I just received my early ballot which includes candidates running for Fountain Hills Town Council and mayor. This spring, after the overwhelming defeat of the property tax referendum it was clear that change in our town governance was needed.

You may recall the onerous referendum was placed on the ballot by a unanimous vote of the current council and mayor, clearly a group totally out of touch with the citizens and voters of Fountain Hills. The list of those in support of that referendum included lots of former mayors, council members and other impressive officials. Well, I for one am fed up with politicians, special interests and incumbents who say one thing to get elected and then ignore their pledges. No wonder there is a lack of trust today between town government and the public.

We now have a chance with this election to fill three seats on the council with fellow citizens who actually have skills and professional expertise to help effectively run Fountain Hills. The three who have pledged to listen and to respond to citizens’ needs if elected to the council are Gerry Friedel and Marcus Bulow von Dennewitz with expertise in public finance/banking, and David Spelich, retired law enforcement. These are the three who will make a difference.