A rotten game by Otto and the Stooges

The Three Stooges’ Nefarious Plan

In Payson, the new ruling trio — Mayor Steve Otto and his loyal sidekicks Charlie Bell and Jim Farris — have cooked up a backroom scheme worthy of the Three Stooges title they’ve earned.

The previous Town Council, made up of responsible, forward-looking members, passed a 1% sales tax to fund long-term community improvements — a new pool, infrastructure repairs, and civic projects that would raise property values and make Payson a better place to live.

But Otto, Bell, and Farris rode into office whining about that very tax, pandering to the Tea Party crowd by railing against “big government spending.” They promised fiscal purity — and now, in true hypocritical fashion, they’re trying to hijack that same 1% tax revenue to bankroll their own pet projects.

If they were honest, they’d repeal the tax entirely — the same tax they used as a political weapon to get elected. That would mean they’d have to raise a new tax to pay for their agenda, and they don’t have the courage or integrity to do that.

As one of the few honest holdovers from the previous council pointed out, rescinding the tax would force transparency. Instead, the Stooges prefer smoke, mirrors, and political theater — while they quietly siphon funds meant to serve the people of Payson.

So the question for Payson voters is simple:
Do we let the Stooges steal the legacy of a responsible council — or do we call their bluff and demand they govern with the honesty they promised?

---