Town officials amended the General Plan to permit dense development at the corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway – over 150 transient rooms. It used a procedure that eliminated any need to put this to the voters, despite the mayor previously saying that residents would have a vote on any such change.
Town officials in private emails with the property owner and a potential developer have discussed how to increase the water available for the development of this corner. Unsurprisingly, the plan involves new water lines from Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway, directly downstream from the proposed tank. Could this be the real motivation for building a new tank?
The Town today faces an immediate fiscal crisis – the chronic underfunding of our essential fire protection and public safety. The City of Scottsdale just terminated its “mutual aid” agreement with Carefree. We now are on our own, in an increasingly wildfire-prone environment.
The cost of joining surrounding communities in “automatic aid” will run into the millions, and is probably unsupportable without a property tax. Town officials insist that increased development and sales tax revenues are the way forward. But unbridled expansion, unnecessary infrastructure development, and reliance on uncertain revenues already has landed us in the current predicament.
Tell Town officials your thoughts about rampant development and spending. Tell them that you want them to listen to ALL the voters, not just a noisy few. Tell them why you chose to live here: the beauty of our special desert, its peace and tranquility, and its night skies lit only by the stars and the moon. Tell them you do not want the government waste, increased traffic, noise, litter, and inevitable crime that comes with unchecked development.
In August you will be able to vote to prohibit the abuse of eminent domain to seize preserved open desert space and private property for the benefit of developers. Remember to VOTE and to SAVE OUR DESERT!!
Maureen “Mo” Benedetto
Chair, Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government"
Mayor Les Peterson asked Greg Crossman, the General Manager of the Carefree Water Company, to address the relationship between the water storage reservoir along Tom Darlington Drive, and the Northwest corner of Carefree Highway and Tom Darlington Drive, which was the development mentioned by Ms. Benedetto.
Mr. Crossman noted that he has responded multiple times to questions from The Boulders HOA about whether he can serve the property at the N.W. corner of Tom Darlington Drive and Carefree Highway from the new water storage reservoir. "The simple answer to that question is no. But I will say this again for the record. No, I cannot serve water to the property at the N.W. Corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway from the new Tom Darlington storage reservoir, and the reason for this is simple. The pipeline that runs by this property from the reservoir does not have adequate pressure to serve the property. The water storage reservoir was always intended to serve Neighborhood A of the acquisition area, and it doesn't generate enough pressure until it gets to Neighborhood A to serve Neighborhood A, which is about one mile away from this corner property, one mile downhill from the property at the N.W. corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway. So the assertion that there is some nefarious reason to construct the new water storage reservoir to serve the property at the N.W. corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway is definitely bogus and simply not true. So that is one thing I would like to clarify for the record." He asked if there were any questions on that information.
Councilman Vince D'Aliesio asked if, at any time, any residents want to make an appointment to speak to Mr. Crossman or to Gary Neiss to "clear the air", can they do so? What is the process for that? Mr. Crossman said absolutely. They can call his office to set up an appointment, and a couple of other staff members would be there as well to help answer questions, because there can be a lot of different questions. Mr. D'Aliesio asked if any residents, to date, contacted Mr. Crossman to get clarification. Mr. Crossman said none had in the past six months to a year.
Councilman Stephen Hatcher asked if the question could be answered that Ms. Benedetto brought up regarding the land that was offered to the Town or the Water Company with respect to location. Mr. Crossman replied that there was not an offer of land by the property owner at the N.W. corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway. There was a discussion about placing the reservoir there. It was looked at, but was not an appropriate location for the water reservoir. It's not at the correct elevation and doesn't generate the pressure by gravity that is needed in Neighborhood A, so was ruled out as an option. One of the criteria for the water storage reservoir was based on elevation, and the location along Tom Darlington happens to be at the needed elevation. "It's as simple as that." There never was an offer from the property owner. In fact, when the property owner was told the pipes that would be constructed adjacent to the N.W. corner would not be able to serve the property, he was quite upset about that. If he had known that the reservoir would be unable to serve the property, Mr. Crossman did not think he would have made an offer to put the water storage reservoir at the site. But the discussions never got that far, so some of these claims are not accurate.
