The Town Council designated Feb. 24 as Government Communications Day in Fountain Hills with a proclamation emphasizing the importance of effective communication between government and citizens. This as residents submitted signatures for a referendum on a recent council rezoning decision, largely necessary due to – wait for it – poor communication on the part of the council. Any irony here?

Now I see that the town will host a March 21 seminar on civility. This as Councilmember McMahon, who sits on the committee organizing this civility shindig, denigrated one of the leaders of the referendum effort by name from the dais at the Feb. 6 council meeting.

At that same meeting Mayor Dickey, who also sits on the committee organizing the civility event, failed to rein in a resident who was shouting abuse at two council members. It fell to the town attorney to step in and restore order. It appeared to be pretty easy for the attorney to take control of the meeting; why didn’t the mayor do it? Where was her commitment to civility?

And then there was Vice Mayor Grzybowski’s comment, made in two separate council meetings (Jan. 17 and Feb. 6), that Fountain Hills residents are perceived by non-residents as “R.W.A.” She referred us to the urban dictionary, where we learn that R.W.A. means “rich white (you can probably guess which expletive begins with ‘A’).”  I have to wonder if she was telling us how others view Fountain Hills residents or perhaps expressing her own viewpoint about her constituents, or maybe both?  Hard to say.

And now these folks want to lecture us on “civility.” Really? I’ll pass.            

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