What an incredible evening we had on Thursday, March 31 at City Hall. Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us at the 2022 State of the City event. And a huge thank you to our performers who put on a stellar show! Did you miss the video? Watch it here: https://surprisetv.surpriseaz.gov/index.php/watch...
KIDZ Jamboree
On Friday, April 8, Mayor Hall and I celebrated the Week of the Young Child at the KIDZ Jamboree hosted by the Human Service and Community Vitality Department. The kids enjoyed games, crafts, music and even story time with me, The Cat in the Hat! Parents and caregivers had access to early childhood programs and services like resources, child care & preschools, libraries, car seat safety checks and more. Mayor Hall also proclaimed April 2-8, 2022 as the Week of the Young Child. A special shout-out to our Surprise Resource team for all their hard work in planning this successful event!
“Home Run” Day at the Ballpark
On Monday, April 4, Mayor Hall, Councilmember Judd, City Manager Bob Wingenroth and I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with a few of the Luke Air Force Base Airmen at a Spring Training game for a “home run” day at the Ballpark. Thank you to the Surprise Economic Development Department for inviting us to such a wonderful event.
Multigenerational Community Resource Center Coming to Surprise
The City is making a major investment into the vitality and well-being of the West Valley with plans to build a multigenerational community resource center in partnership with Maricopa County. On Tuesday, April 5, City Council voted to approve an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Maricopa County for the $26 million building project. The next day, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors also voted to approve the IGA, dedicating $18 million of their federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding toward the project while the City is committing $8 million from a combination of City ARPA funds and General Fund dollars.
This partnership will create an estimated 38-thousand square-foot center on City-owned land in Surprise’s historic Original Town Site. The new campus will improve resources for families, seniors, youth and vulnerable populations by centralizing and expanding programs and services from several aging city buildings, including the Surprise Resource Center, Hollyhock Library and Surprise Senior Center.
The campus will be at the corner of Hollyhock Street and Santa Fe Drive, will be built on shovel-ready land and should be completed by 2025.
Northwest Regional Library Opening Sundays
The City of Surprise and the Maricopa County Library District are opening the Northwest Regional Library on Sundays from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., beginning Sunday, May 15. Join us for the first Sunday opening from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. to enjoy the City of Surprise party truck, Kona Ice and food truck. If you have not yet visited the library, it’s a great way to celebrate Library Month! The Northwest Regional Library is located in the Surprise Recreation Campus at 16089 N. Bullard Ave. Currently, the hours are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information, visit surpriseaz.gov/library and click on Northwest or call 602.652.3000.
Property Tax Rate
We’ve been receiving some questions about the City of Surprise tax rate. It has not increased. The primary tax rate in the City of Surprise is $0.7591 per $100 of assessed property value, plus the secondary property tax rate of $0.3880 per $100 of assessed property value. These rates multiplied by the assessed value of your home determine what you pay in property taxes. If the value of your home increases, you will see an increased tax bill; however, that is not due to an increase in the property tax rate but rather an increase in the assessed value of your home.
Schedule of Existing Primary and Secondary Property Tax
Property Tax
Current Rate
Current Levy
Proposed Rate
Proposed Levy
Primary Property Tax Rate
$0.7591
$9,974,100
$0.7591
$10,873,200
Per $100 assessed value
Secondary Property Tax Rate
$0.3880
$5,097,800
$0.3880
$5,557,500
Per $100 assessed value
Water Awareness Month
At the City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 5, Mayor Hall proclaimed April as Water Awareness Month in Surprise joining the annual statewide campaign to help raise awareness about the value of conserving water in the Southwest.
April is Fair Housing Month
On Tuesday, April 19, Mayor Hall Proclaimed the month of April as Fair Housing Month in Surprise. This month we feel grateful for the Fair Housing Act that was passed on April 11, 1968. This law is designed to protect Americans from facing discrimination in selling or buying houses.
Arizona History and Culture Virtual Speaker Series Continues
Experience stories of Arizona history and culture at upcoming speaker events presented by the Surprise Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission in partnership with Arizona Humanities. Local experts from Arizona Humanities’ AZ Speaks program will present on the following topics:
Saviors and Saints on the Arizona Frontiers (Speaker: Jan Cleere)
June 8 • 11 a.m. – Noon Register here
Bisbee: The Alchemical City of Copper Borderlands (Speaker: Virgil Hancock)
October 11 • 11 a.m. – Noon Register here
The events are free, but registration is required. For more information, please contact the Human Service & Community Vitality Department at 623.222.3243.
Meet & Greet
My monthly Meet and Greets will be at 6 p.m. on May 24 at Sun City Grand in the Pima Room, 19781 N. Remington Dr., and at 10 a.m. on May 27 at Arizona Traditions in the Ballroom, 17221 N. Citrus Rd. I look forward to discussing the latest city news and answering any questions you have.
