Paradise Valley unanimous in support of Vice Mayor Bien-Willner

From the Paradise Valley Independent

Paradise Valley Town Council unanimously reappointed its Vice Mayor, Jerry Bien-Willner for a second consecutive year.

Mr. Bien-Willner was first appointed to the position of vice mayor in January 2017.
While the municipality elects a mayor every two years, the vice mayor is appointed by the group of elected officials.

During a Jan. 11, Paradise Valley Town Council meeting, Mayor Michael Collins asked his colleagues for nominations for the vice mayor’s seat — Mr. Bien-Willner was the only nomination.

“First of all, I want to thank Jerry Bien-Willner who has been vice mayor for the last year,” Mayor Michael Collins said during the meeting, noting that Mr. Bien-Willner had excelled in his performance and duties.

“It has been my experience that Jerry has demonstrated great concern for residents and a commitment and interest to the town.”

The role of vice mayor has evolved over the years, Mayor Collins said, and now the role serves as a liaison between the council and Planning Commission.

Read the entire article at this link.

The pursuit of happiness remains focus of Paradise Valley Town Council

From the Paradise Valley Independent

“As I often share with people who ask about Paradise Valley, in many ways our elected leaders’ top priority is to protect and preserve what our community has already achieved through the vision and work of its founders and residents — that mandate has many dimensions, and public safety is always a key area of emphasis,” said Paradise Valley Vice Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner in a Dec. 27 statement.

“We need to stay alert and prepared for any curve balls that may come our way, while also not trying to seek solutions for problems that don’t exist.”

Vice Mayor Bien-Willner expects to work closely with his mayor and fellow members of council to maintain a positive working relationship as municipal happenings unfold in the new year.

“We always focus on public safety. Other areas of focus should be maintaining the town’s financial health while striving to maintain or achieve town service levels at an ‘A-plus’ standard, responding effectively to resident concerns, avoiding any wasteful or untimely spending, and working with the cell industry to improve cell phone service coverage in our town without sacrificing the hard work that has been done to promote the town’s high aesthetic standards and beautiful vistas.”

Read the entire article at this link.

Town of Paradise Valley begins municipal budget deliberations

From the Paradise Valley Independent

Things are good in the Town of Paradise Valley as local leaders heard the initial public offering on the municipality’s operating budget for the coming fiscal year.

Paradise Valley Town Council Thursday, April 13 hosted a work session discussion on budget parameters for fiscal year 2017-18 where elected leaders heard reports of more revenue and new town projects in the timeline.

Paradise Valley Town Manager Kevin Burke says fiscal year 2017-18 could be a banner year for the municipality.

“The reopening of two landmark resorts in Paradise Valley along with the strengthening state economy and its related revenue sharing with the town set the tone for a positive fiscal year,” said Mr. Burke in an April 6 memo to members of town council.

Within Mr. Burke’s budget is an earmark of $52 million for the municipality’s total funds budget — a number that also includes capital improvement projects — while the town’s operation budget is pegged at $29.7 million.

“This is a 7.8 percent increase or $2.1 million,” Mr. Burke said. “The vast majority of that can be attributed to the new resorts with the balance coming from state-shared revenues.”

Read the entire article at this link.