Don’t blow $250K on a single Apache Junction roundabout landmark

OPINION — I am writing to correct a detail in my previous letter regarding the proposed $250,000 roundabout art installation. While I previously stated this money comes from the city’s general tax fund, city officials have clarified that it is instead funded by developer impact fees earmarked specifically for public art under city code.

However, changing the name of the bucket the money comes from does not make this expenditure any less ridiculous. A quarter of a million dollars is enough to buy a family home or an emergency response vehicle. Spending that entire amount on a single roadside ornament — and guaranteeing the artist $10,000 even if their initial sketches are rejected — is a staggering waste of resources.