I watched with interest the presentation by Mayor Dickey at the State of the Town on Jan. 25. I’m a casual follower of local government, but I was surprised at the detail completed in 2021, and what is in store for 2022.

I thought the pandemic had pretty much shut down government. Afterall, the Community Center was closed, the Council was meeting virtually and seemingly everyone was working from home. What I found out is – at least in Fountain Hills – everyone was actually working.

The Community Center was completely remodeled. So was the library and museum. Road repairs continued and federal money helped offset many of those costs for 2021. In the meantime, new and remodel housing permits didn’t slow down, nor did that giant building project behind Bashas’. The Town fixed the Fountain pumps and added new LED lights. They fixed a big drainage problem on Panorama and made improvements to most of our playgrounds and parks. And we ended the year with a budget surplus.

It seems like 2021 was a very good year.

As for 2022, the mayor outlined a whole litany of plans for the upcoming year. We still need road repairs and have the money. She has an eye on economic development like medical tourism and promoting our Dark Sky program, all the while looking out for the town’s best interests both regionally and at the legislature.

But what caught me the most was a simple sentence she uttered near the end, “We value qualified, committed community leaders.” What a concept.

Dickey seems to have the pulse of the community and hasn’t taken her foot off the pedal when it comes to moving the town forward. She seems to be the right fit for our town’s needs.