Prescott stands at a crossroads: Liberty or Government Overreach!
Prescott's 2025 General Plan
PRESCOTT, AZ – Every decade, Arizona law (A.R.S. § 9-461.05) mandates cities like Prescott, with its 45,000 residents, to update their General Plan. It’s supposed to be a roadmap for land use, roads, water, and growth to guide the next 10 years. But in this 2025 update, the General Plan has former council members, taxpayers and property owners scratching their heads. It reads like a roadmap to turn a mostly conservative community into a DEI project and a city-wide HOA.
Grants Hanging by a Thread
If you take a deep dive into the plan’s DEI buzzwords, “equity,” “inclusion,” “sexual orientation” it puts Prescott potential grants at risk under Trump’s EO 14151 which axes funding for “equity-related” projects. The estimated loss of Federal grant money if the council doesn’t ditch the progressive lingo by May 27th is $5.75 Million. This includes:
Housing - $1.15 to $4.65 million from the Community Development Block Grant.
Transit - $750,000 a year from the Federal Transit Administration.
Airport - $1.5 to $2 million from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Water - $1 to $3 million From the Environmental Protection Agency.
How would Prescott compensate for this potential lack of funding?
Costly Initiatives Unrelated to Land Use
Mayor Goode nailed it on March 25th: “The General Plan is a guide for land-use decisions,” not a playbook to micromanage lives. The present language in the plan has homeowners across Prescott staring down mandates that could infringe on personal property rights. Dark Sky retrofits, water restrictions, and wildfire rules could cost $500-$1,000 per property, dictating everything from lighting to landscaping. Vision Zero’s 25 mph limits and $50-$200 fines hit drivers, while housing “affordability” goals point to subsidies taxpayers will shoulder.
By evaluating other Arizona cities who implemented these initiatives like Flagstaff and Tucson, we can get a good idea of what Prescott taxpayers could face with little or no return:
Vision Zero’s speed humps and cameras could run $220,000-$600,000 yearly.
Dark Sky rules might force residents to spend $90-$440 each on lighting retrofits, plus $50,000-$100,000 in city enforcement costs.
Add bike lanes, tree mandates, and “xeriscaping rebates,” and citizens could face $130 more in sales tax or $75 in property tax annually.
For a community that prizes fiscal restraint, that’s a raw deal with little reward.
Progressive Excess vs. Practical Needs
The law demands cities focus on land use, circulation, water, and growth areas, but this plan piles on progressive initiatives that have no place in a General Plan or in Prescott. Mayor Goode’s stand on March 25th against this unnecessary language stopped getting the plan on the August primary election. With Councilmen Brandon Montoya and Eric Moore’s absent, the five present council members couldn’t muster the votes A.R.S. § 9-461.05 requires. Now, May 27th is the new deadline for City Council to trim the pork before the ballot goes on the November ballot.
Time for Citizens to Push Back
Prescott residents need to start now and demand the City Council to go back to the drawing board and craft a reasonable 50-page plan that doesn’t bleed us dry or infringe upon our freedoms with progressive feel-good labels. Prescott’s citizens have two months to make their voices heard or face a 10-year plan that will turn our freedom loving city into a California-like nightmare. Act now to reclaim a General Plan that serves us, not an agenda.
We have to stop this Agenda 2030 BS!! I'm all for having responsible communities, but this goes too far. I live in Prescott mainly because I don't want CA regulation. People take priority.