Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 129

ALL EDITIONS Mesa Tempe Chandler Gilbert Apache Junction Guadalupe The Arizona Republic Wednesday, May 28, 1980 SE State's tax plan has city leaders angry, puzzled i S- yf I i It- d-hk A I -K 1 it A ifj) a Ml property-tax exemption. This would provide widowers with the same benefits as widows. Proposition 102 Permanently and totally disabled persons' property-tax exemption, providing the disabled with the same benefits as widows except with no residency limit. Proposition 103 Legislative power to increase property-tax exemptions. The Legislature would be authorized to adjust for inflation the exemptions for widows, widowers, veterans and disabled persons without a constitutional amendment.

Proposition 104 Public-indebtedness limit, raising bonding limits for cities, counties and school districts from 4 percent of the assessed value of taxable property to 6 percent. This would offset reductions in the assessment ratios passed by the Legislature. Proposition 105 State spending limits defined, placing into the constitution the current statutory definition of state revenue. Proposition 106 Property-tax limits, holding total property tax on homes to a maximum of 1 percent of the 1979 full cash value of the home plus a maximum valuation increase of 10 percent a year through 1982. After 1982, some increases of more than 10 percent would be permitted.

Proposition 107 Levy limits on counties, cities and community colleges, limiting an increase of property-tax collection over the previous year to 7 percent in 1981 and 2 percent for every year thereafter. This limit would not affect property-tax collections from new property and voter-approved taxes. Proposition 108 Spending limits on counties, cities and towns. Expenditures of local revenues would be limited to the 1979 level, which could be adjusted to accommodate inflation and population growth. The limit could be exceeded in an emergency, and a municipality would Taxes, Extra 6 Road bills 'only mayor says CHANDLER Mayor Jim Patterson says the issue of Alma School Road improvement has been clouded by misconceptions.

Amid the fog is the front-foot assessment method, which will require land owners along Alma School Road to pay for some road improvements adjacent to their property. Some owners (interviewed in last week's Extra) contend the front-foot method unfairly forces them to pay to improve a major traffic artery. Patterson believes otherwise. "One point a lot of people overlook," said Patterson, "is that out of the $3.8 million estimated improvement cost, $2.1 million will come from the city. "So it isn't as if everyone in the city is not paying a share." Another cloudy issue is how the assessments are formulated.

Last week's Extra incorrectly reported the city will raise part of the improvement money by assessing owners according to increased property value resulting from an improved road. The assessments, rather, are based on the estimated cost of the road improvement adjacent to the property. "If you're getting 100 feet of street, then you're paying for 100 feet of street, not how much the improvement increases your property value," said City Manager Hal Schilling. Patterson says road improvement is the "number one priority" of his administration. "When I campaigned for mayor, the people said to me time and again, 'Do something about the roads, especially Alma said Patterson.

"Some people felt that was more important than any other road in Chandler. "Our studies have shown that between 16,000 and 20,000 vehicles use Alma School Road every day," he said. "That traffic at present is squeezed into two lanes." Although Patterson acknowledges that assessing only property owners along Alma School Road is not the best way to fund the improvement, he maintains it is the only method available. "The fairest way would be general -obligation bonds, but cities are limited in their bonding capacity," Patterson said. "The city of Chandler has between $8 million and $9 million of unencumbered bonds it could sell right now, but our need is around $40 million," the mayor said.

"Water and sewers are our most pressing needs and things the city will have to pay for, because their cost can't be assessed per person. "Since (bonding) is just not open to us (for Alma School), it boils down to a half-mile method (assessing owners within a half-mile of Alma Road, Extra 6 1 vi li1 v. 4 i.WV 7aWno a gander Pele PetBts Republic Two fourth graders from Lindberg Elementary and taking care not to frighten the park's waterfowl, School discover that happiness is a warm ducky 9-year-olds Heather Hartley (left) and Dawn Baier during an outing at Reed Park. By moving slowly managed to pick up, feed and cuddle a duckling. Tempe hopes to hold its own with By Dan Barr Southeast Valley Bureau TEMPE Municipal officials are angry and puzzled by several aspects of the Legislature's tai-reform package on which the state's voters will pass judgment Tuesday.

