KETCHAM OPPOSITION LETTER 08-29-2022.PDF

Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
301 W. Jefferson 10" Floor

Phoenix, AZ 85003 RECEIVED
AUG 39 7999
August 25, 2022 MARICOPA COUNTY

CLERK BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Jonathan Ketcham Vou - iat fe
300 W. Oregon Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85013

Re: Proposed Medlock Place Irrigation Water Delivery District in Maricopa County

To Whom it May Concern:

lam writing to oppose the creation of the proposed district for several reasons. First, irrigation exists in
the neighborhood and functions well. The capital expenditures are not well justified at this time.

Second, the expenses should be paid by the users of the system through user fees, rather than through
property taxes. Using property taxes simply transfers wealth from non-users of the system to users of
the system. This is fundamentally unfair, as those who benefit should be those who cover the cost. |
would not ask my neighbors to pay my water bill, or any of my other bills, and would expect the same
from them.

Further, property taxes in our neighborhood are already quite high relative to other municipalities in the
Phoenix area, putting our neighborhood at a competitive disadvantage. The proposed district and its
property-tax based financing worsen this.

Finally, relying on a property-tax approach to funding water is especially problematic given current
drought and water shortages in Phoenix. Subsidizing other people’s water use is the opposite of what
needs to be done right now. Instead, people should be responsible to pay for their own use, so that they
can be rewarded financially for their decisions to help preserve the scarce water that we have. The
proposed water delivery district and financing through property taxes puts us on an unsustainable path
that will ultimately be detrimental to our neighborhood.

lam a PhD economist and would be happy to discuss with you some approaches to financing water
supply to Medlock Place that would be more environmental, equitable, and effective.

Jonathan Ketcham, PhD