Why Did Ben & Gerry Lie About the Funding For The Lake Liner?
In the opening days of the campaign, Town Council candidate Ben Larrabee and mayoral candidate Gerry Friedel appear to be intent on supporting their candidacy by inciting anger and fueling toxic partisanship with lies. In a recent post, Larrabee claims that “during...
Friedel and His Personal Attorney Jennifer Wright are Teeing Up Even More Litigation for Us to Pay for
With all of the Notices of Claim and Open Meeting Law complaints pending against the Town of Fountain Hills arising out of the unconstitutional acts of the Town Council, the Park Place debacle, and Jennifer Wright’s ineptitude, you would think that the last thing she...
Friedel: It’s a “Privilege” for Residents to Speak in My Town Council Chambers, Not a Right
Listen to his tone, focus on his expression, assess his demeanor. Is THIS a leader, or a tyrant who uses the power of the position to silence his critics? When Fountain Hills Mayor Gerry Friedel scowled and squinted downward — unwilling to look his audience in the...
The State of Our Town: Looking Back on a Chaotic Year
One year ago, Mayor Friedel opened his first State of The Town meeting with the following observation: “(i)t is important that we don’t deal in drama – we send the drama down to the theatre…the theatre deals in drama, we have town business to conduct.” ...
Town Council: We Have Seen What Extreme Partisanship Looks Like. Is This What We Want?
For more than a century, local elections in Arizona have been nonpartisan. Arizona law (A.R.S. § 9‑821.01) requires that municipal ballots for mayors and councilmembers show no political party affiliation. The long-standing practice and the statute are based on the...
A Town Attorney Appointment Undermining Public Trust
It has been three months since the Fountain Hills Town Council belatedly approved the Professional Services Agreement appointing Timothy La Sota, PLC, a firm that twice sued the Town, to serve as Town Attorney. Although Jennifer Wright’s name does not appear in the...
A Second Homeschooling Candidate Resigns from the FHUSD Governing Board
On October 11, 2025, Madicyn Reid resigned her position as a member of the Fountain Hills Unified School District (FHUSD) Governing Board. The resignation was effective immediately and follows the February 20, 2024, resignation of Libby Settle. Both Reid and Setttle...
Fountain Hills Government
Fountain Hills deserves accountable leadership that values community voices. Since early 2025, key avenues for public input have been weakened — including the Code of Ethics and Call to the Public — limiting residents’ ability to raise concerns and hold officials responsible for their decisions.
We are committed to restoring transparency, strengthening participation, and supporting leadership that welcomes public input rather than shutting it out. Together, we can ensure that local government — from Town Council to public schools — remains responsive to the people it serves.
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