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Ken Remley: District 4 Newsletter — May 2022

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Community Resource Center to Come to Surprise

An artist rendering of a community resource center.

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.

Surprise Property Tax

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 Limited Property Value (LPV), plus the secondary property tax rate of $0.3880 per $100 of Assessed Limited Property Value (LPV). 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.

A PowerPoint slide showing property tax information

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 Limited Property Value (LPV)
Secondary Property Tax Rate $0.3880 $5,097,800 $0.3880 $5,557,500 Per $100 Assessed Limited Property Value (LPV)

Northwest Regional Library Opening Sundays

Beginning Sunday, May 15, the City and the Maricopa County Library District are opening the Northwest Regional Library on Sundays from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Northwest Regional Library is located in the Surprise Recreation Campus at 16089 N. Bullard Ave. The hours currently 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.

Proclamations Read in April

  • Water Awareness Month – On 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.
  • Fair Housing Month – On April 19, Mayor Hall Proclaimed April as Fair Housing Month in Surprise to celebrate 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

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.

City Council Meetings

The next regularly scheduled City Council Meeting is May 17 at 6 p.m. in the City of Surprise Council Chambers. City Council meetings are now open to in-person attendance or you may tune in at surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv, the Surprise City Gov Facebook page facebook.com/cityofsurprise or on Cox channel 11 to watch the meeting live.