Election season is in full swing, evidenced by the local candidate forum hosted by the Fountain Hills AZ Tea Party on Tuesday evening, June 21.

With the Town Council election slated for August, this forum gave residents the opportunity to ask questions and hear answers from incumbents Cecil Yates and Dennis Brown, as well as Council hopefuls Mike Archambault, Tim Rawlings and Art Tolis. These five candidates will be vying for three seats on the Council.

Also present was Mayor Linda Kavanagh, who will be running for a third term in office without opposition. See related story for her comments during the meeting.

Introduction

The evening began with a chance for the candidates to introduce themselves.

Archambault said he is running to “give back to the community I love so much,” adding that he wishes to sustain the quality of life here in Fountain Hills.

Yates spoke of his family and professional history, saying that the biggest strength he has to offer is his ability to leverage assets. “I love what I’m doing and would like to continue,” Yates added.

Brown said he’s been in business in Fountain Hills since 1999 because he wanted to “hang his shingle” right here in his hometown. He added that, in all things, he supports the people.

A newcomer to the political scene, Rawlings said he has lived in the area for the past six year and is a huge proponent of limited government involvement in the lives of local citizens.

Tolis has been in town since 2002 and has six children. He said he is very active in the community and all of his kids have gone through the local school system. “The community is at a real crossroads,” he added. “Our financial stability is at risk.”

Budget issues

The first question of the night revolved around what experience the candidates offer to tackle town issues, including a complex budget.

Yates began, stating that, while he does not consider himself a grant writer, he learned fast that, to get some projects done, you have to take advantage of grants. He referenced the park along Avenue of the Fountains, which he had a hand in getting built at a large savings due to his ability to leverage various assets, including grants.

Brown referenced the 2008 depression, explaining that he guided his own business through those trying times and helped the town through the same process. “We are not done,” he added. “We need to figure out how to properly staff all areas moving forward after so many cuts.”

Rawlings stated that he is the “greenest” candidate on the lineup, but his experience in operations management with a large retail company (the local Target) will assist him in tackling these types of issues for the town, too.

Tolis stated that he has been in banking and finance since 1993 and is serving as the Rotary incoming president, all of which gives him the ability to work with others and handle complex financial issues.

Archambault referred to his time on the Town Council from 2002-08, saying that he came into a lot of problems and lawsuits when he first took up the position. “We reached out to find answers and we didn’t just ask why, we asked why not,” he added. “We built Town Hall ourselves and we paid it off early.” Archambault said that, when he left the Council in 2010, the Town was in the best possible condition it could be.

Town image

Candidates were also asked about Fountain Hills’ image, referencing weeds in the median, cars parked on gravel, etc. The questing was whether the cut in staffing it to blame and how candidates would address these issues.

Tolis said that he calls Fountain Hills the Beverly Hills of Arizona, adding “and we should act that way.” He said that local parks, streets and medians should be pristine and that he would work to address all of those issues and show that “This is a community we take pride in.”

Archambault stated that Fountain Hills is down to one code enforcement officer and that only so much can be done and, unfortunately, it has to be reactionary. “That’s how tight we are,” he added. “We are seeing diminished returns due to reduced staff and we have to figure out how to address that.”

Yates referred to this as an economic development question, one that sends business over the hill. “We have to give reasons to stay here,” he continued. “We shouldn’t be afraid to do what needs to be done.”

Brown admitted that the Town is down in staff and, yes, that has an impact on maintenance and upkeep. “But we’re getting stronger every year,” he added. “Construction is coming back and we will return.”

As Rawlings, he said that it is important for Fountain Hills to “improve its brand.” He encouraged residents to collaborate with their neighbors and, if a business it’s not upholding the brand of Fountain Hills, go out and speak with them about it.

Families

During the forum, it was asked what must be done to attract families with the best school system in Arizona and affordable housing.

Archambault said that the core of this issue is young families. “I do think we have affordable housing,” he continued. “So the question is, why are families leaving?” He then spoke to a lack of a “night life” in Fountain Hills and the need to create a “lifestyle we don’t yet offer here.”

Yates said Fountain Hills needs more retail and daytime population. He also mentioned that teacher pay is low but, to increase that, we need more students, which means the need for more families in Fountain Hills. “It’s not affordable here,” he said. “In a way, we’re a victim of our own success when it comes to housing.”

Over to Brown, he brought up the strategic plan that is already in place, as well as the work of the Vision Fountain Hills group. “I’m relying 100 percent on their advice because this stuff is exactly their focus and they’re coming up with answers for us,” he added.

Rawlings said he would like to find ways to attract more investors to Fountain Hills and incorporate more residents into the local government so more individuals understand the “why” of these matters. He added that, while he does not oppose public education, he prefers privatized.

Finally, Tolis stated that losing the local school district would be a “huge problem” for Fountain Hills. “We have to support the school district, which in turn supports the community,” he continued. Without affordable housing, Tolis said that the answer lies in attracting more developers interested in creating rental properties.

Minimum wage

Near the close of the evening, candidates asked if they would be in support of a minimum wage hike in Fountain Hills.

Tolis said he is not in support of such a hike, saying that a mandatory increase would hurt local businesses that should make their own all as to what is an appropriate wage.

Archambault said he had a successful business in town and never paid his staff minimum wage. “Employers should pay a livable wage,” he added. “My employees brought their skills and I took care of them.”

Over to Yates, he said there are tons of jobs in town and not enough employees to take them. He added he is not in favor of such a mandate. “I’m for fair wages and keeping current, but not going up.”

Brown said he is in favor of wages being exactly where they are. “If you want a raise, you work a bit harder,” he added. “I think the minimum wage is good where it is and it keeps high school students with a little money in their pocket.”

Rawlings said he does not believe in a minimum wage and that employees should be “paid what they are worth, what is fair.”

Etcetera

The candidates were asked additional questions throughout the night, including whether they would support a 20-foot cut for hillside development, new bathroom regulations and the legalization of marijuana.

On the subject of marijuana, candidates seemed to agree that, under the correct circumstances, marijuana could have medicinal purposes. Archambault, Yates, Brown and Tolis all stated that they were against recreational use. Rawlings, however, said that he represents a “different generation” and is for the decriminalization of marijuana.

On the subject of transgender bathroom use, Brown and Yates stated opposition, though a national stance on the matter would overrule personal feelings.

Rawlings stated he was in favor of allowing individual corporations to make up their own mind on the matter and for consumers to voice their own opinion with their dollars.

Yates stated he would not support such measures in municipal buildings but, in private buildings and businesses, it should be their choice.

As for Archambault, he said he said the role of a councilman would be to uphold the laws, no matter his personal feelings on the matter.