By the time this edition is printed the final town forum will have been presented. We owe the town staff a huge thank you for the outstanding effort put forth and for the patience displayed in the face of those opposed to the proposed tax.

If you attended and listened, you know why a primary property tax was judged the fairest and most sustainable source of the revenue needed to meet the town’s needs. You would have learned why bonds cannot be used for every occasion and, if they could, the cost would be significant.

You would have also learned that increasing our already high sales tax would harm local merchants and still not produce enough revenue and that a fee, like the environmental fee, is grossly unfair since it can only be assessed by parcel, not by value or size, which means Target and the homeowner would pay the same amount. It likely would also have to be larger than the average proposed tax increase to generate needed income.

You would have learned the existing source of revenues and how they may be used, why we need a new fire station and why we had to replace the ladder truck. You would have heard the results of the road study and how they intend to get the road maintenance schedule back on track.

You would have learned that the costs for fire and police protection are on the increase and that they are the largest part of the town’s budget.

Perhaps the most significant information would be that Fountain Hills has one of the lowest tax burdens in Maricopa County. The state average is .7 percent of market value and even with the proposed primary tax, the rate for Fountain Hills would be approximately .5 percent. Join me, vote yes.