In last week’s Q&A, Cecil Yates stated the town can maintain its “quality of life” with economic growth. To support this premise he laid out some interesting but worthless statistics.

Have you heard the adage, “If your only tool is a hammer then every problem looks like a nail?” After the defeat of the primary property tax (which Yates supported) Yates made this statement in a letter: “I will not try, nor be part of any idea that circumvents the residents’ will by creatively taxing or charging fees to the people of Fountain Hills.” Remember how Bush’s “read my lips, no new taxes” campaign promise came back to haunt him?

So we have an economic gap. Yates wants voters to believe that closing the gap would produce almost $6 million in sales tax revenues and “that alone would be enough to balance the budget.”

Yates acknowledges that additional population is needed to close the economic gap. So when might that occur? According to the town’s Planning Department, the population is forecast to be 25,900 in 2020, 31,000 in 2030 and 34,700 in 2040 when build-out happens.

Given our current population of 23,700 which now produces about $10 million in sales tax revenues annually, suggests a reasonable projection of additional sales tax revenues in 2020 is $1 million, not $6 million.

So, when will Yates be able to deliver economic growth? Ellman purchased the 1,275-acre parcel in 2007. After tremendous opposition from nearby neighbors regarding density, a development agreement was reached that included 1,350 residential lots (avg. family size - 2.54). In 11 years not one shovel of dirt has been moved. History shows that it takes time to develop land and more subsequent time to attract residents and businesses.

We need a mayor with more tools than just economic development.