The Citizens Tax Committee (CTC) has announced they will host Prescott Mayor Phil Goode, at their next monthly meeting Wednesday afternoon, August 10, 2022, 1:30pm at the Rowle P. Simmons Adult Center, 1280 Rosser Street, in Prescott. The Citizens Tax Committee meets on the second Wednesday of each month. Their meetings are free and open to the public. An RSVP is not required.
Mayor Goode has been associated with the Citizens Tax Committee, a local taxpayer organization promoting fiscal accountability, since moving to the Prescott area. Prior to his election as Mayor he served on the Prescott City Council from 2018 to 2021. He is a long time political and community activist. He was sworn into office as Prescott’s new Mayor on November 23, 2021, following a landslide election.
The Mayor often meets with community groups to update them on city issues. This particular meeting is open to the general public. Mayor Goode will offer a roundup on current issues confronting the City of Prescott including the recent disclosures about the quality of Prescott’s water supply. He will also discuss the status of proposals to redevelop the downtown City Hall property at Goodwin and Cortez. The City is scheduled to move to a new home on Sheldon and Montezuma streets later this year.
Mr. Goode will also stand for questions from the public.
Also on the agenda is what role, if any, CTC should play in the upcoming school board elections. Over half of local property tax bills are devoted to District schools, primarily to amortize school bonds and budget overrides. The Prescott Valley school district is growing, but the Prescott Unified School District (PUSD) continues to lose students. This school year PUSD has an enrollment of roughly 3500 students— down from over 4000 just a few years ago– spread over seven campuses. Although the population of Prescott is growing, student attrition from PUSD has left empty classrooms and underutilized facilities. The current school board has not made any cuts to administration.
Troubling reports have also emerged regarding a curriculum that includes elements of Critical Race Theory and gender studies. here have been anecdotal reports that PUSD officials have condoned the use of restrooms by students of the opposite sex – transgendered bathrooms– and encouraged students to attend LGBTQ events at the Launch Pad. [Editor’s Note: Neither CTC nor Prescott eNews have independently verified these allegations. Members of the public who have knowledge of these matters are encouraged to attend the meeting.]
The Citizens Tax Committee is one of Prescott’s oldest and most venerable civic organizations. Since its founding in 1977, it has served as a taxpayer advocate, promoting fiscal accountability in local government, and has been a focal point for opposition to wasteful government spending and excessive debt. Over the years a number of local political and civic leaders have been associated with the organization.
Although CTC does not endorse candidates or play a direct role in partisan elections, they have weighed in on local tax and spending issues with high profile voter education programs on ballot initiatives such as school bonds, budget overrides, and funding levels for the Arizona Public Safety Retirement System. More recently CTC has sponsored non-partisan candidate forums open to the public.
The Citizens Tax Committee meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 1:30pm at the Adult Center, 1280 E Rosser Street, Prescott, Arizona. Members of the public interested in fiscal accountability and getting an update on Prescott City affairs from the Mayor, or weighing in on the direction of district schools are cordially invited to attend.
