The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of a 17 percent property tax increase and the use of taxpayer funds to purchase land for soccer fields. For the first time, in what has seemed an eternity, residents filled the room to speak out against the increase.

Representatives for the Tucson Chamber of Commerce, Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Tucson Electric Power, Arizona Multi-Housing Association and the Tucson Association of Realtors urged the board to vote against the County Administrator’s recommended 2014/2015 budget.

One elderly couple begged the Board to reject the tax increase, and concluded, “You are taxing us out of our home.”

As many residents argued against the increase, members of the audience applauded. Visibly upset by the public’s polite show of opposition to the increase, Chairwoman Sharon Bronson admonished the audience to refrain from clapping, saying that it was a breakdown in “decorum.”

A former military service member and Pima County resident addressed the Board about the increase in taxes and on the matter of decorum. “We left here, joined the military and came back. Between the two of us, we served 4 tours of duty in Iraq. We have been retired three years. Our property taxes have gone up 47 percent in the last four years. Our Trico electric bills have gone up. We bought a greenhouse, you know to try to help the community we love; Tucson. We love this place. But we will be leaving.”

“Other people said here today, Pima County has the most debt in the state,” the resident continued. “The number one employer in Pima County is local state or federal government. Meaning that the pool you are pulling from; from private companies and people is very small. In fiscal year 2012 a total of only 890 private jobs were created in this town. So I understand. I heard someone say here that you’re taking in less money. You know what? Boohoo.”

“I’d like a vacation to Italy. I haven’t had a vacation in three years. I don’t understand. You are holding yourself to a standard that is completely ridiculous. You are taking the money that we earn and you’re using it irresponsibly. If this was a private company, management would look at the statistics and you would all be fired. I ran a private company for 14 years. The number one thing in my company was my employees. You can’t pay these court employees a going wage?” the resident asked. “We need a park? No, we need working roads. We need government services. I need the Pima County Sheriff’s Office to respond when we call them, not 45 minutes later because they’re overtaxed. You really need to search your souls and think about this. This is our money. You failed. You failed the people of your County terribly and it’s deeply upsetting to someone who has put their life on the line for this country.”

Finally the resident said, “I want to ask you, madam chair, what you find offensive about people clapping? No one was calling out or causing problems.” While Supervisor Ray Carroll chewed at his finder nails, the other supervisor sat silent. “Clearly if you have no answer to that, people would agree that clapping is appropriate. No one was hassling you or yelling at you at all.”

Chairwoman Bronson responded, “We need to have to decorum in this room.” To which the resident asked, “Is that a lack of decorum?” “Yes,” responded Bronson. “How,” the resident asked. Bronson then mumbled something into the microphone, to which the women responded, “It’s a good thing you’re in public office because you’d need of much tougher skin for the Marine Corp.” Decorum then broke down as the audience loudly applauded the woman, who said what so many of them were thinking.

After 2 hours of listening to pleas and admonishments from the public, the majority of the Board voted to approve the tax increase. The primary property tax rate will now be $4.27 per $100 of assessed value; up $.61 from Fiscal Year 2013/2014.

The supervisors then moved on to the proposed purchase of land upon which they plan to build more soccer fields. Supervisors Valadez, Bronson, Elias and Carroll all argued strenuously in favor of the purchase in the hope that someday the investment would generate income for a few weeks a year.

Supervisor Ally Miller, District 1, voted against the tax increase and budget and she was the only Supervisor to speak out against the use of taxpayer funds for the soccer deal.

After the meeting, Miller said, “While the other 4 Supervisors have clearly shown their priority is to spend taxpayer money on non-core services, such as buying and developing this land for soccer, they prove they do not care to listen to their constituents. Now faced with a 17% tax increase and roads that are still in dire need of repair, citizens must take a hard look at what the other Supervisors have done with their tax dollars and decide if they will continue to allow this type of leadership from their elected officials.”