As mentioned in one of our editorials about a year ago, it seems the dominant theme for 2013 in Fountain Hills was “infrastructure.”

The Town of Fountain Hills, for example, forged ahead with a pavement management plan following the 2011 defeat of a $30 million bond issue. That pavement plan included a few budget cuts to prioritize street maintenance. The town plans to allocate at least $1 million over the next several years to take care of street maintenance needs. The first phase of that program was accomplished this past summer and fall.

Part two of that plan was implemented after voters approved an $8.2 million bond issue for the reconstruction of Saguaro Blvd. Look for that work to begin in late 2014 and continue into 2015.

Other infrastructure talk during 2013 included the possible construction of a new fire station in town, the construction of an addition to the Palisades Blvd. fire station and a possible improvement to the Avenue of the Fountains median strip.

The Fountain Hills Unified School District hunkered down, too, in light of declining student enrollment and a shrinking budget. With infrastructure in mind, however, voters agreed with district officials and went ahead to narrowly approve a bond issue and budget override extensions. The bond funds will help with the infrastructure needs of the district for years to come.

Government leadership remained mostly intact this past year, unlike previous years, but we lost such figures as Fort McDowell Tribal President Dr. Clinton Pattea and Fountain Hills Fire Chief Scott LaGreca. Ruben Balderas and Randy Roberts, respectively, have taken over those positions.

We invite readers to read through the “review” stories we are including in this issue and next week as well, including our “Top 10” news stories for the year. We look forward to continuing our coverage of all the local news for our readers in this region – Fountain Hills, the Verdes, Fort McDowell and Goldfield Ranch.

Happy New Year!