Don Milliken Questions OV Council's Actions

The Following is a letter to the editor April 25 The Explorer by Don Milliken.
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OV property tax is not the answer

It is shocking to have witnessed the cost of living acceleration in Oro Valley during the last nine years of Mayor Paul Loomis’ administration. Despite the escalating tax burden, April 1 was the “roll-out” of a utility tax to cover the town’s inability to understand and plan for the inevitable loss of revenue from new construction fees. Now we see that the Town Council, once again, is toying with the idea of imposing a property tax on its citizens. One would be inclined to think with record breaking revenue collection by the state and county, that “enough would be enough.”

To show how really out of touch the town of Oro Valley is; a year of detailed planning by architects produced the $160 million dollar Naranja town site “boondoggle.” The numbers are staggering. To think a town with a population of 43,000 could afford something like this is incomprehensible. (Sticking the citizens with more taxes is not the answer!)

The town has a track record of blowing cash carelessly. The latest offering of $23.2 million of future revenue to entice Vestar to build a Wal-Mart is a prime example. The lack of planning also has quite a few zoning “flaws,” such as the re-do of roads since they couldn’t be done right the first time. The original guise of the utility tax was to account for a budget shortfall. Since that didn’t convince a majority of the council members to initially vote for it, they changed direction by exceeding the current budget in spending more money hiring additional personnel. The additional jobs were hinged on the passage of the utility tax, and the town continued to ignore addressing a shortfall.

Is this what we expect out of government? A blind, unguided ambition to continue to grow at all cost at the whim of any special interest? Before opening up the check book for another tax and accepting the only solution being put forth: “the town needs more money,” let’s see them stay in budget for a change and show some financial responsibility with the new revenue they are already reaping.

Taxes diminish our spending ability. While I accept there are certain things this buys, like roads and police, the town hasn’t demonstrated the ability to wisely spend the money they are taking from us now! With their track record, why would we send them more of our money?

Don Milliken,
Oro Valley