The candidates for Fountain Hills mayor, Ginny Dickey and Cecil Yates, faced off June 26 in a debate organized by the Chamber of Commerce and the Fountain Hills Civic and Cultural Association before a crowd estimated at nearly 400 in the Community Center.

The passion of the two candidates resulted in some feisty exchanges and it also helped voters define differences in government approach between the two.

Yates cites his experience in commercial real estate management as helping him understand how to use the tools of a free market economy to boost revenue for the town.

He said the town needs solid plans for infrastructure maintenance.

“It is important to protect our quality of life,” Yates said.

He added that funds are being left on the table and need to be managed better.

“Our Strategic Plan calls for assurance of adequate infrastructure,” Dickey said. “The maintenance of our infrastructure has reached a tipping point and we need to put our heads together and come up with solutions.”

Infrastructure is the backbone of a community, Yates said.

“[Infrastructure] shows visitors what the community is like,” he said.

The town does not have an adequate infrastructure plan in place.

Dickey noted that a number of years ago the council identified street maintenance as a priority for the community along with public safety.

“There is a pavement management plan, but we have not had the funding to keep that up,” Dickey said. “This is where we are. I don’t have a silver bullet. We need to realistically look at our needs.”

The candidates were asked about transparency and an issue concerning public perception of what is going on at Town Hall.

“Everybody gets their information from different sources,” Yates said. “We need one person to provide a clear, consistent message through the various medians.”

He said he would look for a qualified volunteer to help with communication.

“There are no shortcuts to building trusting relationships,” Dickey said. “You need to work hard at it.

“There are a number of ways. There is the appearance of not being transparent. Many people distrust this administration.”

Yates accused Dickey of being disingenuous, claiming her supporters are spreading lies about him.

“I have nothing to do with that,” Dickey said. “I can’t control what other people do.”

When asked about commercial vacancies in town versus approving new development, Yates said a key factor in local vacancy rates is functional obsolescence of many properties.

“With smart growth we need to look at our Zoning Ordinance and see where it needs to be updated,” Yates said.

When asked about attracting families to Fountain Hills Yates said the community must look toward providing a diversity of housing, particularly with what is made available when/if the State Trust Land is developed.

Dickey said the most effective way to attract families is with a diversity of educational resources. She said there also needs to be access to healthcare facilities, an entertainment district and public infrastructure.

“We need to be aware of our changing demographics,” Dickey said. “It’s important to know where to put our scarce resources.”

There are face-to-face discussions between the candidates for mayor planned. There is a forum planned for the six candidates for the three open council seats scheduled for Thursday, July 19, at 7:30 a.m. at Eagle Mountain.

The primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 28. Ballots will be mailed to those on the early ballot mailing list on Aug. 1.

Registration deadline for the Aug. 28 primary is Monday, July 30.