I’ve been in office for nearly three months. To fulfill my obligation to Fountain Hills voters and the job for which I was elected, I proposed an idea attempting to address a major issue facing our town: funding of road maintenance.

There’s been a lot of discussion about and many strong opinions on this topic. It’s time for objective, rational consideration and a serious effort to find a solution that is financially sound, clearly explained and acceptable to the residents and taxpayers of our town.

Frankly, I’m a bit surprised and disappointed that some people interpret this as suggesting that I somehow changed my mind about the needs of the town and reversed my opposition to a campaign positions about 2018’s proposed property tax. On both counts, that emphatically is not the case. I have always believed that our roads require proper maintenance. My issue has consistently been with the attempt to institute a new primary property tax to sell it to the voters with questionable numbers and hyperbole, and to do so with a history of investing tax dollars on dead-end initiatives like the lagoon study, the wayfinding sign study, etc.

Of course, road maintenance needs will not end in four years. However, Fountain Hills voters have been skeptical about past management of town finances. The four-year term of a road maintenance and infrastructure fee would provide the Town Council and staff an opportunity to prove themselves to the voters and rebuild trust. As for whether there would be a problem with residents paying the fee, hopefully those who care about our town will accept the responsibility and pay a fee that is justified and spent as intended.

Let’s work towards a practical, rational solution. Let your voices be heard by attending the Town Council meetings.