On Thursday evening, December 8, if the Gilbert Town Council votes YES, this money will be taken from the hard-working citizens of Gilbert and given to the hard-working Town employees. There is one problem. Who is going to make whole the hard-working citizens of Gilbert? Nobody.
I used to think we were in this recession together. You know. The longest recession since the Great Depression. I was wrong. Government employees are in a recession.
Not us. Our hard work doesn’t count. Our declining incomes don’t count. Our increased expenses don’t count.
We’re different. We’re untouched.
Not long ago, the Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board voted to increase our property tax rate, because their revenues had declined due to the recession. The recession hit the schools. The recession caused GPS’s revenues to decline.
The recession didn’t affect us.
And not too long ago, the Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board voted unanimously to hand out a small pay increase to all school employees.
The hard-working Gilbert taxpayers lost $2.2 million, to be paid to government employees. After all, school employees hadn’t had a raise for years. Their health insurance costs have gone up. Their fuel costs have gone up. Their food bills have gone up.
Not ours.
We are faceless and invisible.
If you would like to send an email to the Mayor and Town Council to register your opinion, here’s their email address: councilmembers@gilbertaz.gov.