My husband and I recently moved to Fountain Hills from Leadville, Colo. In fact, we just closed on our “year-round home” here a few days ago. We love Fountain Hills: the Fountain Park, natural beauty and its friendly, intelligent populace. Hopefully, that will continue to be the case.

One of the primary reasons we left Leadville was because of the contentious debate about a property tax increase necessary to keep the Leadville hospital and extended care facility (ECC) open. My husband and I got involved in the tax campaign. He was elected to the hospital board, I handled campaign expenditures.

Many letters to the editor accused the board members and those advocating for the tax increase of being dishonest about the facts or ignorant about managing public funds. Does that sound familiar to you? It does to me.

When the citizens voted the mill levy down and the extended care facility had to close, some thought it was just part of a “secret agenda” on the part of the board to scare the public into voting for the tax increase. Others woke up to the urgency of the situation; but it was too late, the ECC was gone.

It’s hard to see the same mistrust of the town council members replaying here in Fountain Hills. No one likes to pay taxes, but governmental entities require public funds to operate. They cannot pass a deficit budget.

What will it take to convince folks that this tax is necessary? Does someone’s house have to burn down because fire services had to be cut? Does the fountain pump have to fail or the Community Center have to close? Elections have consequences. Please vote yes on May 15!