The Town of Fountain Hills and Town Council should be applauded for moving ahead with approving a new economic development staff member (really more of a part-time consultant at this time).

“Economic development” remains one of the highest priorities for the town, yet it also constitutes one of the most difficult goals to achieve. Fountain Hills has many things working against it when it comes to business recruitment, and many of them can’t be easily addressed – stiff competition from other Valley cities, for example, and lack of large parcels conducive to major companies relocating here.

Of course, as pointed out by Alan Magazine, chairman of the town’s Strategic Planning Advisory Commission, in a column last week, Fountain Hills also has many positive attributes that need to be promoted within the Valley and outside the Phoenix metro area.

Economic development takes time, money, patience, a concerted community effort and more. Various “sectors” have been identified through various studies that might bear economic fruit for Fountain Hills. The “healthcare, medical, biosciences and wellness” sector has been mentioned, for example, as one that might hold the most promise. Other promising industries or niches that we’ve heard mentioned lately are education and even music.

It is imperative, however, that town government and other entities move ahead with implementing our economic development plan and continue working at the same time to retain the businesses we already have. Fountain Hills was never meant to be an aging bedroom community, but we are slowly moving in that direction based on demographics, school enrollment and other economic data. This would not bode well for the future economic status of our town government or our already existing small retailers and other businesses.

Onward and upward in 2014!