The Biggest Takeaways from the City’s 10-Year Plan

Published on May 17, 2023

Money talks and your tax dollars have a booming voice this week as the City of Maricopa presented a $622 million 10-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Typically, the City would present a 5-year plan, but based on the number of upcoming projects and improvements, Deputy City Manager/CFO Matt Kozlowski deemed a longer-range plan was more beneficial for city planning. This approach denotes the ideal financial funding for the implementation of the upcoming capital projects needed to continue building a thriving and durable city.

ROADS, ROADS, AND ROADS

Several key projects illustrate the City’s commitment to sustained growth and development. Roughly 75% of the $622 million for capital improvement projects is dedicated to building local roads. Infrastructure is a popular topic within our community and this funding commitment is a testament to the City’s desire to ensure transportation is on the forefront of our growth plans for our current and future citizens.

Our citizens should be very proud of the fact that we live within our means and have a balanced budget," explained Mayor Nancy Smith, “I'd like to draw our residents' attention to the fact that roads are a top priority in our Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).”

PUBLIC SAFETY PARAMOUNT

As Maricopa expands, so does the City’s commitment to public safety. The new budget calls for an additional nine public safety positions. These additional staff members will help ensure that Maricopa maintains its ranking as one of the safest cities in all of Arizona.

“We care about our people. We’re building a police station without impacting the taxpayers,” said Vice Mayor, Rich Vitiello, “We’re making sure what we spend will go even longer to expand the City of Maricopa for the foreseeable future.”

A TRADITION OF CUTTING TAXES

The City staff have worked diligently to grow the City of Maricopa without compromising the quality of life for its residents. Since 2020, there has been a 25% reduction in property taxes at a time when inflation and costs of living have risen nationwide.

RENEWED INVESTMENT IN COPPER SKY 

A portion of that money is going towards enhancing the crown jewel of the City, Copper Sky.

Over the next 3 to 4 years, the City has roughly $3 million of capital improvements budgeted for maintenance, improvements, and upgrades to the facility.

“We will invest in our recreational facility and area because we know our residents see the value in Copper Sky,” said Kozlowski.

NEW PARK ON THE HORIZON

On top of the Copper Sky improvements, funding is being set aside over the next three years for the creation of a new civic center park behind City Hall. The property is expected to provide residents a much-needed recreational facility and community gathering space on the east side of Maricopa.

While ten years feels like a long time and plans could potentially change, the Capital Improvement Plan serves as a roadmap to grow Maricopa responsibly and with the mindset of putting our citizens first in our decisions.

“It’s a testament to the work done by the committee and staff. We want the primary tax rates to go down over the years,” described Council member Vincent Manfredi, “As a city, we have worked really hard to make sure our expenses are not rising as fast as the inflation you see around the country and I’m proud.”

He went on to add, “It’s not that we’re spending less, it’s we’re spending smarter. We’re being good stewards of the taxpayer’s money.

To learn more about the budget, check out the footage from our City Council regular meeting by clicking this link.