Abraham Lincoln famously stated , “A house divided against itself, cannot stand,” and I fear that is exactly what is happening in Fountain Hills right now, exacerbated by the recent property tax referendum.

My wife and I, after a very long deliberation and search, selected Fountain Hills as our sole and permanent home. We could have gone almost anywhere in the world, including my native Australia, but the numerous features of Fountain Hills far outweighed those of any other place. Fourteen years later we love it more than ever, but we are concerned, as all owners and residents should be.

Democracy worked and the decision has been made and now we must go forward. Together, we must find palatable ways to provide the funding we truly need and eliminate expenses that are not necessary. If anyone has any constructive suggestions on how to achieve either or both, now is the time to speak up. And don’t be hesitant as the only thing worse than a bad idea is no idea at all.

Fountain Hills really has such huge advantages over other areas; we are a fast and easy drive to Scottsdale and the airport, our views are unsurpassed, land and home prices are beyond reasonable. We are an ideal place to live and to set up a business.

One suggestion I offer is to pursue more automotive businesses including car dealers since Shea is such a heavily trafficked corridor from Highway 87. This town has three very successful car shows and several very successful automotive businesses already, including Finishing Touch, Ferrari Motor Service and Desert Dawgs. We also have numerous car collectors living here, so how do we leverage them to attract even more?