By Elizabeth Troutman |

The Fountain Hills Town Council adopted its tentative budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year on a 6-1 vote May 7.

The council decided to set the budget at the maximum expenditure amount allowed under law, $45.1 million. 

“Fountain Hills need to save some money and do more road repairs,” Councilman Allen Skillicorn said. “Last night the Liberal Ladies majority of council refused to cut just $1 from their ‘spend to max’ 2025 budget.”  

Skillicorn, a Republican, suggested cutting 3% or $1.35 million from that budget to fund road repairs. The motion failed to receive a second. Skillicorn made a follow-up motion to cut the budget by just $1. This motion was seconded but failed three votes to four.

Voting to cut the budget were council members Gerry Freidel, Hannah Toth, and Skillicorn.

Mayor Ginny Dickey and council members Peggy McMahon, Sharron Grzybowski, and Brenda Kalivianakis voted against cutting just $1 from the budget.

“Four big spending Liberal Ladies voted for the maximum under law budget and could not cut just $1,” Skillicorn said. “If we cannot cut the budget by just $1 to fix roads, one wonders how Dickey, McMahon, Grzybowski, and Kalivianakis plan to fix our roads.”

Fountain Hills is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona with a population of roughly 24,000. 

Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.