Mayor Peterson wished to address one of the innuendos and baseless suggestions that came out in a Boulders communication the previous day that he and John Lassen, the owner of several lots which comprise 22 acres on the N.W. corner of Tom Darlington and Carefree Highway, have a relationship. "We are friends. I am friends with a lot of people in town. There are a lot of people in town I'm not friends with. And there is nothing that goes beyond that. We have spoken with our attorneys and we will be responding to The Boulders, because these unfounded innuendos based upon speculation and amateur engineering where tanks can go and pressure can go and line speeds, etc, line sizes are totally uncalled for. And if you want to know more, come in, talk to Greg, bring an engineer with you. But don't make speculative judgments, don't make speculations of what all it could be. Who knows? That's ridiculous."
https://vimeo.com/674255562
(Lyn's note to Ms. Benedetto and her allies: "Many people are unable to make a coherent argument. They can vent their emotions, question other people's motives, make bold assertions, repeat slogans--anything except reason." -Thomas Sowell
Ms. Benedetto's letter was also published in the Sonoran News. The letter below is in response to Ms. Benedetto's claims and accusations from the Vice Mayor and two Council members.)
HOW MANY TIMES MUST WE SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT?
Fact based, reasoned discussions are always welcome and healthy. But the letter to the editor that appeared in the February 2, 2022 edition of the Sonoran News from the Chair of Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government, Maureen “Mo” Benedetto, is laced with misinformation and baseless statements. Let’s sort through what is fact and what is fiction.
First, who and what is Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government? According to required election filings, it is a Delaware Corporation that has raised $19,250 from non-disclosed sources. Ironically, this ‘dark money’ funded corporation calls for ‘responsible government”. Responsible government starts with transparency. To date, monies have been spent for a consultant / influencer ($6,250) who writes articles for the Foothills Focus, paid petition gatherers ($3,000) to get their Eminent Domain and Term Limits initiative on the ballot and legal fees ($3,750). This is hardly what one would call a grass roots organization. All this information is public record and can be found in the elections section of Carefree.org, our Town’s website.
Interestingly, this group was formed when the Town was trying to sell revenue bonds to fund the Water Consolidation Project. This group was originally formed in the Boulders to oppose the Town burying a water reservoir along Tom Darlington Road. It will not result in, as claimed in the February 2 letter, “industrialization of open desert space”. Go to www.carefree.org and click on the Public Safety Update banner at the top. Here you will find the simple facts of what was publicly vetted, why it is needed, what was the location criteria and why and what it will look like once completed and its impact on the surrounding area.
The second task is to figure out how to get the real facts. The documents that provide the real facts are in the public domain. It is a question of finding them and reading them. The February 2 letter to the editor attacks Town officials and their motives, Economic Development plans that have been in the works for years, the need for the Water Consolidation Project and our Fire Protection program.
For insight into the Town’s Economic Development plans go to www.carefree.org, click the government section and then click on the Economic Development tab. You will find actual facts on what the Town is trying to accomplish. The Town’s economic development initiatives have been discussed in the open for many years at publicly advertised meetings. The overriding goal of these economic development efforts has been to diversify the Town’s revenues to ensure a financially sustainable community with complement quality businesses. Carefree’s identity has always been and will always be a high-quality residential community. The Council has never sought to change that, but to find complementing parts which provide the required revenues to sustain the community.
We also suggest you go to www.carefreeunity.com and read a recent post dated February 5, 2022. It is a reprint of a letter sent to the Boulders HOA Board’s attorney from the Town’s attorney setting the record straight regarding potentially libelous claims the North Boulders HOA has made regarding the Town, its officials and the motives for their actions. This will provide counterpoints to many of Ms. Benedetto’s false claims.