Ten constitutional amendments will face voters when they walk into the polling booths. The last four must be passed to activate the tax-reform bill, which includes repeal of the state's 4 percent sales tax on food. "The whole impetus of the new legislation is to dampen new development, eliminate pay-as-you-go financing and increase the need to borrow more," said Tempe Finance Director Jim Alexander. "I think it stinks that they put something on the ballot for the voters to decide which I doubt they (the legislators) understand themselves," said Chandler City Manager Hal Schilling. Few people know exactly what will be on the ballot Tuesday.

Tempe City Manager Ken McDonald said he "never saw the amendments" until he read a newspaper column late last week. "You would think there would be some group trying to get out that information to the voters," said McDonald. "For the most important issue we've had in a long time, I think we're a little ignorant about it," he added. The secretary of state's office says it has ordered 780,000 booklets, which attempt to explain concisely the amendments in English and Spanish over 96 pages, for a mass mailing to the voters. These are the proposals: Proposition 100 Widows and veterans' property-tax exemptions, doubling the current income limit for widows and establishing a new sliding scale of property exemptions for widows and veterans.

Proposition 101 Widowers' proposed 1 Fire Department $3.2 million ($2.6 million). Parks and Recreation Department $3.5 million ($3 million). Public Works Department $10.6 million ($10.2 million). Library $700,801 Management Services $2.3 million ($2 million). The tentative budget allows for adding 58 new employees to the present city staff of 817.

The Public Works and Police Honor student Gail Peters Short on sleep, long on energy. opened in south Mesa. The number of fire stations and parks doubled during Pomeroy's administration, and a large police headquarters was added. "We've more than doubled Police and Fire Department manpower in the past four years," Pomeroy said. New fire services include a paramedic program and community-service trucks.

"We've worked fast," Pomeroy said. "Four years is not very long and I worked constantly. And the staff was just as excited and enthusiastic as I was they never looked at a clock." The mayor is highly pleased with progrpis established for senior citi I I UK mill I I High-school senior earns honors on the run 980 budget departments are the principle beneficiaries of the increased manpower, receiving 28 and 18 new respectively. Other departments receiving more help are Fire and Parks and Recreation, four each; Management Services, two; library, one; and city manager's office, one. The proposed budget, to take effect July 1, will come before the City Council for approval in June.

Dan Barr Southeast Valley Bureau, 962-8060 SMALL HIKE The approved budget for the Tempe Union High School District increases only 37 percent for 1980. Extra 2. EASEMENT Southeast Valley residents take advantage of power line easements that run behind their homes. Extra 6. ORGANIZATION RIFT A local chapter charges the Arizona Public Employees Association with incompetence.

Extra 7. REPAYING DEBT KMCR-FM station manager says public radio should use its broadcasts to repay taxpayers. Extra 8. fjv Today thirds and we'd have to borrow more. "It's like last year you bought a car with your paycheck and this year you're going to borrow." To compensate for the increase in debt spending, Alexander said the city's capital-improvement program will be cut from $12.2 million to $4.8 million.

Budget proposals, with last year's budgets in parenthesis, include: Police Department lion ($5.1 million). $6.8 mil- Gail exudes the kind of energy you would expect from someone so busy. Her eyes dart around the room as she talks and she taps her foot unconsciously. She has the build of an athlete and looks the part in her warm-up suit. She says she always has been athletically inclined and played Little League ball when she was younger.

Her brother, who attends Mesa Community College, also is an athlete, and she has a younger sister at Mountain View. Gail wants to go to medical school eventually and says her job in the radiology office, where her mother is office manager, is good training. Now, however, much of her efforts go toward becoming a better softball player. She is a member of the Sun City Saints team. Senior, Extra 7 March that will fund a water plant and a $16.8 million issue to fund streets, storm drains, sewers and water services, he said.

If constitutional amendments are passed statewide June 3 to limit city spending and local property taxes, Tempe will be forced to borrow funds to replace lost revenue, Alexander said. "This current fiscal year we were on a more pay-as-you-go method of financing," said Alexander. "Next year that would decrease by two- unnoticed. She already has won two scholarships. Because she is the top student at Mountain View, the University of Arizona has awarded her a four-year scholarship.

