You may already have your ballot for the upcoming property tax election. I am hoping you have decided to cast your vote in favor of the property tax proposal for the good and simple reason that the need for funding has been validated and verified.

At the end of the day, however, the issue boils down to just a few real questions:

1. Has the supporting data supplied by the town been reviewed and verified by the town’s professional staff and hired advisors?

2. Have the current and former town council, town manager, finance director and advisors examined every other possible solution to our financial problem before bringing this proposal forward?

3. Has there been a verifiable work-study and independent survey of over a thousand town residents that supports approval of the property tax solution?

The honest answer to these critical questions is: Yes.

I leave you with this one additional thought. For the moment, please consider how the town’s relationship to public safety (police and fire) relates to your family’s home owner or renter’s insurance policy. They both provide protection. Now suppose that policy costs you more than half your entire monthly and annual income. How long could your family remain financially viable under that condition?

That is exactly the circumstance the town is in with public safety expense consuming more than one half of its entire annual income. There is no doubt; the additional income is needed and critical to the continued vitality of Fountain Hills.