People who live here often talk about what a special place Fountain Hills is to call home. The environment and quality of life have been the major attraction for nearly 50 years, but Town Council is now fearful that balancing the budget may have a major impact on the quality of life residents have cherished.

During a planning retreat last week council members learned that when they reach the 2020/2021 fiscal year they will need to make up more than $2 million dollars to balance the budget. The shortfall begins in the 2017/18 fiscal year ($636,342) and exceeds $1 million by the 2018/19 fiscal year.

Staff tossed a number of “financial strategies” on the table ranging from a fairly impactful increase in sales tax or primary property tax (voter approval only), to improving sales tax collections and modifying public safety contracts (an idea that could have meaningful impact on service).

Asking the public for more of their hard-earned money is always a challenge, so it is important the council hear clearly the opinions of the citizens.

The timing for this issue coming to light is somewhat advantageous with the VisionFH Committee collecting information and preparing for an extensive workshop in May. It provides an important opportunity for citizens to offer input to the council and town staff on how they would like to see the projected budget shortfalls addressed. Residents can visit visionfh.org to reach a survey that is being used to collect information and prepare for the expanded workshop.

It is important for the council to know how people feel about the issue. Is there a significant share of citizens willing to pay more to maintain or expand town services, or do they want to see cuts in services and maintenance programs from what the town offers now?