Surprise Bond Elections
Surprise – a growing city or stumbling subdivision?
The Surprise bond election on November 3rd will answer one of the most important questions we as a city have to decide. Will Surprise move on towards a fully integrated community where there are many types of businesses offering a full range of job opportunities providing diversity in families across the income and age spectrum? Where young and old can flourish together and where families can enjoy time together? Or will Surprise become a city where improvements and city amenities can only come from increasingly higher property and sales taxes on individual families?
The bond issue on November 3rd is critical in providing the additional infrastructure improvements needed to attract businesses and a wide range of residents. It is a step that will move our city towards a self sustaining and fully diversified city with all its benefits. With approval of the Surprise bond election we are making investments over the next few years that will position Surprise to attract medium to large business. These business can offer a full range of employment opportunities for Generation X,Y,Z and yes, Baby Boomers while providing a substantial tax base.
The four project areas supported by the bond election consist of transportation, economic development, parks and recreation and public safety. In my opinion, transportation and economic development are the most important project supported by the bond election. I travel around Surprise a great deal with clients who often ask “When will the roads be completed?” Or “Why didn’t the city finish the roads?” But more importantly we should put ourselves in the same frame of mind as someone scouting the area for a new business, headquarter, or manufacturing location. Having our road ways finished with consistent lanes, improved east/west travel, and safer intersections for the traffic levels will aid in encouraging those medium and large business to relocate to Surprise as well as attract new residents. New business means more city revenue and overall less of a burden on the individual tax payer.
Another critical element to our economic development is the kick start we can get towards obtaining the land for a rail station and parking for supporting commuter rail or light-rail. I like to think about a future when Surprise is connected to the down town and other west valley areas without driving through bumper to bumper high speed traffic. A time when we can take advantage of large entertainment events, airport access, museums and access to our state government facilities without a drive of more than an hour or two, expensive parking, traffic jams, sometimes maniac drivers after a long day at work or play. Buying land now is inexpensive compared to what we will have in another 10 years. In fact land has not been cheaper in a long time. Why not take advantage of a bargain?
When I talk to families (name your generation!) they are always interested in what do we have for entertainment. Some want to be close to desert getaways, or nearby lakes or mountains but all are impressed with the start Surprise has made with our new city center and recreational area. Improvements in parks, tennis facilities and areas specifically for kids are another set of amenities that not only help our existing residents but are a strong attraction for our future friends and neighbors.
Public Safety is an area where we should insure our firefighters and police have the excellent facilities and tools of the trade that keep us safe and confident of the support we will get from them. I am not advocating extravagance, but having the right radio equipment for our area, a fire station rather than a tin building and safety equipment like cardiac monitors will help keep us all safer and living secure. Cities that scrape by in short sited funding are not only uninviting for future residents and businesses, but when they fail because of our not supporting them we have only ourselves to blame. The best can only stay the best with the right support.
November 3rd is a critical day and important day for our cities future. No matter what your position is on the bond election, vote. I hope you will vote for the bond election, I believe it is the best for our city. Investing at the right time when prices are low and companies are aggressively bidding for work makes sense. Waiting for another time in the future is just expensive.
Just so you know, I am writing this as a concerned Surprise voter. If you can’t tell from my writing, well no one but me wrote this. I have no political affiliations in the city. I live and work in Surprise. I think it is a great little city with a great future.