11/13/2009 10:01:00 PM Williamson Valley Incorporation vote could be a year away
Les Stukenberg/ The Daily Courier Vince, Isabella and Katy Gifford (below) listen to a presentation, along with 250 others, on the proposed Williamson Valley incorporation at Prescott Mile High Middle School Thursday evening. The Giffords feel that "it's silly to incorporate to fight the road."
PRESCOTT - About 150 people Thursday evening attended the Williamson Valley Incorporation Committee's second public meeting to discuss its drive to incorporate Williamson Valley.
Although the applause for anti-incorporation comments seemed stronger than applause for pro-incorporation comments, master of ceremonies Ken Mino told the audience that the committee planned more public meetings and that it would be about a year before the matter could come up for a vote.
"The goal of this meeting is to present the truth about incorporation," said Mino, who is president of the Williamson Valley Community Organization (WVCO). He opened the meeting with a "disclaimer" that no one on the incorporation committee stood to gain financially from incorporating.
In response to a question, Mino said the impetus behind the incorporation movement boils down to taking control of future changes to Williamson Valley Road and controlling commercial zoning adjacent to the road.
Yavapai County owns the road that runs through the heart of the valley, and the board of supervisors approved plans to widen the road from two lanes to five lanes. The Public Works Department has advertised for construction bids for the south section of the road, which goes from Sidewinder Road to Pioneer Parkway.
Even pro-incorporation residents agree that sections of the road are in disrepair and need widening, but they want only three lanes. The fear is that helter-skelter commercial development would occur if the road was five lanes, Mino said.
"Every traffic planner says so," he said. "When the road goes in, people don't want to live there anymore and they move."
He said that in that scenario, the only customers willing to buy the property would be commercial developers, and incorporating would give a town council control over the development.
The incorporation committee contends that the town automatically would get ownership of the portion of Williamson Valley Road within the town boundaries, but Yavapai County officials say the town would have to petition the board of supervisors for the road.
Attorney Kelly Schwab said that the county would be responsible for the road after incorporation until the following July 1.
Pat Walker of Red Oak Consulting wrote a budget model of what the Town of Williamson Valley residents could have their first year. Based on about $1.2 million of income and about $1 million in expenses, she said that the town would have a surplus of $186,384 at the end of its first fiscal year.
The model budget relies heavily on state shared revenue, few full-time employees and contracting for services such as law enforcement and public works.
That scenario worked fine for the 2,000 residents of Star Valley, said Mayor Bill Rappaport. He said that after Star Valley incorporated its 3,600 acres four years ago, the town was "cash rich" from state money and grants.
One member of the audience pointed out that Star Valley has numerous businesses, half the population, considerably less acreage than Williamson Valley, has a 2 percent sales tax, and earns about $1 million a year from photo radar tickets.
"You need a revenue source if you do not impose a property tax," Rappaport said.
The proposed boundaries for a Williamson Valley town encompass one business, 18,293 acres, 28.5 square miles, and 61 miles of roads including 14.7 miles of Williamson Valley Road, Mino said.
"There's no way 5,000 people can afford to maintain that road, let alone replace it," Paul Levie said after the meeting. He started developing in 1968.
Yavapai County Assessor Pamela J. Pearsall told the audience that it is not true that property values would increase automatically after incorporation, or that property taxes would increase - but they could.
Dewey-Humboldt Town Manager William Emerson said that the proposed Williamson Valley budget model is similar to Dewey-Humboldt's: few full-time employees, limited spending, and contracting for town services.
Trish Bedilacqua moved to Williamson Valley about a month ago, and said that she is "undecided" on incorporation.
Dr. Leah Cole is not undecided. She and another member of the audience held up anti-incorporation signs throughout the two-hour meeting.
"I'm hopping mad about this," she said after the meeting. "I came to the first meeting with an open mind, but they hardened me against it. Taxes will inevitably go up."
Mino closed the meeting by cautioning audience members that voting for incorporation could be residents' first and last opportunity to have a say in the future of Williamson Valley.
Reader Comments
Posted: Saturday, December 26, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
I say (NO) to the incorporation. In addition I know from experience (one of the organizers) can't be trusted. It's all greed. Once property becomes a town or city can't the lot size zoning be down sized? If so again it's greed.
Posted: Sunday, November 29, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
To all these anti incs. There is a website: votenotown.org that wants to hear from you as well as ruralwv@commspeed.com or Ruralwv P O Box 1294 Chino Valley AZ 86323. We need to have your input as it looks like we will have a battle on our hands. We are grass roots and may need to rally the troops when this comes to a vote.
Posted: Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Article comment by:
HARRY BERMAN
I RESIDE IN PENNSYLVANIA,
BUT I LIVE IN ARIZONA.
OUR FOUNDING FATHERS
TOLD THE KING OF ENGLAND
NO TAXATION WITHOUT
REPRESENTATION !
ON 10/23/2009
MY WIFE AND I BOUGHT
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAND
IN AMERICA.
WE BOUGHT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WOULD BE FREE AND INDEPENDANT
NOW YOU WANT CEDAR HEIGHTS TO BECOME PART OF YOUR TOWN.
QUESTION ?
WILL I GET A PAVED ROAD ?
