11/27/2018
Thank you, Fountain Hills!
I am proud to have served our small town community as mayor for the past six years.
I set many goals for myself and I am very pleased that I have completed those goals and many more. Public safety, maintaining a sound infrastructure, providing good services and amenities, and doing all this while maintaining limited government and low taxes were my primary goals.
Of course all this could not have been accomplished without the help and support of my fellow council members and our dedicated town staff, led by our current manager, Grady Miller, and past manager, Ken Buchanan. Fountain Hills has seen a building boom, retention and expansion of our business community, improvements to our infrastructure, especially the rebuilding of Saguaro Blvd., and the upgrading of our parks, and other facilities. Fountain Hills has come out of the recession as a vibrant community with a bright future and a great quality of life.
Opening our trailhead and getting real access to our mountain preserve was one of my primary goals. It was vital to develop Adero Canyon to accomplish this. While it took a good number of years, it is very nearly done.
Our parks are our jewels and upgrading them was another of my goals. Not only do our parks look pristine but the linear park down the Avenue was added and it has become a popular amenity for our residents. Our namesake Fountain runs better than ever before with the new equipment and our lake is in good condition.
Having been previously the Chair of the Chamber of Commerce board, making it easier to do business in town was also one of my primary goals. With the help of experienced council members in the construction and development industries, changes were made to the sign ordinance, restaurants were permitted to add outside seating and serve alcohol, and pet friendly patios were encouraged. The business application process was made more business friendly and many fees were either reduced or eliminated. Construction ordinances also were streamlined to make Fountain Hills a more desirable place to build either a home or commercial project.
Changing some ordinances to make life healthier, safer and happier was another goal that came about in my last two years. Working with what I consider one of the best councils, as a team we passed a no smoking ordinance, no texting while driving, and a nuisance ordinance to help our neighborhoods maintain their good quality of life. The construction of our new firehouse was a vital safety issue to some parts of town that were not getting adequate coverage and that station will be opening soon.
We have some wonderful neighbors, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community. Reaching out to them, our current council created mutual economic benefits and established lasting friendships.
Since Fountain Hills is a small community surrounded by many larger ones, we were often neglected when it came to decisions about the East Valley. I made it
my goal that our town be recognized on an equal basis by attending MAG, GPEC and League of Cities and Towns meetings and getting elected to leadership positions in County and municipal organizations.
With the help of our residents, commissions and service organizations, we gained a wonderful sister city, Zamosc, Poland, started a Community Garden,
added a musical instrument park, built a new tot lot, improved our Splash Park, added even more renowned art pieces and were granted the distinct honor of being designated a Dark Sky Community.
With the expertise of our awesome staff, we also added many family-friendly events for our residents to enjoy right here at home.
This council also started the negotiations with the state to build on the State Trust land to our north. That will be a task left for the next council.
Just recently I started working with a very dedicated group of residents to bring a wonderful project to our town, an Astroscience Center featuring an Observatory and a Planetarium. This project will be a unique addition to Fountain Hills with incredible potential for the future, and a perfect fit for our Dark Sky Community. I hope to continue to help make this happen even after I’ve left office.
During my six years as your mayor, I very often had to call upon outside help for many different issues that would have harmed our town but were beyond my power as mayor. I want to thank Congressman David Schweikert, County Supervisor Steve Chucri, Senator John Kavanagh, State Representative Michelle Ugenti-Rita, and State Representative Jay Lawrence who were always ready and willing to come to the aid of Fountain Hills.
I also want to thank Alan and Brent Cruikshank, Mike Scharnow, Barb Charzuk and Linda McThrall of the Fountain Hills Times for six years of photos and stories that showcased our wonderful town.
I’ve truly enjoyed working with both of our town managers and town staff. Their professionalism and knowledge are only surpassed by their dedication to our town and its residents. The same can be said for our firefighters and deputies who are an intricate part of our Fountain Hills family.
I wholeheartedly want to thank my family and my closest friends for all their love and support. I couldn’t have had six successful and enjoyable years without you.
