By Tom Blodgett
The Gilbert Town Council passed a $992.84 million budget and a $25.88 million secondary property tax levy at a highly charged meeting June 16 that lasted nearly five hours.
Council passed the issues on 5-2 votes with Council Members Jared Taylor and Aimee Yentes voting in dissent on both.
Mayor Jenn Daniels and council members acknowledged they had received a deluge of calls and emails from citizens on the issues, mostly against the increase in the levy or some spending in the budget, particularly against a proposed possible expansion of town ambulance service.
Several members of the public also spoke to council about the items, all urging votes against the levy, budget and/or ambulance service. Many of them had protested outside before the council went into an executive session before the regular meeting, which was the first council meeting in three months open to in-person public attendance.
Proponents on council said they were voting for the levy and budget as the most fiscally responsible course of action for the town. RELATED STORIES
• Levies, rates and values: An FAQ on Gilbert’s secondary property tax
Secondary property tax levy
The levy is a $1.73 million increase from fiscal year 2020-21’s $24.15 million levy. It covers the coming fiscal year’s debt service from voter-approved bonds for street works and the Public Safety Training Facility.
Resident Christine Accurso in public comments and later Taylor from the dais proposed the town cut the levy to its 2016 level of $19.5 million to give property tax relief to small-business owners and residents.