When Ken “John Q. Citizen” Buchanan visits Fountain Park for the Fourth of July celebration he won’t be worrying about the park appearance, Fountain operation or even the success of the fireworks display.

Town Manager Buchanan will be retired by the Fourth, making it something of a personal “independence day.”

“I plan to go enjoy the event,” Buchanan said.

It will be the first July 4th in 40 years he hasn’t had some professional interest in such celebrations.

With just a weekend between his college graduation in 1975 and his first day at a new job as recreation supervisor for the Town of Eloy, Buchanan quickly joined the ranks of management staff and has been on the go for the past 40 years.

“I’ve been a manager or part of management staff almost the whole time,” Buchanan said. “Forty years is enough.

“I plan to do nothing except what my wife tells me.”

Buchanan says the job of a town manager is 24/7/365 with the pressure of wondering if all is going right with the municipality or what might happen next.

There are the calls from citizens about fixing cracks in the sidewalks and potholes in the streets. There are also the concerns about potential incidents impacting hundreds of citizens.

Buchanan says he quite frankly doesn’t know what it is going to be like to have that constant pressure gone.

Ask Buchanan about what has been accomplished over the last three years in the Town of Fountain Hills and he clearly has not been keeping score.

“We have worked with three councils and two mayors over the past three years,” he said. “It has been great working with them, with each having their various dynamics and goals.

“We came into an organization with a staff that had been cut in half and services to maintain at a level where citizens feel they should be.

“Behind that curtain there are employees putting in long hours getting it done. Never have I been more proud of employees able to stay the course doing as much as they can do.”

There have been accomplishments -- preparing and adopting an Economic Development Plan, getting an $8 million bond approved to reconstruct Saguaro Boulevard and completing substantial improvements to Shea Boulevard that had been in the works for nearly 10 years.

An improvement project is currently under way at Fountain Park.

But the infrastructure challenges of a 40-year-old community will remain, particularly in keeping up with street maintenance and replacement.

“The challenges have been spelled out in our last four budgets,” Buchanan said.

“Citizens enjoy the amenities and level of service there is, but there are fiscal challenges in meeting this in the future.”

Buchanan hired the man who will replace him in the corner office. His advice to Grady Miller is simple – “keep the faith.”

“I believe (Miller) has the qualities to assist the mayor and council carry the organization forward,” Buchanan said. “There is a quality staff that has gained a lot of experience in recent years.”

And just how much confidence does Buchanan have for the future of Fountain Hills? He and his wife, Debbie, are making their retirement home here. An outdoor lover, don’t be surprised to find Buchanan helping out the Sonoran Conservancy with projects in the desert preserve.

“We are optimistic,” Buchanan said. “Living here speaks for the community and what it will be in the future.

“I’m looking forward to retirement – being just ‘John Q. Citizen’ here in Fountain Hills.”