By a slim margin of only 164 votes, the proposed $515 million bond passed in Gilbert in November 2021. This sets the stage for even higher taxes and more wasteful spending in Gilbert.
Gilbert taxpayers are already spending more on gas and other household items due to government-induced labor shortages, supply chain issues, and higher gas prices. In October, consumer prices surged to 6.2 percent, the most rapid increase in over 30 years. The passage of the Gilbert bond comes at the same time as the $1 trillion infrastructure bill which also includes additional tax increases for the middle-class Gilbertonian.
Financial support for the bond came from large corporations and members of the liberal Gilbert Chamber of Commerce. These funders include a variety of architects, engineers, traffic consultants, construction firms, and lobbyists who stand to financially benefit from the massive contracts that will be forthcoming.
Due to an off-cycle election, only 23.76% of voters turned out to participate in this election. Off-cycle elections are often used to sneak massive spending measures through as many voters are caught unawares and don’t vote.
While this thin majority doesn’t provide the Town Council a mandate to continue its massive tax and spend policies, the bond’s passage sets out a key issue for the upcoming Council races where voters will have a chance to elect four members of the Town Council.
Members of the Gilbert Town Council running for re-election supporting this bond include liberal Vice Mayor Yung Kaprowski and Councilmember Scott September. Other members of the Council supporting the bond include the unpopular Mayor Brigette Peterson, Councilmembers Kathy Tilque and Scott Anderson. Councilmembers Aimee Yentes and Laurin Hendrix supported a more fiscally conservative level of spending.
Time will tell if Gilbert voters will continue to tolerate this tax-and-spend Council or if we’ll return to fiscally responsible governance for the hard-working taxpayer.