WILL I GET UTILITIES ?
WILL I GET POLICE ?
WILL I GET TAXED FOR NOTHING ?
IN PITTSBURGH I PAY
$4200 YEAR PROPERTY TAX
1 % LOCAL INCOME TAX
7 % SALES TAX
47 % PARKING TAX
30 CENTS A GALLON HIGHER
FOR GASOLINE IN TAXES
OUR ROADS ARE CRAP
OUR POLITICIANS ARE PETTY AND STUPID .
I DO NOT MIND PAYING MY FAIR SHARE BUT YOU BETTER
GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR !
BE CAREFULL WHAT YOU WISH FOR !
Posted: Sunday, November 22, 2009
Article comment by:
williamson valley resident
The messages posted here are all about no to taxes and no to more government and with the way things are today that's completely understandable. But as a fellow resident of Williamson Valley and lover the rural beauty of our corridor, I haven't heard may voices raised for saving this pristine corridor. Isn't saving this stretch of land with the Granite Mountain Wilderness as our backdrop what this is ultimately about? If the county builds the road the way they want to, we'll have more litter, strip malls and commercial development and all this beauty around us will be hard to see. I think most people would agree they want to keep this corridor pristine. If we say no to incorporation, which is fair, then let's take action with the county to be more involved in the planning process to save this. Once it's gone, it's GONE.
Posted: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Photo radar as a means of funding the town of Williamson Valley. Great idea! Would make millions based on the driving habits of the locals.
Posted: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Article comment by:
Nancy
I live in Granite Oaks. I do NOT want to "incorporate." I want to stay just the way I am. Do I have anything to say about it? Probably not. I could not attend the meeting since I have been in CA assisting my 93 year old mother for months. If incorporation goes through, I may stay here. (I've been a Prescott resident for 18 years). I am so sick of all the petty politicking, land-grabbing and ignoring what the people really want.
Posted: Monday, November 16, 2009
Article comment by:
PV Hockey Mom
Don't do it WV!Look at the mess Dewey Humboldt has made...bet they wish they could un-incorporate. 95 percent of the retail in Dewey is really in PV limits and so are Quailwood,both mobile home parks and golf course because they wanted water & sewer services from PV. Don't waste your money & time, stay the way you are.
Posted: Sunday, November 15, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
I attended and came away wondering (1) who is paying all these consultants? (2) who arbitrarily drew the boundary lines? (3) why didn't Mr. Mino introduce 'the committee' when asked to do so - instead he introduced the panelists. (4) who thought Star Valley was a fair comparison? they didn't even get to vote! (5) what is the other side of the Dewey- Humbolt story? PLEASE don't force this forward. It's just more outsiders moving in and trying to have their way.
Posted: Sunday, November 15, 2009
Article comment by:
Run Away Lockwood
Georgene Lockwood is missing from the fray, gotta love political strategy. She thinks that the people of WV are dumb enough to forget that she created all this turmoil and then vote for her when there is a supervisors seat open. I hope she knows that we are not that stupid!!
Posted: Sunday, November 15, 2009
Article comment by:
WilliamsonValleyGirl
Once again it is a poor attempt for some people who have come to reside in Williamson Valley to try to gain access to a political office. The people on the board of the concerned cititzens of williamson valley are not allowed to be nominated for office therefore Lockwood is bailing out of the organization so that she will be able to become mayor. ... We country bumpkins really don't care all we know is that this incorporation is a bad idea and not the right thing for the people who live in the Williamson Valley area.
Posted: Saturday, November 14, 2009
Article comment by:
Bob
Someone mentioned Sales Taxes, but without retail that will not be a source of revenue paid to WV instead of where purchases are made today. Property taxes will need to be increased as a source of revenue. How much would it cost per year just to maintain Williamson Valley Road? Especially if it is not rebuilt under the current plan.
Posted: Saturday, November 14, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Red Oak Consulting is the same organization that put together the Chino Valley sewer rate study, which is some of the best fiction writing of 2007. According to the study there should be 2454 sewer connections helping to pay for the sewer system right now, not 1200 or less. Not sure why Chino valley keeps referring back to the study as though there is nothing wrong with it. You would think they would be too embarrassed to bring it up. Maybe they hope no one else has noticed. Williamson Valley residents should be leary of any study based on assumptions.
Posted: Saturday, November 14, 2009
Article comment by:
WHERE IS LAWSUIT LOCKWOOD?
To Little Miss Abandon Ship; Word on the street has it that Georgene, AKA Lawsuit Lockwood, has distanced herself from all the negativity involved because she needs to save what political capital she has left to be elected mayor of Williamson Valley Town. Also heard she has been taken out of sight because the incorporators including her feel she is drawing to much negativity to their cause so if she stays hidden folks will only have a panel to focus on and not a figurehead. Love how even though it is a losing battle they are going to take it all the way to a vote of the people. Even though she is trying to steer clear of the wreck, we all know LAWSUIT LOCKWOOD is behind this whole mess. I just hope when this is done she stops stirring the pot out here.
Posted: Saturday, November 14, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Yet another year of worthless whining.All over a needed road that needs widened now.Pathetic.
Posted: Saturday, November 14, 2009
Article comment by:
Little Miss Abandon Ship
