During his brief but fraught foray into Arizona politics Councilmember Allen Skillicorn has, through his incendiary and often defamatory rhetoric, added fuel to the fire of vitriolic divisiveness that threatens to engulf our town.

Skillicorn has compared the members of a longstanding Fountain Hills organization to satanists, described our Attorney General as a murderer and repeatedly referred to the Town’s trusted advisor as a “hired gun” who must be “fired” as if he were a contestant on “The Apprentice.”

Following his ignominious retreat from Illinois politics Skillicorn has attempted to recast himself as a “rugged individualist” and “agent of geopolitical chaos” ready, willing and able to command Arizona’s political stage. Skillicorn’s aspirations appear unrealistic considering his recklessness and lack of political acumen. It would be easy to dismiss Skillicorn, but dangerous to do so. In the process of attempting to elevate himself to Arizona’s regional and national platform Skillicorn has and will continue to do damage to our town.

The hateful rhetoric, thoughtless termination of a trusted adviser and reckless recission of a necessary ordinance are just the beginning. Skillicorn is on record as supporting HB 2061, which would deprive Fountain Hills of approximately $3 million in revenue it obtains from levying a 2.9% sales tax on food. Skillicorn has made no effort to determine how his current constituents feel about the loss of desperately needed revenue. Skillicorn has yet to offer any meaningful suggestions as to how the Town’s expenditures could be reduced or revenues increased to offset the loss of the sales tax revenue.

Skillicorn has placed his interest in political advancement over the interests of the town he selected to serve as his launching pad. Let Skillicorn know that you see the conflict even if he pretends not to.