THATCHER — A plan to improve conditions at Thatcher Cemetery could result in making plots there the most expensive in the Gila Valley.
On Monday, a committee presented the Thatcher Town Council with its update to the town’s 2002 resolution regarding the cemetery. The committee proposes a general clean-up of the cemetery, as well as uniformity of the cement curbs surrounding a family’s group of plots.
To ensure that uniformity, the committee suggests the town oversee the cement installation, up to hiring a part-time or full-time employee to install the curbs.
It’s that employee that would increase cost of plots from about $300 to $750.
The committee suggests making improvements to fencing the first priority, as currently the cemetery is used by youngsters in which to gather and have parties, as well as a number of all-terrain vehicles drive through the cemetery.
Committee members hoped for action at last Monday’s meeting, but Mayor Randy Bryce explained why the council had to delay.
“Part of the problem is that this is an unbudgeted item,” Bryce said. “So rather than make and approve a resolution that we’ve never really seen before, that incurs quite a bit of expense — even though it technically would be neutral because you’re increasing the costs, the fee for a plot or a lot or whatever it is, and that theoretically it would be neutral —isn’t a budgeted item for this year and we really have to figure out how we’re going to do that.”
The council will commence budget talks in the spring.
