Now is the time to take a stand with Transparent Payson.
Who we are:We are citizens of Payson, Arizona, striving to make our local government more transparent. We believe in the people voting on what happens with their money, their land, and their town. We believe that elected officials are there to serve the public; as such, we should have a voice in making decisions that affect us all. We are nonpartisan/bipartisan with no party affiliation, no hidden agenda. We believe in Payson, Arizona, and its future. We support growth that will better serve all its citizens while remaining financially sound. As a 527 nonprofit PAC, we were responsible for successfully enacting Propositions 401 and 402 in 2018. A short history of our group can be found here.
Fundamentally, we are responsible for Propositions 401 and 402 and their defense. We have been compelled to become a voters' rights group in that defense. The implications for Payson appear limited to the validity of Propositions 401 and 402 and their enactment. At the state level, we suspect the implications of our effort have a much more significant impact. That is, do citizens, as allowed by law, have the ability to initiate law? Is that law then valid? Can it be repealed by Town Council or any legislative group?
There was recently an attempt by the Town of Payson to repeal these ballot initiatives. With the help of an attorney, we are fighting that effort in Superior Court; we still have much work to do to defend your voting rights.
We are defending the rights of Payson citizens on large-scale, publicly funded projects that may be placed on public lands via long-term leases to third parties. Our goal is NOT to prevent such projects but to ensure transparency in all negotiations, discussions, and contracts that affect your town. If the citizens approve the funding through an election, or if the citizens approve the lease of public land to complete the project, we would support that effort. We are protecting YOU – the voter.
Our vision is that our leaders provide all the information as to the proposed spending of Town money as well as the utilization of Town property so that we, the citizens, can choose how and where our money and our land are utilized.
We welcome YOUR involvement in this process. Dare we say, support the cause.
I appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely yours,
___________________________
Jeffrey S. Aal
Chairperson, Transparent Payson
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May 7, 2024
The Initial Verdict Is In
We did not post a couple of recent updates to Cowd Pac. This one is fascinating. Where does Payson's money go?
Private gain at the public trough – you decide. Read that post here.More updates can be found our our website.
We are not surprised at the outcome. The Court Order/ verdict is attached in its entirety below as a PDF. The potential next step is an appeal. The Board will meet with Counsel to discuss this.
Any potential appeal relies on donations. It cannot be accomplished without your funding. If voters’ rights are essential to you, if you believe the Town has an obligation when leasing Town/Public land for private gain, if you believe the Town has an obligation to have large-scale projects approved by the citizens: Please, donate now.
Mayor Higgns took the opportunity to post on social media, presumably on behalf of the Town of Payson, sharing the verdict. We understand it is good to be vindicated. We also understand the process is not over. The first round may well be a Pyrrhic victory. Ultimately, it damages long-term progress. What is clear is that the Town knows best. The list of well-intentioned politicians’ failures is endless. The list of bureaucratic failures is equally as endless. They all share a common cause. When the consequences are felt, those involved will no longer be involved. A copy of the Mayor’s post is below.
We don’t understand Mr. Higgins’s animosity towards former Mayor Morrisey. Town Manager Smith testified that the Propositions should not have been placed on the ballot. We don’t understand the lack of animosity towards then Town Legal or then Town Clerk. We don’t understand how the Mayor can take apparent joy in overriding 60% of the citizens. You can decide if it qualifies as “gloating.” It appears there is a disconnect between the Town government and the citizens. The post by the Mayor does nothing to heal that rift or address the disconnect. Voters can decide if that is the type of leadership they want for the Town.
- Are you ok with the Town’s recent 35% sales tax increase?
- Are you content with the council’s nullification of 60% of the votes cast by Payson’s voters to pass the citizens’ initiatives Propositions 401 and 402?
- Are you satisfied with the Town Council passing multiple unpopular ordinances by emergency decree, bypassing any voter input?
- Do you think the council knows better than you do regarding what’s best for you and your family?
If you are satisfied, then no action is required.
Court order and other documents.
https://transparentpayson.org/...
Sincerely,
Jeffrey S. Aal, Chairperson, Transparent Payso
Info@TranspaprentPayson.org or Jeffrey@JSAal.com 480.628.6818
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