Carefree budget meeting comes to a heated end

By Sonja Haller The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:43 AM

A Carefree budget workshop this week came to a heated end after a public discussion on proposed Town Center improvements, including a splash pad.

The second budget workshop for fiscal 2013-14 looked at $850,000 in possible Town Center enhancements as a way to draw more visitors to Carefree’s economic core to boost sales-tax revenue. Among the suggestions were shading for the Town Center amphitheater, a splash pad and sundial fountain.

Some residents opposed the enhancements and questioned whether they would draw more customers to town businesses.

Among them was John Traynor, a challenger of Carefree Mayor David Schwan in a 2010 recall election. “I think they were ill-conceived,” he said.

Traynor and Michelle Miller, the wife of Councilman Glenn Miller, exchanged hostile words in the doorway of the council chambers as the meeting was adjourned. This prompted Miller to jump up from the table and as fellow council members called after him, he said: “That’s my wife!”

The eruption died as quickly as it began as council members and the public dispersed.

During the meeting, several members of the public lauded an idea from Councilman David Farrar who suggested the Town Council add a $5,000 line item to the budget to hire a consultant to assess the proposed improvements. The council, except for Councilman Arthur Gimson who was absent, unanimously approved of the study.

“I’m just fearful that we haven’t really established the targets and how do we know they are the right targets,” Farrar said, referring to the demographics that the town is trying to attract.

Councilman Marty Saltzman addressed the public concern by saying that before the council approved any Town Center enhancements, there would be public hearings and further council discussions.

“We will be beating this to death before spade is put to dirt,” Saltzman said.

Final fiscal-year sales-tax revenue numbers are not yet in, but Schwan said next year’s budget likely will look like the current year’s at $6.4 million.

The Town Council will adopt a bottom-line budget figure during its 5 p.m. May 7 meeting.

In other matters, the council unanimously agreed to Open Meeting Law training after being found twice in violation of Arizona’s Open Meeting Law by the Attorney General’s Office.

As part of a request to resolve the issues in two separate April letters by Assistant Attorney General Christopher A. Munns, a council majority agreed to discuss the violations during a public meeting and to attend a training session on the law within three months.

One letter discussed a 2012 violation in which Vice Mayor Melissa Price communicated with other council members outside a public meeting about four-year staggered terms.

This prompted other council members to state their position. “By proposing a legal action — enacting four-year staggered terms — Ms. Price inadvertently created a non-public meeting of the quorum in violation of the (Open Meeting Law),” the letter stated.

The second letter addressed a violation in November 2011. During that time, the mayor called for a town-hall meeting in which residents could exchange information on any topics with council members. Because specific topics to be discussed were not listed on an agenda, the town violated the Open Meeting law, the Attorney General’s Office said.

Price voted against the mayor sending a letter to the Attorney General’s Office agreeing to the resolution terms on that specific violation.

“I think that’s the wrong message to send to our citizens,” Price said.