The town council finds itself in a tricky position with a property tax election coming up in May. In short, they’re asking Fountain Hills residents to pony up and help support community needs such as safety services and maintenance projects around town.

The tricky part is the optics. Even projects that would be considered standard upkeep and improvements any other year are under extra scrutiny from voters.

One example of this is the recently approved sign project, which several council members were opposed to. The issue was less about whether or not the wayfinding signs around town needed to be improved and more about the timing of the project. Even though it was explained that the $95,000 agreement was a great deal, the concern is that some voters will simply see a price tag on a project they might not be convinced is necessary at the moment.

Councilman Nick DePorter pointed out that they are “being scolded for every cent” spent, which really gets to the heart of the matter. These are exactly the kinds of projects a town council greenlights on a regular basis, but that fact can be easy to forget with something like a property tax vote coming up in a few months.

A similar situation popped up during the Dec. 19 council meeting, in which members voted on items like a fireworks pact and the replacement of playground equipment at Golden Eagle Park. Councilman Alan Magazine asked that both of those items be brought to the regular agenda specifically so they could be explained to residents. “I think it is important for people to understand why we are doing this,” he said during the meeting.

That’s a sentiment we can get behind. Both of these items were initially set to be passed without public discussion and, during any other year, that would have been considered business as usual. But again, with that property tax looming, residents need extra assurance that their dollars are being spent responsibly. Without these discussions, the risk is that residents will only see a dollar sign rather than a legitimate need.

Hopefully the communication channels will remain open. If you want residents to feel comfortable with a property tax, they first have to feel comfortable that they aren’t being asked to fund frivolities.