A pattern of questionable behavior
There is a pattern of behavior that has emerged in our town over the past year that, for some, begs the question: “Whose Town Is This Anyway?” Is it the town council’s town? Is it town staff’s town? Or is it the resident's town?
Last week and in several prior weeks we have posted facts regarding events that have happened that raise this question. We will reference them here so that you can consider what it all means.
Bad Behavior Toward Constituents
We’ve posted regarding three situations where the town has so rankled residents or their representatives that they have sent scathing letters to the Mayor.
Last Monday, we reported some Rancho Vistoso residents are asking that the town fire Town Manager Mary Jacobs because of her behavior regarding negotiations to purchase the former Vistoso Golf Course. According to those who have worked tirelessly for three years to make this so, Jacobs has excluded the key element of the purchase, The Conservation Fund, from discussions. Apparently, she has done so in a dismissive manner. These residents have been left out of any discussions when they were the ones who brought the solution to the town.
Finally, there is the “resignation” statement that Ford of The Conservation Fund ("TCF") released. We posted their statement Friday. TCF is the source of funding for the purchase. They’ve been left out. They know how to do these deals. They, like the residents of Vistoso, have been dismissed by the town.
Town Manager has made mistakes that have caused problems
As we wrote in February, inaction a year ago caused the crisis regarding the Pusch Ridge Course. Town Manager Jacobs knew in April that HSL was not going to lease the course. She did not tell the council this until September. By then, the course was closed and residents in the area were left out of discussions. It was only their concerted effort that got action.
As we wrote in December, Jacobs failed to post a critical public hearing on a general plan amendment. This resulted in a hurriedly scheduled public hearing on December 30, when no one was paying attention. That hearing only happened because LOVE noticed the town that they were required by law to hold a public hearing before year end.
Temporary taxes that have an eternal life
The town has failed to reduce taxes that were supposed to be temporary. The most recent is the half cent sales tax to pay for golf. We posted a visual on this this past Tuesday. This half cent sales tax is "Golfs' Eternal Flame." It was supposed to go away within five years. At that time, golf was projected to be self sufficient. It isn't. The tax is still there.
We've not forgotten a second tax that was supposed to be temporary. That's the 2 percent the Hiremath Council added to the utility tax. Hiremath, in a classic 'sleight of hand', claimed it was needed to pay for four police positions. It was only going to be temporary. That was eleven years ago.
Behind closed door meeting
One of our readers spoke to us regarding what seems to be an extraordinary number of executive sessions that council holds. The town has held so many executive sessions that Mayor Winfield asked Town Manager Jacobs to post a notice on the state's guidelines for holding these meeting. This notice is in regards to the former Vistoso Golf Course land purchase.
All of this when considered together does make one wonder. Whose town is this anyway?
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