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TENTATIVE Schedule of Public Meetings (Subject to Revision)
| Public Hearing on Home Rule Election | June 4, 2018 |
| Public Hearing on Expenditures and Tax Levy, Final Budget Adoption | June 4, 2018 |
| Second Public Hearing on Home Rule, Home Rule Election Adoption | June 18 2018 |
That has to be done every four years whether you know it or not, or whether City Manager Chris Brady, the Chief Executive Officer (hired and not elected) here in Mesa since 2006 can present reliable and accurate economic data to control the public narrative to convince members of the City Council and the general public that hikes in utilities usage/consumption fees and charges and increases in sales taxes are justified to support increasing the public debt for unsolicited private developer schemes for their own wealth creation in the guise of taxpayer financing for an ASU expansion into downtown.
More questions need to be asked.
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So far there's been at least one member of the Mesa City Council, Jeremy Whittaker, doing just that - and getting some mean-spirited reactions at study sessions and regular meetings. On principle he published the following on his website - why he opposes the plan
$120 million handout to ASU by Mesa Mayor is just wrong
"There’s a ton of misinformation going around regarding the new downtown ASU project that I wanted to take the time to address. Everyone is entitled to their opinion on this issue but not to their own facts. . . "Link > http://www.jeremywhittaker.com
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What is Home Rule?
". . . Home rule is shorthand for a provision that, in essence, allows Mesa to spend the money it collects from taxes and other sources. It allows the council, rather than a 35-year-old state spending formula, to decide what's best for Mesa residents while still maintaining a balanced budget, as required by state law.
The vote is necessary because, in 1980, Arizona voters amended the state Constitution to keep cities' spending in check.
The formula allows budgets to rise along with population growth and inflation. But in Mesa's case, past councils have said the limits were too low and have asked voters for permission to exceed them. The home-rule provision must be renewed every four years.
The voters have always agreed, although the first such election, in 1982, drew only a 54 percent "yes" vote.
Approval in 1986 came by about a 2-1 ratio.
In 1990, Mesa was set to ask for home rule again. But the city manager at the time, Charles Luster, said the city could live within the state spending limits for years to come, and the council pulled the item off the ballot.
Then, in 1998, Mesa voters approved a half-cent "Quality of Life" sales tax to pay for an extensive civic wish list.
Without home rule, Mesa could not have spent that money. So the question went back on the ballot in 2000. It won strong approval then, and again in 2004, 2008 and in a 2010 vote that resulted from a state-mandated change in Mesa's election schedule. . .
"Home rule is the local control of our budget," Cannistraro said.
" . . .Although there are other ways of overriding the state-imposed limits, she said,
"Mesa chooses to do the home rule because it gives the City Council the most flexibility and control over the budget locally."
The council is required to have two public hearings on home rule. The first was June 2. The second will be during its June 16 meeting, which begins at 5:45 p.m. in council chambers at 57 E. First St.
After that hearing, the council will decide whether to put home rule on the Nov. 4 ballot. . ."
Link > AZ Central Home Rule Budget Decision
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Blogger Note: Remember this was four years ago - 2018 it's time for 2 required hearings.
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