Thank you for the opportunity to comment about the sign ordinance. First, emphatically, I support Fountain Hills businesses. My quality of life is much better when Fountain Hills restaurants, service shops, supermarkets, small contractors and many others are prospering.

I believe that all Town Council members and Mayor Dickey support local businesses. But support does not mean a blank check. The signage rules recently debated and passed are an example of the council doing its job – balancing the needs of the town’s various constituencies.

By passing the sign ordinance, the majority of council has supported the continued use of A-frame signs as long as they conform to safety and aesthetic standards included in the legislation. For Fountain Hills citizens, helpful signs will continue to lead them to the business that they wish to patronize.

But citizens should ask, why are some people in town misleading local business owners and other residents with lies and misstatements about the council allowing A-frame signs? Why have some residents stirred the pot and created bitter division in the community?

Former Mayor Wally Nichols established a great standard for Fountain Hills – conduct Town business in a nonpartisan, respectful and polite manner. The Nichols Rules have served us well and should be followed by all.