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Did the new Pinal Rural Fire Rescue & Medical District (PRFR&M) actually just miss meeting the legal criteria for being approved by the Pinal County Board of Supervisors?
A complaint filed with the Mammoth Police Department claims that it did.
The complaint filed by Mary Reynoso, owner of the La Casita restaurant in Mammoth, argues that her signature on the qualifying petition was not hers.
According to Mary’s son Joe Reynoso, Mary had been alerted to the alleged fake signature by a person in Mammoth town government who was familiar with Mary’s handwriting.
Mammoth Police Chief Steve Nash confirmed that Mary did file the complaint, and that his department is investigating not only if somebody other than Mary signed her name, but also if other signatures on the petition may not be legitimate. No timetable was offered of when the police investigation may be completed.
Should Mary Reynoso’s signature be proved invalid, it would not affect the requirement that creation of the new fire district must be approved by 50% plus one of area property owners. On its petition (which district organizers had one year to get the validating signatures) PRFR&M secured 172 valid property owners, well above the 153 needed. According to chief district organizer Steve Turcotte, signatures from more than 70% of area property owners, but weeded out those who were delinquent in their property tax payments.
Where opponents of PRFR&M think they have a shot at derailing the new district is in the property value requirement, which holds that those signing own property valued at 50% plus $1 of all taxable property. Those signing the petition represented property valued at $996,000, which was above the $975,000 required. Opponents argue that if Mary Reynoso’s property was eliminated from the total, the petition would fall $1,300 short of the requirement.
Should the Reynoso complaint be proven, nobody is sure what will happen. An administrative employee with the Pinal County Board of Supervisors indicated that approval of PRFR&M would likely not be revoked and be allowed to continue. Chief Nash was of similar opinion, indicating that to reverse approval of PRFR&M opponents would have to file a lawsuit.
But Joe Reynoso, speaking on behalf of his mother, replied that why should opponents have to hire a lawyer to press the case instead of the county.
When approved by the Board, PRFR&M became a taxing body that can levy additional property taxes to secure operational revenues. And it is the fear of higher property taxes that spur opposition.
During Board hearings on the PRFR&M impact statement in early August 2014, opponents complained that the district’s financial needs could raise their annual property tax bill by more than $300. In his testimony, organizer Turcotte gave $31 as the average property tax increase that residents would see.
Opponents turned out for the Aug. 26 Board meeting to restate their complaints, but were denied the forum. Supervisor Pete Rios (District 1) told them that the time to debate the issue had passed and that the Board under state law was required only to approve creation of the new fire district once presented with the necessary signatures from property owners. The Reynoso complaint about the validity petition was filed a few days later.
Both Turcotte and PRFR&M Fire Chief Rod Plast said they did not see the complaint amounting to anything. They added that they held no ill will to Reynoso, adding that they often had lunch at La Casita (which is a few miles south on Route 77 of the PRFR&M fire station) and recommend the restaurant to others.
James J. Hodl is a career journalist who has worked for newspapers, magazines and trade journals. A graduate of Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism, Hodl began his career as a reporter with the Palatine (IL) Herald and the Morton Grove (IL) Review before becoming editor of the trade publication Appliance Service News. In recent years, Hodl has had articles published in Consumers Digest, Good Housekeeping, Home Remodeling, Kitchens & Baths and Salute; and has contributed to trade publications serving the home furnishings, restaurant and casino markets. A native of Chicago, Hodl relocated to San Tan Valley in 2013.
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