July 28, 2013
To: Steve LaMar
Cc: Don Sorchych
From: Mike Chutz
Re: Your challenge to council concerning state land auction
Steve,
It was amusing to read your carping from the sidelines after years of being in a leadership position and doing nothing. In the power vacuum created by you and your fellow council persons Usama took over and: 1.) over paid for a water company by a factor of double; 2.) told council that a new waste water treatment plant was “mandated” by the state then built a new plant that is substantially under-utilized; 3.) built a water tank on someone else’s property without permission; 4.) submitted an unapproved water master plan to the county; and 5.) was chronically late in providing financial information, which information was unintelligible and thus useless. Perhaps the quintessential failure of your council was allowing Usama to slip the “gift” of a contested easement onto the consent agenda, only to reverse itself one month later. (A small matter but it shows the nexus of your inattention, Usama’s manipulation and Mr Sorchych’s venality and complete contempt for the law). During your tenure you failed miserably in preserving the basic separation of powers contemplated in our form of town government.
Here is how you left the town: 1.) debt of over $60M; 2.) on-going capital obligations of $50M; 3.) among the highest water rates in the state; 4.) among the highest impact fees in the state; 5.) among the highest sales tax rates in the state. You may argue that this financial situation is acceptable. We’ll see. It certainly limits the options that our town has. We will need prudence and luck in order to be able to grow reasonably, encourage entrepreneurs who are the foundation of our unique commercial base and maintain our desert rural life-style.
In your recent letter you have the audacity to ask what council is doing about finalizing the purchase of the state lands. You write:
“The questions remain: When is this council going to create a plan to finance the purchase of the open space this town worked so hard and long to secure through one of the most creative and highly regarded agreements in Arizona history? When is this council going to secure an auction of the open space from the Arizona Land Commissioner?”
You fail to ask the two most basic questions: what are the economics and where is the money going to come from.
If you truly want to help give me a call and let’s explore together how we can help council get this land in light of all the fiscal challenges our town faces. We’ll form a committee of thoughtful citizens and work together. With current land values and the situation you left us in I think it is impossible. I would love to hear your plan though – as developed by someone who has been on the inside for years.
I look forward to your call.
Mike
412 841-2268
PS I am copying Mr. Sorchych on this letter. Mr Sorchych – please feel free to print it in full in the next edition of the Sonoran News. SONORAN TRUTH EDITORS COMMENT: In our opinion, the power vacuum placing Usama in charge was intentional.