Mr. Arpaio is touting his candidacy on social media, but the points he attempts to make are all erroneous.

He claims that our town has been lacking leadership, when in Mayor Dickey we have the most engaged and inclusive mayor seen in my quarter century of living here. That’s a lot of mayors!

He alleges “proven ability, leadership and wisdom,” but as county sheriff he abdicated those responsibilities to chase publicity while delegating the work to political cronies he appointed as underlings. Meanwhile, his misdirection and illegal actions cost taxpayers and county insurers hundreds of millions in fines and settlements. After eight years, MCSO has still not emerged from the federal monitoring which was mandated to ensure that his abuses of power and wrongful applications of force were corrected.

Arpaio claims that he’ll “support, defend and protect” the people of Fountain Hills, but the job is mayor, not sheriff. The mayor needs to bring people together and move the town forward, not mount invisible ramparts against an imagined invader.

He closes by misapplying Winston Churchill’s wartime speech which was about fighting Britain’s Nazi enemy on the beaches, in the fields, streets and hills. Well, we do have streets and hills, but why must he always encourage fighting as he frowns for the camera? As to “we shall never surrender,” with whom does he think we’re at war?

He and his minions apparently enjoy promoting images of combat. That’s the completely wrong message, certainly the wrong plan, and Arpaio would absolutely be the wrong mayor. I suspect that he keeps trying in a curious attempt to retain relevance, using the same images of scowling and battle that he’s always employed.

Retaining Mayor Dickey in office is the best way to keep sanity in our town government and peace in our town.

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.