Thursday, September 18, 2008

Oro Valley Property Tax Looms?

Yesterday, two of our bloggers and fellow citizens spoke at Town Council Meeting on the importance of understanding the full impact of Arroyo Grande on Oro Valley. Speaking at Council meeting, Barry DeSimone noted a perceived threat that a property tax will be required if Oro Valley stops growing. Thus, the theory goes, Oro Valley must move forward with Arroyo Grande so that growth can increase the town's coffers.

The groundwork for a property tax would be laid in place with the approval of a secondary property tax to build the Naranja Theme Park.

Once again, makes voting "No On Naranja" the right thing to do.

17 comments:

Fear the Turtle said...

The 2008 Property Tax Statement I received yesterday is the most expensive property tax statement I've ever received.
My house is Maryland was 3,800 sq ft, appraised at $700,000, and had two acres of land....total tax bill $3,186.
House in Oro Valley, 2,200 sq ft, 1/4 acre of land, full cash value $351,000....total tax $3,400. The Golder Ranch FD accounts for over $600 of this tax.
What lunatic is going to vote for the secondary property tax that accompanies approval of the Narjana Diaster Park?

mscoyote said...

Turtle,
I think the voters will approve the secondary property tax because most
won't understand the true cost of the project
Hey Maryland sounds pretty nice.
We are voting NO---------

Victorian Cowgirl said...

Turtle,

Our last fire tax with Rural Metro was $295/year. Our new fire tax with Golder Ranch (including the secondary property tax and the bond fund) is $525.00. An increase of $230!!

Well, I hope the "up" side of this is that now no one will vote for another secondary property tax to fund the Nonsense Park.

OV Objective Thinker said...

Hi All.....

Just wanted to let you know that we are voting for the bonds as you might imagine.

Since Zeeman must have missed MY letter I thought I would post it here for your review:


Invest in OV’s future with ‘yes’ vote on park bonds

Now that the primary elections are over and we have a clear view of the choices before us, I believe it is an appropriate time to look at a very important Oro Valley issue.

At stake is whether we move forward as a progressive community or slide backwards. It’s about providing our children, grandchildren, and adults of all ages with sufficient recreational facilities. It’s about being a Community of Excellence versus a town of mediocrity.

What is at stake is whether we choose to invest a few dollars a month in our future or spend the same amount, or more, on gasoline to transport our kids to recreational facilities outside of Oro Valley. I am speaking of Naranja Park. On Nov. 4, 2008, or before if you receive a ballot by mail, you will be asked to answer a simple but powerful question. Do you want to build a park that will meet the clearly defined needs of our community, or continue to fall behind as our community grows?

Senior softball teams need to travel to Tucson and beyond because there aren’t enough fields. Young boys and girls have to be transported to fields many miles away to play a game of soccer. Little League teams are woefully short of needed fields. Requests for ramadas and picnic facilities are turned down weekly because there just aren’t enough to satisfy the demand.

The status quo is simply unacceptable for our town. I urge you to vote yes on the Naranja Park bond issue. And when it is approved, we can hold our heads high and point to this as an investment in the future of our great community rather than be blamed for not acting.

Don Cox

Oro Valley

Fear the Turtle said...

Taxes:
Pima County
Amphi School
Pima College
County Bonds
Amphi Schools Sec
Joint Tech
Pima College Sec
GOLDER Ranch FD Sec
Golder Ranch FD Bond
Central Az Water
Pima County Sec
Library District
Fire District

Never ending tax burden on the citizens...PRICELESS.

OV Objective Thinker said...

McCoyote.....

What are the truc costs of the project....other than what has been published???

OV Objective Thinker said...

FTT.....

Just a couple of points on your tax list.

Pima County is the highest taxing county in the state and one of the highest in the country. They are also one of the most fiscally irresponsible counties in the nation. Chuck Huckleberry should be fired and if you voted for Ann Day then you cast a vote in support of the taxes and Chuck Huckleberry.

Not a single tax on that list accrues to the benefit of Oro Valley with the single exception of a small portion of the Library Tax.

I agree our taxes are high but I also believe that the investment in a park to serve ALL of the citizens in our community, especially the children, is a good investment of the few dollars a month it will cost. Keeping in mind that the vast majority of the Operating and Maintenance costs will be paid by those living outside of Oro Valley.

OV Objective Thinker said...

MsC..."true" not truc.

Nombe Watanabe said...

I would like a park but it is just too expensive. We are now paying a Tax rate that is CALIFORNIAN in scope.

Many of our neighbors came here to retire, many folks have a fixed income. Don't forget our federal taxes are going to increse so that Wall St can continue to support the real estate market in the Hamptons.

Let's take a bond holliday!

Zev Cywan said...

So what's the problem with 'just a little bit more'? Food, clothing, shelter, gasoline, utilities, insurances, services - they all went up, too, and so my total expenses went up over $3000 last year if you add it all together. AND, if you consider that the Park is only 1/4 of what THEY wanted, we can look forward to more sniveling after the quarter-assed portion is completed. Times have changed since the original onset of the Park idea and ideas, and if the input was anything like the 'closed' session of 'The State of the Town', then those that gave the input were NOT representative of the ordinary folk! In short, my income is unchanged, my outgo has risen, my retirement assets and real property has declined in value, so, in essense, I am MUCH poorer than I was a year ago. AND THEY HAVE THE GALL TO WANT MORE OF ME?