The Elks Club selected her as the Arizona Most Valuable Student from this area, based on her scholastic achievements and community involvement. She was given $1,200. She is involved in sports throughout the year, whether softball, volleyball or basketball. Schoolwork comes easily to her. Gail said she has little or no trouble keeping up, even when she misses classes for out-of-town trips.

job paid off Joinine the Citv Council At. thnt time will be Murray Woods and Dave Guthrie, replacing Cordon Driggs and Elma Milano, who ran unsuccessfully. Of his term in office, Pomeroy, 57, perhaps is most proud of the fact that major city improvements were paid for in cash. "It's a pleasure to be mayor of this city because of the attitudes that we have here," Pomeroy said. "It's a happy city." "I know Don (Strauch) will do an outstanding job.

He's a fine person," Pomeroy said. "He has a deep interest in the community and he will go about his job in iis manner, which will not be TEMPE "Nothing lost, nothing gained" is the city's view of its preliminary budget for 1980-81. "We're keeping up with inflation and community growth," said Finance Director Jim Alexander of the $44.6 million tentative spending plan, up from $42.9 million this year. "Our operating budget has grown 15 percent to accommodate community growth and an increase in debt financing." The doubling of debt financing is due to a $17 million bond issue in Neighbors teach Spanish to fifth- and sixth-graders. Later in the afternoon, she lifts weights and runs to keep in shape for her softball team.

Depending on the evening, she either plays in a softball game, coaches a girls' softball team or goes to a meeting of one of the eight school clubs to which she belongs. She is president of two. If she is lucky, she gets back home by 11 p.m. Some nights, though, she doesn't make it home until 2 a.m. if her softball game is in a far end of the Valley.

"I get my sleep one hour at a time," she said. Gail's activities have not gone Low-salary Bv Jack West Southeast Valley Bureau MESA In monetary terms, Wayne Pomeroy's tenure as mayor of Mesa has netted him a little more than $2 per hour. For the past four years, Pomeroy figures, he has put in about 60 hours a week as mayor, which pays $600 per month. "It's a job you sure don't take for the money, but there are lots of things that mean as much as money," Pomeroy said last week as he prepared to re-enter "civilian" life. He will step down as mayor Monday when Donald Strauch, elected April 29, takes over the city's top job.

By Pamela Manson Southeast Valley Bureau MESA At first glance, Gail Peters seems like an average high-school senior. She's finishing up the school year and preparing for college at the University of Arizona. She has a part-time job and plays on her school's Softball team. But Gail, 18, is anything but average. Her typical day begins at 4 a.m.

By 6 a.m., she has driven the 15 miles from her home near Apache Junction to her job at a Mesa radiology office, where she cleans up and handles some clerical duties. By 8:30 a.m. she is at Mountain View High School, where she has a straight-A average. Some afternoons, she will go to Hawthorne Elementary School in Mesa to Mesa Mayor Wayne Pomeroy the job's not for clopk watchers. 1 1 Aw 'f in 'extra benefits' for Mesa mayor mine, but he will add a tremendous amount to the city in his own way of doing things.

"And I think it will be refreshing for the city to see somebody else and read about somebody else." The face of the city changed during Pomeroy's administration, with the addition of buildings for several major city departments, plus Centennial Hall, the outdoor Amphitheater, the new Senior Center and the new City Council chambers, dedicated recently in Pomeroy's name. Ground-breaking ceremonies are scheduled Friday for the new Mesa Library, the same day a new police, fire an utility building will be zens during his term, including Dial-a-Ride for the elderly and handicapped and the Senior Center's daily activities. Pomeroy also started the Mayor's Youth made up of students from the city's junior highs and high schools, which plans a wide variety of activities for young people. The mayor confirmed he is being considered for a post on the Interstate Commerce Commission, but added it does not appear likely he will win the appointment. He has been urged to run for other political offices but was not interested in those particular races.

Mayor, Extra 5.