Storm Water Utility Fee On The Horizon

Oro Valley's Town Council voted Oct. 3 to provide a notice of intent to establish a monthly stormwater utility fee of up to $2.90 a month and scheduled a public hearing on it for Nov. 7. Yet another fee to be added to our already bloated and ever increasing water bill! Supposedly, the money collected will be used to repair roads damaged from the summer monsoons.

If approved by the council at the Nov. 7 meeting, the fee would become effective Jan. 1, 2008.

AZ Tax Revolt Meeting Fri. Oct 12

You are invited to a presentation and Q&A session on the Arizona Tax Revolt - Property Tax Levy and Valuation Rollback initiatives this Friday 10/12 at 4:00 PM. If you can make the meeting, this will be a great opportunity to learn about the many benefits of the measures as well as learning how best to address the concerns some folks have.

Marc Goldstone, Chair.
Arizona Tax Revolt

Location:

Desert View Performing Arts Center
38759 S. Mountain View Blvd
Saddlebrooke, AZ 85739
Tel: (520) 818-1000

Directions:

- take Oracle Blvd North from Tucson
- turn right on Saddlebrooke Blvd (just past the town of Catalina)
- turn right on Mountain View Blvd.
- turn right on Club House Blvd.
- Desert View Performing Arts Center is on the right hand side near the end of Club House Blvd.

The Three Deadly Sins Of Providing Incentives

How many of you recall the name BUXTON? Prior to giving Vestar their $23.2 million incentive, Oro Valley gave Buxton $50,000 to do a analysis on demographics so our Town Council would have a good idea which retailers might be a good match for our community.

A well qualified gentleman, Bill Shelton, with outstanding credentials in the field of Economic Development, has written an article that is on Buxton's web site. It is titled:

"The Three Deadly Sins Of Providing Incentives."

• Deadly Sin #1-Don’t Do Due Diligence
• Deadly Sin #2-Don’t Conduct a Cost/Benefit Analysis
• Deadly Sin #3-Don’t Require a Performance Contract

Might Oro Valley have been guilty of all three of these deadly sins in giving Vestar a $23.2 million incentive? It sure looks that way.

Click here to read the article.