The incumbent in the already-heated Desert Hot Springs mayoral race “turned the tables” on her challenger Friday, releasing her first negative advertisement of the campaign — a postcard her opponent calls “purposefully deceptive.”

Mayor Yvonne Parks sent Desert Hot Springs homeowners a postcard warning them not to “be fooled” by her opponent, Councilman Russell Betts.

“Desert Hot Springs needs to attract investment to our community — not drive it away. If Betts raises parcel taxes on commercial lots, are Homeowners next?!” the postcard reads.

The city parcel tax, which charges homeowners $120 per acre and developers $2 per acre, goes toward the city's $6.9 million public safety budget for police, fire, code enforcement and other services.

The parcel tax will expire June 30, 2010. If the City Council asks to extend or modify the parcel tax, the issue will then be handed to the voters.

Reacting Friday to the negative ad, Betts accused Parks of “purposefully trying to deceive the voters.”

Betts said he has campaigned heavily on the issue of parcel taxes and calls for developers to pay higher taxes.

“My entire campaign has been making sure the homeowners' parcel tax is not raised, that it's time for developers to start paying their fair share,” he said.

“The bottom line is this city can't sustain itself by only going to homeowners for more taxes,” he said. “Other people are paying way too little.”

Parks said she had no qualms about “turning the tables” on Betts.

She said she “had finally had it” with Betts accusing her of trying to double homeowner parcel taxes.

“He has been talking about this until I got fed up, fed up and fed up. I figure, he wants to play this game, I can play it just as well and put it right back on him,” Parks said.

She added that she has not yet made a decision on how she would like to see the parcel tax voted on next year.