Oro Valley Resident Acknowledges Bill Garner

In her letter to the June 18 Explorer, Jacqueline Parker notes what many of other Oro Valley residents know: The cost of fire service and other new fees have escalated dramatically. Ms. Parker notes that only Bill Garner responded to her initial letter back in April.
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Burdened by the cost of government

This letter was sent in April to the mayor of Oro Valley, vice mayor and city council members. The only respondent: Bill Garner.

How many times did I hear that the annexation into Oro Valley would not increase taxes? Now that my subdivision has been annexed, taxes have and will be increasing the cost of living in Oro Valley.

My cost for Rural Metro went from $132 in 2005 to a whopping $256.96 in 2006 – almost doubled in one year. This year, $278.68. This because “both fire agencies as well as the town of Oro Valley are working together to make the system better.” This is better? It’s my understanding that once we are annexed by the Golder Ranch Fire District I can look forward to this cost (probably increasing) being added to my property taxes.

Oro Valley gained approximately 126 businesses with annexation of the Rancho Catalina area. Because of this we now pay an increase in sales tax when we patronize these businesses.

It’s curious why, when Oro Valley gained tax revenues from annexation of these businesses, should costs for Rural Metro or anything else increase for residents? Why should an increase in tax revenue for the town of Oro Valley translate into higher costs for residents? Maybe a no-annexation, no-growth policy would be better for all of us.

And now Oro Valley has decided that we should pay yet another $34.80 a year for a “storm fee.” Now we have to pay for our scant rain?

I’m sorry to say that I was better off under Pima County. These are lean times. The whole country is in a recession. We are paying more and more for food and gas, and seeing more and more home foreclosures. Maybe you don’t think that $34.80 a year is very much, but this is the very worst time to be putting increasing economic pressure on people.

We need city council members with good fiscal problem-solving skills who will balance the budget and prioritize the use of tax revenues so not to overburden residents with the cost of government.

Jacqueline Parker

Oro Valley