THE ORO VALLEY WATCHDOG

DO THE NUMBERS, so you will know what you can expect when the TAXMAN sends the Bill for Fire Protection.

Of all persons residing in service areas in Oro Valley who are elibible to be covered by Rural/Metro (R/M) Corporation, 20 to 25 percent, according to who you talk to, have never subscribed - nor have most neigbborhoods agreed to be annexed into the Golder Ranch Fire District (GRFD).

It takes the signatures of the owners of 50% plus 1 of the properties within your neighborhood (service area) in order for GRFD to begin to assess your property for a property tax.

So, whether you are a R/M customer or not, if GRFD successfully persuades just over 50% of those in your Annexation Area, soon to be described by GRFD, to sign up for annexation, this Fire District will collect their share of the property taxes based on the assessed value of all of your property, including land, whether you sign the annexation agreement or not. It would be a Secondary Property Tax.

THE VITAL NUMBERS:

The Oro Valley Watchdog urges you to do the numbers that apply to your property and vulnerable bank account ASAP. Every tax is backed by a TAX COLLECTOR, with exceedingly enormous powers.

The present amount assessed by the Pima County Assessor is approximately 80% of the market value of your property.

As we speak, GRFD is levying a property tax on the assessed value of properties within their current service areas of $2.11 per $100 of assessed valuation. The math is simple. Divide the assessed valuation of the Pima County Assessor by 100 and multiply by $2.11.

EXAMPLE: If your property is worth $400,000, figure the valution to be 80% of that, or $320,000 divided by 100 = 3,200 x 2.11 or a Property TAX to be paid to Golder Ranch Fire District of $672.50.

If your property is worth $300,000, you will get a tax bill including a secondary property tax paid to Golder Ranch Fire District of 2400 x 2.11 or $506.40.

So, look at your last bill from the Pima County Tax Assessor and do the math yourself. It may prevent a fatal shock and seizure later.

HERE'S THE KICKER - AND WHAT IS CAUSING ALL THE COMMOTION: Rural/ Metro is giving up on providing fire engines and firemen/firewomen in Oro Valley, yet they are sending out annual renewals for their service (based on the size of your home) that equals the GRFD property taxes! What's up with that?

Rural/ Metro has agreed to provide Ambulance Service through their co-owned Southwest Ambulance Service, but if Golder Ranch Fire District succeeds with possible annexation in various "service areas" (neighborhoods), Rural /Metro will pull their firefighters and equipment out of Oro Valley. This is not speculation or rumor - it is cast in concrete in a signed and sealed three-way agreement filed with the Arizona State Department of Health Services, between Rural /Metro Corp, a private business, Southwest Ambulance Service (owned by R/M stockholders) and Golder Ranch Fire District, a quasi-governmental entity, whose board member seats are elective and who have a favored status (monopoly) blessed by The Oro Valley Council majority.

HERE'S THE BAD PART: 18 cents of that $2.11 property tax payment that goes to GRFD is to pay off Bonds. If control of the GRFD Board does not change, this is just the beginning. We are trying to chase down a rumour concerning additional Bond Sales on behalf of GRFD

HERE'S AN EVEN WORSE PART: Our lacky State Legislators have just passed a law giving GRFD and all Fire Districts leave --no...change that to encouragement to raise their TAX RATE. Don't be surprised if the new rate goes up to $3.25 per $100 evaluation in the near future. If you want a real shocker, do the math on that basis. And, what's to prevent that from surely happening, if you are in an area annexed by Golder Ranch Fire District?

There will more on that on this WebLog (Blog) very soon. We hope to have the names of the local State Legislators who helped do this to us very soon on this page.

We urge you to work through all links published on this WebSite, so you will be prepared to fend off this attack. New information is flooding in to the Watchdog daily. People are comparing last year's Rural/ Metro bill with the one issued by them since April. The Paradise Valley Home Owners, an affluent Phoenis Suburb are kicking Rural Metro out and there's word that a Home Owners Association in ORO VALLEY is organizing their own SELF PROTECTION organization.

Other Fire Districts with property contiguous to Oro Valley will offer service at close to half that of GRFD, if the Oro Valley Council will just give them a chance to try and annex us in their Fire District.

Do the numbers on your property and tell us what you know and what you think.

Send The Watchdog an E-MAIL Click here.

Please read all of the information on the Links, when you have time.

PS: There's a LOT of input from many sources and more is flooding in continually.

We hope to hear from you.

Thank you.

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