One of the major issues facing Fountain Hills is the need to improve our roads. Like many communities, the needs can often exceed the resources available to address the problems. This is certainly the reality in Fountain Hills.

Some of the ways we are addressing our infrastructure needs is by focusing on economic development. More businesses mean more tax revenue being generated to focus on budget priorities such as roads and other infrastructure improvements.

We are searching for a new town manager to help with business recruitment. We also are looking at ways to reduce expenses to free up more money for roads. In four short months the council has saved nearly one million dollars by doing away with the lobbyist, canceling yet another roundabout study and trimming the proposed budget. The council has been very productive in a short period of time. We are going to continue to look at ways to reduce expenses and redirect those funds to infrastructure and road improvements.

When it comes to infrastructure, success begets success. The more roads we fix and the more improvements we make, the easier it will become to attract new businesses to our community. One of the responsibilities of being a member of the town council is to be an ambassador for Fountain Hills and talk to prospective employers to invest in our community.

Town council members are not the only ones who can or should promote Fountain Hills. I would encourage every Fountain Hills resident to get involved in promoting our town and to play a role in bringing new businesses here. If we work together to strengthen our local economy, we can keep our taxes low while also delivering the kind of service our residents need and deserve.