Carefree Truth

Issue #249, May 22, 2013

 

 

 

 

Gary Neiss reported that the Town maintains a fiscally conservative approach, a legacy of past and present Councils, with a pay-as-you-go, no debt philosophy.  Carefree has no obligated debt.   Many communities fund projects through bonds supported by a secondary property tax.  Carefree has no property tax.  The reserves are built up, then money is spent for capital improvements.  Carefree has the largest per capita reserve in the State of Arizona.

 

 

 

We find grants and partnerships.  In the past 2-3 years, we got 800 megahertz radios, costing $92,000, for our fire truck and our firefighters, allowing them to seamlessly communicate regionally with other agencies and first responders.  People love the street sweeper, which cost $250,000, and calls come in all the time asking, "When are you coming down my street?"

Desert Foothills Landscape donated $1,000,000 in the form of plants and labor to create the Carefree Gardens, and is continuing to add new specimens.  People come from all over to visit that signature element.  Our Town Hall was the first building built in Carefree in 1958; it was not energy efficient.  The Town was given an energy grant of $120,000, used to upgrade the windows, lighting and HVAC systems, providing a 50% savings on energy costs.  All of these items were funded through grants and donations, costing our citizens nothing.  "Ask and ye shall receive."

 

 

 

Near term, we are working with Cave Creek and the Maricopa Association of Governments to get $3,000,000 invested in our communities for amenities like bike lanes.  Thousands ride their bikes through Carefree each year with no bike lanes.  Bike lanes are the industry standard.  We have to budget in order to have them funded.  This is required of the public sector.

 

 

 

The budget looks at maintaining core services.  The heartbeat of the organization is the staff.  They pick up the phones on a daily basis, dealing with building and remodeling questions, planning and zoning issues, questions from Realtors and from citizens.  Recently, there were many complaints from alarmed residents concerning bow hunting near their properties.  A new State law was passed that changed the ability of municipalities to limit bow hunting within their boundaries.  "Staff found a way."  They approached Arizona Game and Fish, the agency that was in a position to impose those limits, and it was accomplished.  This will be used as a template in other towns.  Staff adds to our property values by helping to provide the quality of life we enjoy in our desert environment.  "It's who we are."  There are many calls after a storm or an accident.  The Public Works crew is there after hours to clean up, and are there on a daily basis maintaining our assets.  Carefree staff is comprised of 14 people total, the lowest staff per capita number in the state.  There is "lots to be proud of in the core staff and services provided at the lowest cost to the citizens".

 

 

 

Mr. Neiss stated that "we are a victim of our own success" in the streets program.  During the 2012/13 fiscal year, repair and maintenance of the arterial streets was completed.  Many approached the Town saying, "The streets look great.  When are you getting to my neighborhood?"  The 2013/14 budget includes $1,100,000 to be used for the repair and maintenance of most of the remaining streets in town.  "We have no property tax.  We are pay-as-you-go.  The reserves are there for a purpose.  We're investing in our community.  We're investing in the people.  That's what we do.  The budget is fiscally conservative."

 

 

 

The budget does not authorize any capital expenditures for a splash pad or improvements to the amphitheater.  "They will be taken to the Council and vetted from A-Z.  How does it get paid for?  Who are you partnering with?  What's the scope of the work?  Why are we doing it?  All these questions will be answered along the way and vetted in the public process." Budgeting for these items gives us the ability to get corporate partners and individual donors."  "If we don't ask, we don't get."

 

 

 

Mayor David Schwan reported that the budget bottom line is set at $6,607,201.  Councilman Marty Saltzman said it is not money that will absolutely be spent just because it is budgeted.  Town accountant Jim Keen confirmed, "That's correct.  If it's not in the budget, you can't spend it, even if it's donated." He said all the money budgeted last year was not spent, adding that it never is.  Mr. Saltzman clarified, "If it's not in the budget, if God himself came down and gave us the money, we couldn't do it.  I just want everybody to get that, because some of the rhetoric I'm hearing is fear that we're going to go out and spend all this money."  "We're about as conservative as it gets.  We are watching it."        

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8h6GoHgyOE&list=UUiL9eWRuc6rwuZa0Lhi9AbQ&index=1   

 

Lyn Hitchon

 

 

Prepared by Carefree Truth

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