Using 70,000 for the population of Apple Valley, $7,000,000 as a dollar projection of income from 1% sales tax increase. Divided by 70,000 town citizens = a per capita average of $100 per person per year increase in sales tax revenue.

The Town of Apple Valley is once again spending our money to convince us that it is doing such a great job of spending our money that it needs more money and that we should be grateful for the opportunity to give it to them.

Apple Valley is a desert community 110 miles from the ocean. Yet the Council has invited folks to go sailing without disclosing their current position, that there is no (qualified) captain, no compass, no area charts, no rudder, and no paddles, let alone a seaworthy ship. The council members speak to us from dark rooms, stoically reading from a script someone else prepared that asks for $7 million in additional taxes. What is the embarkation fee per adult, and is there a senior discount?

Mayor Scott Nassif is like the kid who murders his parents and then begs the court for mercy because he’s an orphan. After a decade of fiscally-disastrous decisions and actions, he now pleads for a bail-out on the excuse that the Town is going broke (“Why Measure O is important for Apple Valley,” October 10, 2020). As usual, he is not telling you the full story.

I’m opposed to Measure O in Apple Valley. The town government wants to raise our sales tax by 1% due to the COVID-caused economic downturn. The measure claims eight police officers would be hired with money raised. After 44 in law enforcement, I always support the police. Here are my reasons for no on “O.”

Back in October 2015, the Town Council questioned the necessity of Apple Valley Ranchos Water drilling a well to replace others that were reaching the ends of their service lives (“Drilling Discord”, Daily Press, October 3, 2015). The “water experts” in Town Hall, including Art Bishop, grilled AVRWC personnel, and even got their amen chorus in the community to chime in.

Pat Orr makes some curious statements and omissions in his Around Town “Sales tax 101” column (Daily Press, August 23, 2020).

Our Town Council politicians, through an apparent addiction to spending, have decided to save the people, by announcing a 1% sales tax increase be put on the November ballot.

Back in early 2018, the Town of Apple Valley’s annual audit revealed several areas of concern (“Audit addresses Apple Valley’s financial issues,” Daily Press, March 10, 2018). Newly hired Town Manager Doug Robertson told the Daily Press he had asked each department “to come up with 10% reduction across the board,” promising, “we will have a balanced budget for FY 18-19.” Yet two years into Robertson’s cost-cutting program, the town is asking for a tax increase to pay for budget deficits (“Town Council vote puts 1% sales tax increase on ballot in Apple Valley,” Daily Press, July 29, 2020).