By Faryl Palles.
Tuesday, Nov. 18’s Town Council agenda contains a proposal that should alarm every Fountain Hills resident. They are considering pausing both councilmember reports and the call to the public for six months.
The justification offered, that this relates to a pending Notice of Claim, doesn’t hold up. Rather, it appears to be a strategy to insulate Mayor Gerry Friedel and his allies from public oversight at a moment when their conduct is under substantial scrutiny.
I’m getting that “déja vu all over again” feeling here. After an ethics complaint was filed against Mayor Friedel for making false statements about his meeting with Sheriff Sheridan, the council majority dismantled the portion of the ethics code that allowed residents to file ethics complaints. Problem solved!
Now, as another claim moves forward, the public’s speaking rights are suddenly on the chopping block. As the saying goes, when every problem looks like a nail, a hammer is the only tool you need.
And this comes on the heels of the Sept. 16 meeting, when Mayor Friedel allowed religious sermonizing, political commentary and the eulogizing of Charlie Kirk in the midst of town business.
Now, this move could silence residents altogether. No filing those pesky ethics complaints, no more cantankerous residents speaking during call to the public. Presumably, residents will still be allowed to speak about agenda items as they come up. Nothing in the rules suggests that taking public comment on an agenda item is optional or discretionary, but who knows how far this council will go to clamp down when criticized?
Our community deserves leaders who can run a lawful, orderly meeting, not officials who respond to accountability by shutting out the public. Fountain Hills residents should reject this attempt to limit their voices.
