Turning the calendar to a new year prompts many to look forward to what a clean slate may bring.

For the Town of Fountain Hills, however, January is just the half-way point in the fiscal year and planning for its next year is just beginning.

“Right now we are focused on finishing what we have begun for this (fiscal) year,” Town Manager Ken Buchanan said.

The fiscal year ends in June.

That work includes major construction for improvements on Shea and Saguaro boulevards as well as a flood control project with the Maricopa County Flood Control District.

Staff has begun the work of crunching numbers for next year’s budget and in just a couple of weeks the Town Council will sit down for a day-long discussion of goals and priorities going forward.

The retreat is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 29, in council chambers at Town Hall. It is set to get under way at 8 a.m. The meeting is open to the public.

That meeting has a long agenda and will cover a lot of ground, according to Buchanan.

Mayor Linda Kavanagh notes that the town has its established priorities such as public safety and streets, and there continues to be little room for expanding existing services provided by the town.

“There is not much left over to see what amenities we can provide,” Kavanagh said.

However, she notes that there are a lot of groups and organizations wanting to approach the town to partner with at little or no cost.

“We need to be mindful of the financial burden on citizens,” Kavanagh said. “I don’t feel we need to put more on the citizens, let them keep more in their pockets.

“I’d rather have them spend their money than the town spend it.”

Other work

Buchanan noted that the environmental fee approved on a split vote by the council in November will kick in sometime this year.

“The implementation is not an easy process,” Buchanan said.

Property owners will be billed $18 twice a year to cover the $3 monthly fee. Kavanagh was one of three council members who voted against the fee.

Staff continues to work on another project that has spanned several years, which is the relocation of Fire Station No. 2.

Buchanan said they continue to work on land acquisition and site selection. He said funding also needs to be reviewed because they have been working with numbers first estimated in 2009.

Other capital projects in the budget for the current year include Phase 6 improvements at Fountain Park, which is currently in the bid process, and a water quality project for Fountain Lake. This is a project to upgrade aeration systems in the water.

“Equally important is that we continue to maintain what we already have,” Buchanan said.

That includes 100 acres of parks, seven physical facilities and streets.

New influence

Kavanagh said she is working hard with outside agencies to help Fountain Hills gain influence across the state.

She is working with the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) on projects that involve international economic expansion with Mexico.

Specifically this is a program that allows businesses on both sides of the border to connect with resources that can help one another.

Buchanan noted that MAG is able to provide such services that would be cost prohibitive for the town.

Kavanagh is also sitting on the Executive and Budget committees with the League of Arizona Cities and Towns.

“There are a lot of decisions made here regarding bills presented to the state Legislature,” Kavanagh said.

“It is important Fountain Hills have a seat at the table. We can have a lot of say about what happens in the state from the perspective of a smaller town.”

She cited the town’s role regarding a controversial transaction privilege tax bill (sales tax) as an example of the importance of influence by smaller towns in legislation.

“It is really at the grass roots where these decisions are going to be made,” Kavanagh said. “We need to exert that influence.”

“Our goal is having a stronger voice with other communities,” Buchanan said. “We are fortunate to have our mayor sit on the executive committee.”