BAH, HUMBUG!!!

Victorian Cowgirl said...

Thinker,

(1) "At stake is whether we move forward as a progressive community or slide backwards."

Were Wal-Mart and the rest of the junk stores at OVM really a step FORWARD? Remember YOU voted for THAT mess.


(2) "Senior softball teams need to travel to Tucson and beyond because there aren’t enough fields."

If memory serves, YOU are on a senior softball team, so then isn't this all about what YOU want for YOURSELF?

My apologies if I've confused you with someone else.

OV Objective Thinker said...

VC....

From a financial stability standpoint the Oro Valley Marketplace is a huge step forward. If those tax dollars are not realized then the Town would need to hit you and I up for the revenue. I believe it is better to receive sales tax from those living in Catalina, Saddlebrooke, unincorporated Pima County and elsewhere than from your or my pocket.

You are absolutely correct that I am a senior softball player....as is Zeeman and Art. As I said it is a park for all ages and for all citizens including you and me. I will benefit and you will benefit. Our children will benefit.

Zev Cywan said...

OV OT
From the appearance of past performance relative to expected tax revenue from retail sales in other of our tax-sharing centers, the OVM is a big questionmark as to how much of an impact it will, in fact, have. Please, for once and for all, acknowledge that THERE ARE TOO MANY EMPTY HOLES within the older AND the new strips. If Wal-mart helps to bring in a decent revenue which will be attributed to the OVM, one still has to ask how much has been lost because of the inability to attract or keep other entities that their presense might have discouraged, not only within the center but within the rest of the Town. As to Catalina, Saddlebrook, Saddlebrook Ranch, etc., it is a FACT that once a certain population is in place, other centers will probably spring up, others that most probably would be closer for them, and even another Wal-mart could be put 'up there'or a relevant competitor (I did read that there is one lurking).As I stated in an earlier post, a great portion of Oro Valley is closer in distance and in time to Foothills Mall, established, with a Wal-mart, INDOOR SHOPPING, and a host of appropriate dining. So, no sense in counting those residents as reliable OVM shoppers to be.

What IS the answer for the revenues that Oro Valley needs? Well, for starters some of the mad hatters in this town needs to be sedated as this place is not Wonderland! The whole picture needs to be reassessed, false progress needs to be halted, direction and purpose need to be defined; we need to regroup and then move forward. Our whole national economy is in deep doo-doo; don't think it can't effect what happens here. We need to wait and see, let our current resources catch up to where we are TODAY. Then, and only then, can reality come back into play. Right now everything is smoke and mirrors and that is not a good thing!

Victorian Cowgirl said...

I drove by the Sprouts plaza the other day and saw that the shoe store (can't remember the name) is going out of business. Sedona Patio already left that plaza. And I heard that Kohl's may be next, that they may be closing the entire chain.

Remember the projections for how much sales tax revenue THAT mall was supposed to generate? And how the actual figures weren't even close?

I suspect history will repeat itself at OVM. I also suspect that if the Naranja Park is built, that it also won't be everything that some people expect it to be.

As with many things in life, the "fantasy" is usually better than the "reality."

Zev Cywan said...

And VC, after perusing our newspaper this morning, the overall picture of our national economy is terrible! There is absolutely no sense in throwing money at self-entertainment (Naranja Town Site) while the
wildfires are still burning. If you read the article (among the rest of the gloomy outlooks) on the out-of-balance personal AND institutional indebtedness that is overwhelming in perspective, this is ABSOLUTELY no time to be increasing it. NO MORE DEBT, NO MORE TAXES; in a nutshell, that's it - there is no more to say!!!

boobie-baby said...

I often wonder: if the Naranja Town Site bond issue had appeared on a ballot 3 years ago, would it have passed?

I have contended in the past that it will probably take at least 3 elections before the bonds ever get approved. Couple that with the national economic situation, and I don't see any serious groundbreaking before 2010.

The Arizona statutes are pretty clever in that they do not allow a municipality to institute a primary property tax without a vote of the residents. The same goes for bonds in this case.

I don't have any crystal ball to tell if it will pass this time--but I would guess it would fail. If nothing else, this gives the current Council a sense of the pulse of the community. Remember, of course, that the issue was placed on the ballot by a previous Council.

And, to the best of my knowledge, public spaces cannot be limited to "residents" of the town only. There may be reduced fees for recreation classes or sports participation, but I'm not sure how you'd enforce a town resident only clause even if it was legal.

Zev Cywan said...

boobie-baby
An excellent assessment. If this issue does not pass in the upcoming election, it most probably would be for more than simply a financial reason. Understand that many anti persons, even several years ago, have felt that the utilities resultant from the input/planning and methods of same were either over the top, ill suited in total concept, as well as too costly even during the better times.

Given a current defeat (if), upon revisitation at some point hence,I would like to see a more dispassionate study as to those provisions which would truly enhance the Town of Oro Valley in overall perspective rather than providing a plethora of so much relative to athletic activities. This will not take more studies from multitudes of voices, this will not take studies by professional planners, this will not take jaunts to other theaters (although it could utilize that which other towns might have incorporated) and yes, it could be 'molded' more into conforming to the natural habitat, blending into the beauty of that which surrounds it.