“On Nov. 20, 2014 the Fountain Hills Town Council approved a $3 per month ($36 per year) environmental fee for each parcel of land in Fountain Hills...” and that is the way the two letters we received last Saturday began (we own two properties here).

We are all for paying our way in this world. We recall Grady Gammage, speaking at a Chamber breakfast so many years ago saying; “It is beyond the pale that people expect all these wonderful amenities and then do not expect they must pay for them.” While that comment is somewhat paraphrased (it was a lot of years ago), the idea that we should pay for our needs is without debate.

So, having received this letter brings another thought to bare. The town is always at odds with local businesses. They express the desire to be favorable toward our local businesses, yet they really are not so much. Even under the wildest of possibilities, the company chosen to collect our $36 could have gone to a company here in Arizona at the very least.

Is it not possible that local, or at least in this state, there were no viable options? We now have to send our two $36 payments to Sarasota, Fla. And, if we choose to pay this fee in any different form than sending a check, it will cost us an additional $1.99 per payment. Oh yeah, and the postage stamp. We are quite sure they will not send us a “prepaid” envelope.

So, presumably the town found a company that would charge them less for this service in Florida. Are you for real? So no one in this state could match or beat the deal in Florida? We’re not at all comfortable with this format. Are you?