At the FHCCA candidate forum, a question came up about events. Everyone agrees events are desirable, but they don’t solve the Town’s economic needs. Not by a long shot.

Permanent new businesses and sustainable revenues aren’t the result of events. Fountain Hills can’t fix its roads, the problems with the Lake, or address its woefully short staff resources on the back of events. In fact, continually adding events stresses our staff resources.

Fountain Hills has 40 years of economic development existence, yet some Council candidates and the current mayor promise a turnaround by growing our business base and having more events. It just won’t happen as quickly, or with the bottom line impacts they claim.

We have empty commercial and office space now. Fountain Hills can’t economic development its way to sustainable financial times unless we increase our entire existing business activity by 50 percent. Imminent projects (except Copper Ridge) have been included in the budgetary equation that shows a cumulative $5.9M shortfall in five years.

Fountain Hills voters approved the $8M bond to fix Saguaro. That amount is a form of a tax, but it comes with financing charges. And that’s just for a onetime fix.

Other roads, as many as 100-plus lane miles, need attention, but again, bond costs include interest. Bonds are no different than your mortgage.

Yet residents previously objected to a property tax. Why approve piecemeal one-time fixes, when we could save the interest on the same amount of money with a property tax? Plus, it can pay to fix and maintain the roads, all without a single interest payment. Seems a defined replacement and maintenance plan using a property tax just makes sense.

We need new leadership and realistic discussion. Write in Ginny Dickey for mayor and connect the arrow.