After the meeting I received a lot of calls saying that I should use the names of the council members in my remarks to the Council.

I said it made no sense that two council members gave the impression that instead of maintaining Bell Rd we should resolve the east-west traffic congestion.

The two council members that I was referring to were Councilmen Cliff Elkins and Joe Johnson.

In the question of giving our money to outside business’s I was referring to Councilwoman Foro giving $10,000.00 to a Sun City business even though the intent might have been honorable.

 

Question to City Council 5/10/07

 

Are the figures given to me by the city correct, that we have between $200,000,000 and $300,000,000 surplus in the fiscal year 2007 drawing interest, if this is true, why did we just borrow $55 million, in which we will pay over $45 million in interest.

 

Candidate Update 5/14/07

 

Listed in order of filing: Mayor

 

James Samuelson

Richard Jenkins - Filed Petition Today 8:00 a.m.

Martha Bails

Anthony Messina

Bob Vukanovich - Filed Petion Today 9:00a.m.

Lyn Truitt

Joan Shafer

New—- Cliff Elkins

 

District 3

 

John Williams - Filed Petition Today 8:30a.m.

 

Local Newspapers

 

I will keep saying over and over again, that to have a strong democracy we must have good investigative reporters, reporting the news.

 

Arizona State Legislature

 

Article 9

10. Aid of church, private or sectarian school, or public service corporation.

 

Section 10. No tax shall be paid or appropriation of public money made in aid of any church, or private or sectarian school, or any public service corporation.

 

2007/2008 Budget

 

Surprise City Council gives tentative OK to $452

  

million FY ’08 budget

 

Surprise, Arizona (May 24, 2007)  The Surprise City Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve a $452,079,100 budget for fiscal year 2008 at its regular meeting Thursday, May 24.

The budget is a decrease of 4% or $19,210,000 from last year’s budget, which budget staff attributes to the slowdown in the new housing market.  Final adoption of the budget is scheduled for the council’s June 14 meeting.  Fiscal year 2008 begins July 1.

“We are pleased to present a balanced and sustainable budget to the council,” says Surprise City Manager Jim Rumpeltes. “It was a team effort and the participation of the council was vital to the creation of a sound plan for the coming year.”

The city council has received regular budget updates and participated in an all-day budget retreat earlier this month.

The budget includes money for 8 new police officers and 17 new positions in the Surprise Fire Department.  A new fire station at Greer Ranch is also included.

The budget calls for $2.5 million for Bell Road reconstruction, the kickoff of a five-year plan to spend $12.5 million reconstructing Bell from Grand Avenue to the Beardsley canal.

“In some places Bell handles 70,000 vehicles a day, as many as a busy urban interstate,” Rumpeltes says. “That kind of pounding has just worn out the roadway.  We need to rebuild in phases, which makes it more affordable and less disruptive.”

Phase 1 may start this fall, with reconstruction of the westbound lanes of Bell between Grand and Parkview Place.

The budget also calls for improvements to Dysart Road at Grand Avenue, Reems and Litchfield roads and Cotton Lane

Funding for Phase 1 of Surprise Farms Park, planned for an area north of Greenway and south of Willow Canyon High School, includes 12 pickleball courts, the first pickelball courts in Surprise. 

Continuation of a new City Hall and the new Greer Ranch fire station are part of the capital portion of the budget, which comprises 65% of the total.  Most of the capital budget is dedicated to utility improvements, Rumpeltes says.

Fantasy Land

 

WE HAVE SOME CITY COUNCIL MENBERS OF SURPRISE LIVING IN FANTASY LAND WHEN THEY SAY THAT WE THE CITIZENS ARE BITTER BECAUSE WE ARE WATCHING THEIR IRRESPONSIBLE SPENDING HABITS.THEY HAVE VOTED THEM SELVES’S ONE OF THE HIGHEST SALARIES IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA. THEY HAD PROMISED IN THE PAST THAT THEY WOULD TAKE THE ISSUE OF A RAISE TO THE VOTERS, BUT THEY FOUND A LOOP HOLE TO BENEFIT THEMSELVES’S. SOME ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE GAS ALLOWANCE AND USING POOR JUDGEMENT IN GRANTING SEVERANCE PAY TO THE SELECTED FEW WITHOUT AN EXPLANATION TO US WHO PAYS THE BILL. WOULD THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS GIVE THEIR OWN MONEY TO GARDENERS OR HOUSE KEEPERS THAT SAY THEY ARE QUITTING, WOULD THEY GENEROUSLY GIVE THEM OVER A YEARS PAY FOR NOT DOING ANYTHING.

 

Resolution#07-63

 

Bob,

 

I did not say you should ask Sintra Hoffman. To my knowledge she knows nothing about the project.

It is true the developers are required, by agreement, to improve their half of the street.
We have no idea when a development will be forth-coming with their project. It could be tomorrow, or 5 years from now.
Reems Road south of Waddell needs to be addressed now.
The developers will be required to reimburse to the city the costs associated with the street improvements. This way our citizens can travel on the improved road sooner rather than later.

In the future I would appreciate it if you were a bit more accurate with your comments as it relates to what Doc said or did.

Thank you,

Doc Sullivan
Vice Mayor
City of Surprise
Phone#623-512-5955

 

My return E-Mail to Doc

Doc,

 

I have to disagree with you, why would I ask Ms. Hoffman if you didn’t tell me?

I find it strange that you say to your knowledge she knows nothing about the project, she presented it to the Council as the point person.

 

As the agreement now reads can we be assured that the city will be reimbursed?

 

As always, Bob Vukanovich

 

We can-not be assured by Councilman Sullivan that the City will be reimbursed, because he refuses to answer the question with this e-mail

Bob

 You’re looking for a debate. I choose not to participate.

Doc Sullivan

 

Doc Sullivan chose to debate when he E-Mailed me (In the future I would appreciate it if you were a bit more accurate with your comments as it relates to what Doc said or did.

 

 

 

Mayor Shafer and Councilmembers
On the May 24,07 meeting I requested to address issues on consent Item 14, which was Resolution#07-63

Councilman Sullivan did not or would not take this item off consent.

During intermission, Councilman Sullivan and I discussed Item 14 about my concerns that the developer would not reimburse the city for the improvements adjacent to their property which I thought was required by city ordinances.

Council Sullivan said that the City of Surprise would be reimbursed and that if I disagreed I could ask Sintra Hoffman, who was the Contact Person. Ms Hoffman said she did not know if the city would be reimbursed by the developer but would get back to me in a few days by e-mail.

As per the Project Overview: In the CIP there is $9.5 million allocated for this project.

These funds will cover the cost of improving Reems

Road from Waddell to Peoria. The current budgeted

Improvements will cover only road improvements.

Necessary drainage improvements will be Planned and

Budgeted in the future.

Unless I am wrong this project can cost the taxpayers anywhere from $10 to $20 million, was that the intention of the council when voting for Resolution 07-63?

As always, Bob Vukanovich

 

E-Mail from Mayor Shafer

You can be assured that the developer will have to abide by the usal agreement. I have been informed that this will come before Council thanks for the import.

 

E-Mail to Mayor Shafer

Resolution#07-63 was an agreement between the City and the developer or the land owner that was approved by Council on May 24, 07.

 

Not wishing to debate this issue, I am only asking, in this agreement will the City of Surprise be reimbursed in the future for these expenditures?

 

Conclusion, go to categorie (answer) find answer to#07-63.