Log in

City Government

Skip Hall: Mayor Newsletter — November 2022

Posted

On Friday, October 7, I joined Larry Tabloff, General Manager of Toyota of Surprise, in presenting Surprise business owner Mario Rodarte with a new Tacoma. Mario’s business, My Appliance Guy, was one of 10 in the country awarded with the “Driving Small Business Forward” grant in support of Hispanic entrepreneurship presented by Progressive Insurance!

a group of men posing for a photo in front of a blue truck

Hispanic Heritage Month cookbook

For Hispanic Heritage Month this year, our City employees contributed family recipes to create a Hispanic Heritage digital cookbook. I was excited to receive a printed copy from members of the Hispanic Heritage Committee. Food is something that brings people together and helps us explore other cultures and traditions. I am excited to try some of these recipes out!

Mayor Hall poses for a photo with Surprise Hispanic Heritage Committee members.

Free health services at Surprise Resource Center

The Adelante Healthcare Community Health Team is offering free health services at the Surprise Resource Center - 12425 W. Bell Rd. Every Tuesday, from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., residents of all ages can take advantage of services like blood pressure and glucose screenings; health education; assistance applying for Medicaid and food assistance; and more! No appointment necessary. For questions regarding these services, please call 623.222.1600. To learn more about the Human Service Community Vitality Department, go to surpriseaz.gov/HSCV.

Veterans Day Parade

Join us in honoring our service men and women at the 8th annual City of Surprise Veterans Day Parade on Friday, November 11. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and will be routed along Bullard Avenue between Paradise and Tierra Buena lanes. It will feature community floats, bands, dancers and more! There’s also an option to purchase breakfast and coffee from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. 

In preparation, on the morning of the parade, the following roads will be closed at 9:30 a.m. and will reopen shortly after the conclusion of the festivities:

  • Paradise Lane between Bullard Avenue and Buck O’Neil Way
  • Bullard Avenue between Paradise Lane and Tierra Buena Lane

A woman saluting

Multigenerational Community Resource Center survey

The City is gathering feedback from residents about the programs and services they would like to see in the future Multigenerational Community Resource Center! Now through November 17, take the survey and share your thoughts.

The vision for the center is to relocate and expand programs and services currently limited by space in the Surprise Resource Center, Hollyhock Library and Surprise Senior Center and move them into this new centralized location, close to the Villanueva Recreation Center. The new center is scheduled to be completed by 2025. Learn more at surpriseaz.gov/MCRC

Fitch upgrades Surprise credit rating to ‘AAA’

Fitch Ratings, one of the “Big Three” nationally-recognized credit rating agencies, has upgraded the City’s Excise Tax Revenue Obligations and Issuer Default Rating to ‘AAA’ from ‘AA+.’ A city’s credit rating is important due to its impact on interest rates in the bond market. A better rating means the City can sell bonds to finance capital projects and pay a lower interest rate to the buyer. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Se3Xiz

HIGHLIGHTS

Visionworks ribbon cutting

On Thursday, October 20, Vice Mayor Cline, Councilmember Winters and I joined General Manager Tommy Libed and his team in celebrating the grand opening of Visionworks in Surprise. Visionworks is located at 13641 N. Prasada Pkwy., Suite 100. Welcome to Surprise!

City Councilmembers pose for a picture with Visionworks

Tap House Sports Grill ribbon cutting

On Friday, October 21, Vice Mayor Aly Cline, Councilmembers Chris Judd and Roland Winters and I joined Tap House Sports Grill for a ribbon cutting event! Sargis Gewargis, Owner of Tap House Sports Grill, hosted the ceremony in honor of the opening of their restaurant, located at 13699 N. Litchfield Rd. Congratulations!

City Councilmembers pose for a picture with Tap House Sports Grill

Special Olympics AZ – Fall Games Opening Ceremonies

On Friday, October 21, Councilmember Winters and I joined the Sports & Tourism department at Surprise Stadium for the Opening Ceremonies for the Arizona Fall Special Olympic Games. I had the pleasure of welcoming the athletes and families to Surprise during an on-field presentation during the ceremony. 

Best of the West

On Thursday, October 27, along with City Council, I attended the Best of the West Awards dinner, which was held at State Farm Stadium. This event, hosted by WESTMARC, recognizes exceptional contributions to the image, lifestyle and economy here in the West Valley. This awards dinner is the signature event of the West Valley with a rich history of celebrating outstanding accomplishments and impacts to quality of life, economic development, innovation and leadership.

COMING UP

Sunday in the Park

Sunday in the Park is happening on November 6 and will feature live music by SouthBound, various food trucks, an assortment of beers and wines, entertainment and more! Event admission is free; food and drink will be available for purchase. Don’t forget a blanket or lawn chair! Dogs must be leashed. For more information, visit surpriseaz.gov/specialevents.

Surprise Founder’s Day Party

This year’s Surprise Party will pay tribute to one of our original festivals – Founder’s Day! Join us on Saturday, December 3 from 2 - 9 p.m. as we celebrate the City’s history with a carnival! Enjoy drone light shows, live and roaming entertainment, great food, photo opportunities with Santa in Santa’s Workshop and the traditional tree lighting ceremony. Click the link for more information surpriseaz.gov/surpriseparty

Surprise Founders Day Party

Surprise seeking sponsors and exhibitors for SciTech event

Join us on December 10 as we celebrate science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics efforts in the community! This FREE, fun-filled educational event features interactive demonstrations and exhibits. 

To get involved or for more information, go to surpriseaz.gov/SciTech.

2022 SciTech Festival

Day of Service events

Surprise Day of Service is an opportunity to give back to our community. From community cleanups to food bank events, join us and help make our city a better place for all! The next event is a community cleanup on Saturday, December 10.

Want to serve? Go to surpriseaz.gov/DayofService and sign up! 

How to get involved: Individuals and groups can register with Larry Garcia at Larry.Garcia@surpriseaz.gov or 623.222.1522.

City Council Meetings

The next City Council Meeting will be held on November 15. City Council Work sessions begin at 4 p.m., while City Council Meetings follow at 6 p.m. You can also watch live on surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv, the Surprise City Gov Facebook page at facebook.com/cityofsurprise or on Cox channel 11. We hope to see you there.