Favoritism Much?The Town has now held a total of three special “invitation only” meetings with golf members and residents living along the golf courses to get their feedback regarding the future of the golf courses. Those meetings were as follows:
Two Special Meetings for Residents living along the golf courses
May 4, 2017: Q&A Session/Workshop at the Gaslight Theater
December 12, 2017: Town Council Chambers
One Special Meeting for Golf Members
December 13, 2017: Sunset Room of the Community Center
According to the invitations, the Town believed that feedback from these two groups was “an important part of developing the final recommendation that will be presented to the mayor and town council in January 2018.”
What about the rest of us?
What about the 40,000+ taxpayers who are being forced to fund this albatross? How many special meetings have they held for “We the Taxpayers?” We never approved the purchase of the golf courses and we never approved the increase in the sales tax to fund renovations and maintenance. Where is our seat at the table?
The Town refuses to acknowledge that ALL Oro Valley taxpayers are supporting this misguided adventure, many of us unwillingly. If they are going to make all of us pay for this unwanted addition to the Town budget, then they need to give us a voice in the decision-making process.
On December 18th, I sent the following letter to Town Manager, Mary Jacobs:
"Ms. Jacobs,
Now that the Town has held one "Special Meeting" for residents living near the Town-owned golf courses (December 12th) and another "Special Meeting" for the members of the golf club (December 13th), will the Town be holding a "Special Meeting" for the General Public to also allow them to give their opinions and feedback regarding the Golf Consultant's Report?
One person living along the golf courses commented at the meeting on December 12th:
"This isn't just about golfers vs. non-golfers. It's also about homeowners living along the courses."
They left someone out. This isn't just about golfers, non-golfers, and homeowners living along the golf courses. It's also about Oro Valley taxpayers who are being forced to subsidize the recreational activities of golfers (who make up less than 1% of our population). We're sure you will agree that the taxpayer also needs to have a seat at the table."
Tomorrow: Part 2. The Town's Response
