Archive for January, 2010
Surprise Manager offers insight into state of city budget
Surprise AZ (January 15, 1010) Surprise City Manager Randy Oliver says the city budget is currently aligned with its financial resources, after a 9% reduction in city staff since last February and a cutback in some services.
In a presentation to the Surprise City Council Thursday, he said Surprise may have to reduce additional services or raise additional revenue to address a $2.5 million estimated shortfall in Fiscal Year 2011, which begins July 1. He called the economic downturn “dramatic and prolonged.”
Oliver issued the following comments regarding the current fiscal year (FY2010) and the next fiscal year (FY2011):
FY2010: There is no question that the downturn has been dramatic and prolonged. While we are hopeful that a recovery will start shortly in Arizona, additional steps were required to reflect the current economic realities. We have, as a result, aligned the FY2010 budget with available resources, making painful but necessary adjustments.
There is no question that the downturn has been dramatic and prolonged. While we are hopeful that a recovery will start shortly in Arizona, additional steps were required to reflect the current economic realities. We have, as a result, aligned the FY2010 budget with available resources, making painful but necessary adjustments.
Since February of 2009, we have reduced our work force by approximately 9%, and management staff by
29%.
Impacts on services are beginning to appear, which is inevitable under the circumstances. This includes reducing the frequency of maintenance in some of our parks and reducing operating hours in some of our facilities.
We hope additional adjustments will not be necessary this fiscal year, however, we are monitoring sales tax and other revenue streams very closely. We will make additional changes if conditions warrant. At this point, sworn public safety personnel have not been affected by the budget reductions.
FY2011: The biggest question is: What will be the impact on city services of the decline in state shared revenues?
The biggest question is: What will be the impact on city services of the decline in state shared revenues?
Despite all the reductions and efficiencies we have put in place, we face a projected deficit of approximately $2.5 million in FY2011, due mainly to reductions in state shared revenues. This assumes that the state does not try to place their budget on the back of local government. While this is a much smaller deficit than some of our sister communities face, we must address it.
In FY2011, we may be forced to look at further reductions in service, adjustments in compensation and/or benefits to our employees or an increase in revenue. We will not, however, be able to develop a better revenue picture until early March when we have November and December sales tax data.
It is important the community have a say in how we move forward and we are planning methods to get ideas and feedback from our residents.
Oliver’s city council presentation can be viewed online at www.surpriseaz.com.
There is no question that the downturn has been dramatic and prolonged. While we are hopeful that a recovery will start shortly in Arizona, additional steps were required to reflect the current economic realities. We have, as a result, aligned the FY2010 budget with available resources, making painful but necessary adjustments. The biggest question is: What will be the impact on city services of the decline in state shared revenues?
Surprise offers tips on dealing with storm water Unprecedented rainfall this week has resulted in overflowing swimming pools, water pockets in yards, flooded streets, parking lots, and retention basins.
For more information contact the Surprise Environmental Division of Public Works at 623.222.7000.
Reduced budget results in changes at Surprise recreation facilities
For additional information and exact hours of operation, please contact the Community and Recreation Services Department at 623.222.2000.
First NSP house sells in Surprise
For more information visit www.surpriseaz.com or email homebuyerassist@surpriseaz.com.
Citizen committee to raise Census 2010 awareness
For more information about the Census 2010 visit www.surpriseaz.com/census2010, or the U.S. Census Bureau’s site at www.2010census.gov.
Come join Mayor Lyn Truitt; the Surprise City Council and staff as we welcome back the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers for the 8th Season of Spring Training Baseball at the Surprise Recreation Campus on February 26 at the Mayor’s Welcome Back Lunch
For more information on the Mayor’s Welcome Back Lunch, call 623.222.2000 or visit www.surprisespringtraining.com.
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For the latest Surprise road closure and sandbag location information follow updates at www.surpriseaz.com.
The City of Surprise supposedly has Millions set aside for a down side in our revenue, yet management or council has yet to bring this up. Is the money in the bank? And if so, why not bring it up in their discussions.Unless I missed it, what happened to the money we lost with Wells Fargo.
My view is, there are knowledgeable people living in the City of Surprise, they could address the crisis that confronts us in a better manner then by raising our taxes.
By raising our taxes we will have less money to spend, which could help our economy.
Mayor Lyn Truitt
Mayor Lyn Truitt, Mayor of Surprise, AZ
Has been mayor since January 1, 2008, where we who keeps an eye on the city government score him with an F.
Taxation
City of Surprise, expect to pay more in taxes, while receiving less service’s.
Mayor Lyn Truitt
With all of the negative comments about Mayor Lyn Truitt that I hear, can anyone on this website defend him on what he has accomplished for our city?
Mayor Lyn Truitt has now been in office for two year’s, had I knew what I now know about his lack of leadership, I would not have supported his bid to become the Mayor of the City of Surprise.
It’s Your Money
We were given the impression that the transparency being implemented by the City of Surprise is a commitment of council and management. “It’s Your Money”“Surprise is one of the few governments anywhere making this much information so easily accessible,” says City Manager Randy Oliver. “It demonstrates an ongoing council and management commitment to open, transparent public finance.”
In fact they are in the forefront of what was mandated by the State of Arizona when the legislature voted in 2008 to create a searchable website for government expenditures.
Lyn Truitt’s Surprise
Under Mayor Lyn Truitt’s lack of leadership (what leadership)?
City of Surprise
The council after having an executive session and the approval in a consent item took $35,000 from their contingency fund for outside legal services, with no explanation
Even after filing the information form for the purpose or use of this money, I was informed that the information that I was requesting would not be given to me.
Was the money used for a member of the council, we will never know? I say again that with Mayor Lyn Truitt we have no transparency in our government that he is secretive and wants to keep us in the dark like mushrooms
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