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Opinion

Where is the promised transparency in Fountain Hills?

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On Dec. 30, an order was entered bringing an end to Councilmember Allen Skillicorn’s lawsuit against the Town of Fountain Hills, Mayor Dickey and Councilmembers Kalivianakis, Gryzbowski  and McMahon. Skillicorn dismissed his lawsuit with prejudice after an opinion was entered finding that his claims, based on sanctions imposed against him for unethical conduct, lacked merit. 

To date, the order dismissing the lawsuit and vindicating the reputations of Fountain Hills, its elected officials, employees and staff has been ignored by the Friedel administration. 

For months, Skillicorn has promoted his lawsuit through press conferences, press releases, videos,  radio interviews and social media posts that resulted in wideranging media coverage, like the following reposted on his X account:  “Here I go over a lawsuit that conservative Town Councilman @allenskillicorn was forced to file against the town’s leadership for coming after him due to his conservatism – they are disciplining him, including preventing him from serving as vice mayor, for confronting a town employee stealing one of his signs, and for questioning other council members over voting issues regarding developers who had contributed to their campaigns.”

Skillicorn has unjustifiably impugned the reputation of the town he took an oath to serve and the integrity of town officials and employees. He claimed that “something stinks” in Fountain Hills and promised that his lawsuit would reveal corruption committed by Town officials and staff he described as “corruptocrats.”

The lawsuit has now ended. No malfeasance or corruption was revealed. Taxpayers have likely incurred thousands of dollars in legal fees, defending Skillicorn’s spurious claims.

The failure to even attempt to counter the negative publicity and restore the reputations of the town, its officials and employees resulting from Skillicorn’s accusations, is an inexcusable neglect of duty by a newly elected mayor, particularly one who promised transparency.

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

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