OPINION: ‘The city gave to its residents. Now all they do is take’

I attend the Maricopa City Council meeting on July 16 because many seniors have been discouraged. I, personally, had been in contact with Mayor Nancy Smith several times earlier regarding the disrespectful conditions given to the senior citizens of Maricopa.

At this meeting I brought up the fact that when I moved here in 2010, the Senior Center was located on John Wayne Parkway, but as the overpass was being constructed it was removed and the Senior Center was then relocated to Santa Cruz Elementary School. Not soon after that it became a food bank; we were then relocated to Copper Sky one day a week, and only if the city could not make money off the use of that room.

We were told that when the new library was being built, the old library was going to be the Senior Center, but lo and behold we were squished into only one room.

Most of the responses I had received from the mayor were about her opponent Leon Potter not knowing the workings of the city and being not capable of handling many issues. She really never addressed the issues I brought before her.

Shortly after we were given that room in the community center, the occupancy sign came down. Not one of the council members nor the mayor has ever visited our area, to my knowledge. The occupancy was 53. I called Assistant City Manager Jennifer Brown to replace the occupancy sign, but that didn’t happen. We usually have about 24 people on Tuesdays, which may not seem like a lot, except when you have several people with walkers and canes. We believe this is not only a physical risk but also a health risk as COVID-19 is still prevalent today.

Since 2010 we have provided our own water to drink, our own snacks, our own lunches, etc. We buy our own cards, shufflers, batteries and games. No one realizes that we are on limited incomes. That is 14 years of providing for ourselves. Library groups, grief groups, bingo players and other visitors help themselves to our items. Some donate, some do not.

Just last month the mayor sent in water. HOORAH!

Every time we ask the mayor for anything, her comment is, “We are a new city and don’t have the funds.” At last week’s council meeting I then asked, “How can we then afford Rick Horst’s and his staff’s salary of $892,000 in 2023?” She said it is comparable with other city’s managerial salaries. Now, Horst has stepped down but is doing the same job as Christian Price. Why? And is City Manager Ben Bitter is now getting a higher salary?

While the mayor and community center coordinator were out of town, an employee came in to clean up and put up a sign stating for us to remove our personal items. We are there five days a week, seven hours a day. They have the entire building for storage, and now want to push us out of here! Disgraceful and disrespectful.

At the end of the city council meeting, the mayor asked council members if they had anything to add and Vincent Manfredi said something about a new Senior Center. Mayor Smith blurted out: “They already have one.” I think at that moment, in our eyes, she just cut her own throat.

I had so many people praise me for speaking up at the meeting. They all want to wipe the slate clean of the greed.

Horst and Price talked a long time about things that will happen years from now. But no one seems to be concerned about now.

When I first moved here in 2010, we were a playful city. Squirt gun fights on the Fourth of July. Movie nights at Pacana Park. This city gave to its residents. Now all they do is take.

They have many empty rooms at Copper Sky, but you have to pay to use them. Empty rooms at the library, but you must pay to use them. The “Friends of the Library” are supposed to pay to use those rooms even though they make money for the library. They meet at the community center.

Pay to park and see fireworks. PAY PAY PAY. GREED GREED GREED. When will it end?

— Victoria DiFranco, Homestead

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