Citizens 4 Saguaro, a group organized to support the proposed $8.2 million bond question for reconstruction of Saguaro Boulevard, wants to recruit 100 citizens to promote the planned improvements.

The question will appear on the ballot for the Nov. 5 General Election, and ballots will go out in the mail in early October.

“We want to organize this grassroots committee that will be the foot soldiers talking to their friends and neighbors asking them to support the bond,” said Bob Thomson, chairman for Citizens 4 Saguaro.

“With this being an all-mail ballot we need the person-to-person campaign.

“This is a critical vote.”

There is currently a 20-member steering committee organized to spearhead the campaign.

Thomson said these people, many of whom are community leaders, will be asking their friends to sign a commitment to help get the word out.

The committee has arranged for about 30 speaking engagements between now and the election. These are mostly service club meetings and other interested organizations.

“September is going to be a critical month for getting the word out,” he said.

A campaign brochure prepared by Citizens 4 Saguaro states that Saguaro is the oldest of the three main thoroughfares through Fountain Hills, not including Shea Boulevard, and is also the most heavily traveled.

More than 15,000 cars and trucks travel the route every day, according to the brochure.

“Patchwork repairs won’t do it anymore, it is time to rebuild this street,” the pamphlet says.

The condition of Saguaro is reflected in property values, impact on commerce, impacts safety and has an effect on the town image. These are all reasons to support the project, according to the bond backers.

In 2011 voters rejected a bond proposal that would have collected $29 million for not just reconstruction of Saguaro, but also ongoing street maintenance in the town. The question was soundly defeated at the polls.

This year the Town Council authorized the first year of a planned nine-year ongoing pavement management program that will cost $1 million a year for maintenance activities.

Thomson said he believes the new bond question is much better than the previous proposal.

“This is much more tightly drawn than the previous bond,” Thomson said. “This is for Saguaro Boulevard only, along with curb replacement and ADA compliance.

“Staff has done a really good job with this.”

The proposal also includes drainage improvements in a couple of places.

“What we have now is totally inadequate for what is the most heavily traveled road in town,” Thomson added.

The Fountain Hills Civic and Cultural Association has an information forum for the street bond, as well as the School District budget override and capital bonds election, scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 24, at the School District Learning Center.

FHCCA President Boyce Baldwin said efforts to find people on both sides of the issues to present a debate have not been successful, therefore the program will be presented as information only.