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?
The Town Manager upon arrival stated he did not want anyone looking over his shoulder and did not want any forensic audit. Recently the state audit of the $9 million Gas Tax Prop 1B Fund received for a bridge got his rave clean audit
and a wave. A close review of the 16-page report reveals several deficiencies that needed to be reported to the state audit team. The TOAV still has no independent auditor; no one to say cut spending.
The Council says they want to utilize instruments to make way toward a lighthouse in this latest proposal to spend more money. The Town Manager is not seen in this picture, but maybe he is just waving from a safe harbor.
This vessel is sinking from debt and spending in excess of General Fund revenues and it appears that Council, as crew, is bailing with only coffee cups. Can we christen this ship the Rusty Hulk
as it sinks from debt and spending? Did I hear a quiet voice from staff saying in public We can’t afford more debt
? Where are the transparency and disclosure of all the facts?
Al Rice, Apple Valley
$%$^%$@@ computer! To reduce wordiness, situations require occasional shakeups—just for drill. I suggest a massive recall effort soon after the present election to renounce all the elected mossbacks and shake up the controlling TOAV clique. Several subjects arise, beginning with the town’s intent to acquire Liberty Utilities, that expensive golf course used by very few patrons, potential for rezoning to permit increased densities in many of the residential areas, while so much of the high desert remains undeveloped, failure of the town to promote infrastructure development providing utilities to those underserved, undeveloped areas, the collapse of commercial activities in many areas of the town, and propositions to increase taxes on property owners and residents already overburdened with financial difficulties. If nothing else, a major shakeup would be entertaining.