Future sales tax measure (November 18, 2016)

Did you know the parks and recreation, and golf course deficits, were debts taxpayers owe the Town of Apple Valley?

The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the year ending June 30, 2015, contains the following excerpts:

The General Fund has advanced $6,475,142 and $3,492,776 to the Parks and Recreation Fund and Apple Valley Golf Course Fund, respectively. The advances were made to fund operating deficits in those funds over a period of many years. The Town is currently developing a plan to repay these advances to the General Fund.

What is the plan?

In addition, management is considering proposing a sales tax measure in the near future. The annual revenues generated from this proposed sales tax measure are estimated to be sufficient for the Parks and Recreation and Apple Valley Golf Course Funds to repay the advance from the General Fund over a period of several years.

At the 11/15/2016 Town Council meeting, the Town Manager reported to Council that 87.9% of the tax measures across the state had succeeded and were mostly increases in sales tax-related measures.

Claims you will not be taxed for the water take over, in addition to the debt to acquire the water company, were false, you will pay plus be taxed on the golf course water rights acquired. Then there is all the FREE stuff offered through Parks and Recreation, really isn’t free at all, and everyone will pay, whether you derive any benefit of the freebies or not.

Don’t be fooled when the council attempts to blame this on staff management. Remember, the re-elected incumbents (who opposed tax increases), told us, in defending the Assistant Town Manager, he just does what they tell him to do. A tax increase, something to look forward to in the next election.

Leane Lee, Apple Valley