I would like to express my sincere gratitude and admiration for the Fountain Hills Town staff, the Community Center employees and our award-winning Parks and Recreation personnel.

I appreciate all that you have done and all that you continue to do for our beloved town. I know for a fact that our salaried employees invest a lot of uncompensated overtime, and they consider it just part of the job. Our Town staff puts in long hours, professionally interfaces with our community, and they do it with smiles on their faces and goodwill in their hearts.

Some have suggested that our staff members are overpaid and undeserving of a cost-of-living pay adjustment (COLA). I vehemently disagree. Our Town employees’ salaries are commensurate with other similar communities. Also, cities and towns throughout Arizona have had comparable COLA adjustments. Our Town staff has a proven track record of outstanding service to Fountain Hills, and I simply will not nickel and dime them during the tough times we now face.

Going forward, we must respect one another, and treat each other with dignity and gratitude. Words can hurt or edify, and we should choose them wisely.

It has been my life’s greatest honor to serve the citizens of Fountain Hills as your Town councilwoman. And my job has been made profoundly easier by the professionalism, grace and hard work of our dedicated Town staff. They make the Town Council look good and they consistently serve the people well.

A heartfelt “thank you” for helping to make Fountain Hills the exceptional community that we all enjoy.