By now, most readers of my letters in The Times know my belief is that a primary property tax is the least oppressive and most equitable means of taxation available to support the needs of a community like ours. That said, I will not waste any more words on that topic. I will, however, give the reasons why I think the town desperately needs a reliable source of revenue; not for just four or 10 years but rather for the foreseeable future.

Roads and public buildings need continuous maintenance, just as our homes do. It is true that most of the roads in town are in good condition, but have you seen Verde River drive in front of the Chamber offices or Ashcroft just off Saguaro? There are significant cracks in the stucco on the library above the entrance and the maintenance crew at the Community Center will tell you there are problems needing correction. This building is one of the town’s greatest treasures!

One of the major complaints against a tax increase is still that we have no assurance of how the monies will be spent. This is pure balderdash, we have our votes and we have recalled one mayor for violation of our trust. Do we have any real control of how our county, state or federal governments spend our tax dollars? Other than the power of our votes, none.

There is a critical mass applicable to staffing local government. Use of contract persons with no vested interest in the community is not always cost effective. The use of a contract inspector on the Park Place project nearly cost the town a significant sum when they allowed construction to start before fees were paid. The town manager and council are the best bet for our staffing needs.