Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Weeks ago some Town leaders represented that the Sanitary District is “supportive of the lagoon concept for the park.” That was not true. In the Aug. 2 edition of The Fountain Hills Times, the Sanitary District clearly stated that it has “significant concerns” about the lagoon.

The same politicians and Town leaders also stated in their June 13 presentation to Town Council and in news reports that the lagoon had received a tentative “green light” from the Arizona State Parks Department.

That also is not true. When the AZ Parks Department was informed of the Town’s “green light” claim, that agency wrote to the Town stating, “We never gave a green light for this project.” In response, a Town official admitted that the claim of “green light” approval was a “slight overstatement.”

The Town was further advised that any approval by the AZ Parks Department will involve a lengthy process. Because Fountain Park was partially built with federal funds, the National Park Service will also have to “give the final approval for the project through us.”

The truth is there is no “green light” for the project from either the AZ Parks Department or the National Park Service.

One must ask: If the lagoon can only be sold through such deceptions, how beneficial can it be? If the lagoon is such a great idea and a cure for our economic woes, why do the people promoting it keep misrepresenting it?

Our Town Manager told the AZ Parks Department that “citizen involvement and support” for a lagoon will be needed to move the project forward. But how can the citizens be involved and supportive if we are being misled? We are not fools.