The Urgency and Importance of “Home Rule”

By: Dr. Thea Wilshire, Councilwoman District 2 Globe

OK, some English please!  “Alternative Expenditure Limitation”?  Huh?  And, even the simpler “Home Rule” name doesn’t explain much on the surface.  So what exactly is this item and why is it on the Globe primary election ballot?

In 1980, Arizona voters approved a tax reform package that placed limits on expenditures for cities and towns.  This means that regardless of the money coming into the community or their actual needs, the city cannot spend over the state-imposed ceiling.  The limit is the community’s 1979-1980 budget with a small cost-of-living increase built in for each subsequent year.  However, the cost-of-living increases have come no where near to keeping pace with actual costs of supplies and services, so the limits set 30 years ago are now less tax reform and more economic shackles.  Fortunately, a back door was built into the legislation wherein local voters could approve an exception to state-imposed expenditure limitations and decide locally what is best for their own city or town.  This back door is lovingly referred to as “Home Rule.”  … Continue Reading

Trees get planted on Broad Street

It took men and machinery to plant several mature trees reaching 10-15ft each in the planters on N Broad Street . Photo By : Johnny Kay

Last week a variety of deciduous and non-deciduous trees were planted along the newly developed pedestrian-way on North Broad Street. The on going street enhancements are part of a collaborative project involving the City of Globe, Historic Globe Main Street Program, Cobre Valley Center for the Arts, the Globe Tree Committe and the group which calls themselves the MOB. The majority of funding for the improvements stem from a $98,000 grant which was awarded to the Downtown District this summer. … Continue Reading

Pet Project OR Progressive Leadership?

By: Jim Moss

Can you think of one significant community project resulting in improved quality of life — that did not require foresight and strategic planning?  Do you recall any major municipal improvement that came without a price tag, or without controversy?
So it shall be with a recent Globe City Council decision to move toward a revitalization of our Public Library.
Is the Council’s majority decision to purchase the real estate on both sides of the existing Library (as a first step toward revitalization) — an example of visionary leadership OR irresponsible city governance? … Continue Reading

New Senior Housing Development breaks ground

Floyd Crank, Mayor Fernando Shipley, Clay McReynolds of Pacific Companies, Supervisor Mike Pastor, Mark Shellenberger, Ed Dawson

It was a tough slog to get to this point according to the developer and political leaders who attended Friday’s ground breaking ceremony for a new 48-unit senior housing development. Despite being billed as a senior housing development with the express intent of serving an older population who face special needs and fixed incomes, there was local opposition to the project from those who felt the development might turn into a low-income, drug-infested housing development – or those who simply didn’t want a building development of this size “in their back yard.” It took over three years and multiple city hall meetings, planning and zoning debates, meetings at local and state levels and closed door meetings to arrive at a point where bulldozers could go in and break ground on the project.

The final approvals coincided with the economic upheaval in September of ‘08 and while the events of ‘08 caused a delay in the project, according to Clay McReynolds,  the investors and banks held firm in their support of this project. A final vote on the project was put before the Globe City Council. The vote was 3-For and 3-Against.  The tie vote generated a discussion to table the vote for more discussion, or vote again. It was decided to vote again and with it still tied it was Mayor Fernando Shipley who stepped in to break the tie and cast the deciding yes vote to insure the project moved forward. … Continue Reading

Wilt fails to appear at Court Date

Dr. Glenn Wilt, who began teaching in the early 60’s,  distinguished himself as an educator at ASU’s  WPCarey School of Business. These days, however he is finding his reputation as educator eclipsed in the news by his reputation as a slumlord. Wilt, who has built a career out of teaching others about finance and real estate now finds himself at odds with the communities where he invests and the courts which are beginning to take action on his apparent blatant disregard of city codes and official requests for action. With over eighty properties – both residential and commercial- throughout Tempe, Superior, Globe, Hayden and Winkleman, Dr. Wilt and his company, Superior Development Co. are increasingly in the news. … Continue Reading

Photo Radar comes to Globe

By: Linda Gross

The Globe City Council  voted last month, 3-2 to install photo radar in the city of Globe. The vote came after hearing public comment which ranged from concerns about Big Brother , and a perception that the cameras represent a violation of rights… to destroying the quality of small town life. Despite the emotions which ran high at the meeting, the effort of the Mayor and Council to stay the course and move forward with the contract to Redflex is grounded in a belief that a limited number of photo radar units will actually serve to protect small town life by making streets and roads safer for all who live and work in the area, as well as visitors who come here. They point to such dangerous stretches of road as the curve on Hwy 60 near DeMarcos where people pulling out into traffic have to compete with poor visibility and drivers going – on average- 20 miles over the 45mph posted limit. … Continue Reading