The people of Fountain Hills are ready to step up and take financial responsibility to maintain the quality of life and infrastructure of the community by authorizing a primary property tax.

While this statement is yet to be proven, there are those involved in studying the issue who believe it is true.

Dori Wittrig, who helped spearhead the Vision Fountain Hills process last year, stepped to the podium at a special Council meeting last week to say so.

“More and more…I am hearing people who want to be responsible for their community,” Wittrig told the council. “Council and staff are doing a great job being lean and mean with the choices you have made.

“People tell us they like their community and more and more are saying we want to pay for what needs to be done.”

Wittrig said she finds that people understand the difference between a tax and a fee and the need for long-term reserve funds.

“You [council] make the decision [to put the question on the ballot], and we will do our part to step up and help [to pass it],” she added.

The special Council session Feb. 28 was to discuss a new version of the town’s Strategic Plan. Strategic Planning Advisory Commission (SPAC) member Gerard Biscegila talked about the challenges they faced in developing the new program.

“We talked about creating a mission, but we ran into a wall,” Biscegila said. “We don’t have the money.”

And his tone was less optimistic than Wittrig.

“No one wants to pay taxes,” he said. “Everyone in the Valley would love to live here…but the warranty on our infrastructure has run out.

“It is our town, our responsibility; we are always looking for the third party with the money. We need to be sure when we talk about solving problems with third party money that we tell both sides of the story.”

Biscegila said people need to understand that growth for instance comes with its own myriad of challenges and new expenses.

“We have been living on borrowed time since incorporation and the bill has come due,” he said.

John Craft, also a SPAC commissioner, said the new plan is designed with the future in mind.

“Much of the conversation regarding this plan has been reactive due to funding constraints,” Craft said. “These goals are proactive, and create a plan of action to achieve them.”

SPAC Chair Dana Saar said the commission has spent about three years working on the plan and he believes it is a great vision for Fountain Hills in the long term.

“With coordination of implementation this has the elements to make this community the place to live,” Saar said.

Many of the goals in the plan are similar to the original 2005 plan and the 2010 update, which many believe fell short of potential. Saar notes the new version is more focused and designed with goals that can be achieved within five years when the next update is due.

Councilman Alan Magazine asked Saar whether the goals in the plan were indeed achievable or just a “wish list.”

“These are all doable, and we believe necessary,” Saar said. “The key will be funding and timing.”

Town Manager Grady Miller said the items from previous plans that were “wish list” items have been removed.

Jerry Butler, a former SPAC chairman, said it is important to show progress with a strategic plan.

He said when it was first adopted it was to be updated every five years. That was done in 2010, but there were no funds for an update in 2015, one reason for the delay in bringing the new one forward.

“Are we only looking to get to 2020,” Butler asked. “If it’s not doable by 2020 people won’t see progress and will just stop.”

He said the new version has about 20 goals, more manageable than the 50 that were part of the 2010 plan.

“How many of those 50 were accomplished? Maybe 20 have been addressed,” Butler said. “You can’t include everything you would like.

“If we want the public’s confidence we have to move forward in a strategic way.”

The draft Strategic Plan proposal presented to the council last week has about five major goals that are divided into subset tasks, with those tasks assigned to specific individuals or teams of staff members.

The goals include maximizing economic development opportunities; ensure that infrastructure is well maintained and safe; attract families and working professionals to the community; ensure that finances are stable and sustainable; and focus on strengthening the community and improving quality of life.

Miller said the plan needs further work to refine and place deadlines on the tasks and the finished document will be brought back to the council at a later date for adoption.

There was no further indication at this meeting of if or when the council might consider asking voters for a primary property tax. That is an issue that may be further discussed at a session regarding revenue scheduled for April.