Fountain Hills has funding problems. We also have studies that provide solutions. What’s missing is a lack of decision making to address the most important problem, the revenue shortfall.

Our roads are deteriorating. Buildings suffer from chronic deferred maintenance. Our fountain stinks at certain times of the year. We know how to fix these problems. A 2007 study told the Town it cannot rely on variable revenues such as sales taxes or developer fees. A steady, reliable revenue source is needed. There is still no such revenue source.

In 2009 the Town commissioned a study on roads. The cost to repair roads in 2009 was $9 million. The study warned if maintenance funding is not increased, by 2017 the roads will be in a serious degradation condition. 2017 is almost here and our roads are seriously degraded, as predicted.

Town Council was recently informed that the cost to repair the roads is now between $15-20 million, and perhaps as much as $23 million. The Town devotes $2 million a year to road repair, because that is all we can afford.

In September 2016, Town Council received reports on the cost to fix the fountain. Estimates ranged from almost $1 million for a stop-gap fix, to well over $1 million for more effective repairs.

Vision Fountain Hills recently surveyed over 2,000 citizens who recommended solutions for increasing the Town’s revenues to match its needs. The report was presented to Town Council in May 2016 with this warning: “[S]ome people have said we’ve been down this road before. We’ve taken surveys, and nothing happens. And if nothing happens this time, there will be no need to have another community survey.”

The time has come to find solutions. Solutions are available. We need decisions. We need decision makers, not more studies.