The February 2 letter also claims. “The Town faces an immediate fiscal crisis – the chronic underfunding of our essential fire protection and public safety”. This statement ignores the fact that the Town, since the early 2000’s has invested millions of dollars in fire and emergency services starting with an award-winning state-of-the-art fire house with an emergency operation center and fire truck. Recently a citizen committee, through a series of public meetings which can be viewed at the Town’s website, has been exploring how Carefree can join the regional dispatch system called Automatic Aid. For the facts on the Town’s fire protection program, what challenges we face and how we can move forward, go to the Town’s web site: www.carefree.org and click on the Public Safety Update banner. Here you can read the Public Safety Committee’s 40-page report which will provide the facts, backed up with real data. It spells out the history of the Town’s fire protection efforts, the tens of millions of dollars spent to date, the current challenges we face in a changing environment and specific recommendations on how to move forward. The committee will present their findings to the Town Council February 15. This is a complex issue that cannot be understood in a sound bite.
The Chair of the Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government then questions the need for the Water Consolidation Project, calling it “unnecessary infrastructure development”. Carefree residents, served by Cave Creek have been complaining about their water service for the past 10 years. During the four quarters of 2019 the Arizona Department of Water Quality (ADEQ) issued warnings for elevated trihalomethane levels in the drinking water. Furthermore, these 550 Carefree residences have had no voice in their water services as the Cave Creek Council oversaw the system, not their own Carefree Council. Why will this dark money group which calls for “responsible government” not support 1/3 of Carefree’s population in seeking the same privilege as the remaining Carefree residents. The 1,000 residents currently served by Cave Creek Water have only wanted the exact same thing Ms. Benedetto and her allies enjoy - a reliable, long term water supply where they have a voice (vote) on those responsible for its oversight.
Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government offers no specific recommendations to address the issues they see facing our Town. What policies are they for? We certainly know what they are against. For insight, one should look at the two initiatives they have put forward and will appear on the August 2, 2022 ballot.
The first ballot initiative is regarding Desert Open Space/Eminent Domain. You can read the document on the Town website. If passed, this initiative will require that the buried water storage reservoir being built off of Tom Darlington in the Boulders open space be removed, the ground restored and the reservoir located to another, less optimal location in someone else’s backyard. This initiative, if passed, will cost the Carefree Water Company approximately $7-8 million. This is money that will have to be borrowed and the additional costs paid by all customers of the Carefree Water Company through additional increases in water rates. This hardly sounds like “Responsible Government” but a lot like “unnecessary infrastructure development”. Ironically, around the corner from this location, the Boulders community has a septic tank in the same track of land. But most importantly in the seven lawsuits brought before the Appellate Courts by those opposed to the installation of this tank, all seven were decided in favor of the Town.
The second ballot initiative calls for the implementation of term limits. Specifically, this initiative would limit any candidate to a total of two terms, including retroactively counting any terms served in the past, at which point that individual would be banned for life from ever holding public office again as a member of the Carefree Town Council or Mayor. While reasonable people can certainly debate the pros and cons of term limits, this initiative would have the impact of eliminating anyone with any institutional knowledge from serving and could force complete turnover of the council every four years. Currently we have elections every two years. Why does this group believe Carefree needs the most draconian term limits in the state of Arizona, if not the entire country? Is it all over the underground water reservoir? Ask yourself, are you comfortable having your choices for representation taken away from you by lifetime bans of candidates who have experience and want to serve their community? Good governance includes diversity of choice and thoughtful dialogue which yield sustainable solutions.
In today’s political environment it is easy to get caught up in the “throw the bums out mentality”. In a prior letter to the editor published in the December 1, 2021 edition of the Sonoran News, Ms. Benedetto referred to the mayor and members of the council as “career politicians”. There are no career politicians serving in Carefree. History shows no mayors or council members who have gone on to higher office or some lucrative political consulting gig. It is in fact Carefree Citizens for Responsible Government who have brought Washington D.C. style smash mouth politics to Carefree with out of state, dark money, paid consultants / influencers and paid petition gatherers.
Let’s have healthy, fact based, reasoned discussions to arrive at the best solutions for Carefree and leave the dark money funded misinformation and baseless statements at the Town boundary.
Signed,
John Crane, Vice Mayor
Tony Geiger, Council Member
Cheryl Kroyer, Council Member
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Copyrighted
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.