Should We Invest in Our Future in Scottsdale
Recently, my team attended a meeting of Realtors, which had Jim Thompson, the Scottsdale City Manager, as the featured speaker. Mr. Thompson discussed an upcoming special election in Scottsdale, which is scheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2019. The special election will be conducted for the first time by mail-in ballot and will have three measures on the ballot to seek approval for the issuance of bonds for 1) parks, recreation, and senior services; 2) community spaces and infrastructure; and 3) public safety and technology. The total amount of the bonds, if approved, would be an amount up to $319,000,000. According to Mr. Thompson, if all three bond measures are approved, the estimated average annual tax rate for the proposed bond authorization is $0.2877 per $100 of the net assessed valuation used for secondary property tax purposes.
For those unfamiliar with how bonds work, bonds are debt obligations issued by cities to finance major projects. Think of them as something similar to a home mortgage, through which you finance a large purchase over time. Bonds are purchased by investors, including individuals, insurance companies, pension funds, and other investors. The bonds provide an opportunity for a return on an investment while providing the city with money to pay for capital projects. In order to repay the bonds, cities levy property taxes.
If one or more bond measures pass, the financial impact on residents will vary from based on property values and the amount of bonds issued. The estimated average annual tax rate for the all proposed bonds is $0.2877 per $100 of limited assessed valuation used for secondary property tax purposes.
According to the Maricopa County Assessor, the 2020 estimated median single-family home value in Scottsdale is $375,000. What that means is that if all the bonds on the ballot are approved, the estimated property tax impact for that homeowner would be $107.89 per year ($8.99 per month). For certain zip codes in Scottsdale, that amount would double or triple depending on limited assessed values.
In order to minimize the impact of the new bonds (if approved), the Scottsdale City Council set the bond program so that the bonds can be issued in stages as existing bonds are paid off in order to keep the city’s secondary property taxes at or below current levels. This means that Scottsdale residents should notice no net increase in taxes.
The Nov. 5, 2019 Special Election ballot will contain three questions: Question 1 - parks, recreation, and senior services; Question 2 - community spaces and infrastructure; and Question 3 - public safety and technology. The specific projects associated with each bond question can be found below.
Question 1: Parks, Recreation and Senior Services - 14 Projects - $112.6M CIP Project
| CIP Project No. | CIP Project Title | Estimated Budget |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Add Splash Pad and Improve Walkways at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park | 917,207 |
| 10 | Replace Tennis Court Surface at Indian School Park and Scottsdale Tennis Center | 3,497,104 |
| 13 | Expand Granite Reef Senior Center to Meet Demand for Adult Day Care Center | 2,972,175 |
| 21 | Expand Via Linda Senior Center to Meet Demand for Senior Services | 4,538,632 |
| 22 | Build New Swimming Pools and Replace Building at Cactus Pool | 31,229,600 |
| 24 | Install High Efficiency Sports Lighting at 4 Facilities | 1,224,304 |
| 25 | Replace Aging Buildings that Comprise Paiute Community Center | 11,174,242 |
| 30 | Indian School Park Field 1 Lighting | 696,072 |
| 41 | Install Solar Heating System for Eldorado Pool | 560,332 |
| 42 | Add a Dog Park to Thompson Peak Park | 4,637,357 |
| 53 | Build Multi-Use Sport Fields in the area of Bell Road | 40,000,000 |
| 55 | Build a 17-Acre Neighborhood Park at Ashler Hills Drive and 74th Way (Whisper Rock) | 6,097,659 |
| 60 | Double the Solar Power Generating Capacity at Appaloosa Library | 39,688 |
| 61 | Purchase land, expand Pinnacle Peak Park parking lot, staff office and restrooms, renovate hiking trail and construct an interpretive trail | 5,000,000 |
| Question 1 Total: | $112.6 million | |
Question 2: Community Spaces and Infrastructure - 20 Projects - $112.3M
| CIP Project No. | CIP Project Title | Estimated Budget |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Replace Aging Infrastructure and Improve Public and Event Spaces on Civic Center Plaza | 27,317,840 |
| 15 | Build 200 Space Parking Lot off 75th Street to Serve the City Court and Scottsdale Stadium | 1,530,709 |
| 18 | Build Roadway and Pedestrian Improvements along 2nd Street from Drinkwater Blvd to Goldwater Blvd | 1,845,427 |
| 19 | Build Roadway and Pedestrian Improvements along Marshall Way North of Indian School Road | 1,800,780 |
| 20 | Build Roadway and Pedestrian Improvements along Main Street from Scottsdale Road to Brown Avenue | 994,180 |
| 23 | Repair Lakes and Irrigation at Vista del Camino Park in the Indian Bend Wash | 23,512,804 |
| 32 | Renovate and Modernize the Stage 2 Theater at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts | 1,200,000 |
| 43 | Improve 5th Avenue from Scottsdale Road to Goldwater Boulevard | 3,569,857 |
| 45 | Renovate WestWorld Horse Barns to Increase Rentable Space | 4,702,972 |
| 46 | Replace the Public Address System at WestWorld | 366,132 |
| 47 | Replace WestWorld Arena Lights to Reduce Operating Costs | 1,331,273 |
| 48 | Widen 94th Street at WestWorld to Improve Access | 1,469,153 |
| 50 | Renovate Arena at WestWorld to Provide Flexible Event Space | 960,298 |
| 51 | Install Permanent Lighting at WestWorld Parking Lots to Reduce Operating Costs | 1,438,293 |
| 52 | Expand Restrooms in WestWorld North Hall | 701,532 |
| 57 | Install Solar Systems North Corporation Campus | 4,810,300 |
| 58 | Install Parasol Solar Shade Structure at City Hall Parking Lot | 4,669,400 |
| 59 | Install Solar Systems at Civic Center Campus | 2,784,500 |
| 62 | Build a Bridge on Thompson Peak Parkway Bridge over Reata Pass Wash to Improve Safety | 6,300,000 |
| 63 | Build Parking Structures in Old Town Scottsdale | 20,962,800 |
|
Question 2 Total: |
$112.3 million | |
Question 3: Public Safety and Technology - 24 Projects - $94.1M
| CIP Project No. | CIP Project Title | Estimated Budget |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Replace Outdated Emergency Response Equipment for Fire Department | 2,057,000 |
| 5 | Modernize Computer Equipment Rooms to Protect City Servers | 691,600 |
| 6 | Replace Emergency Power Source for Public Safety Radio Network | 305,240 |
| 7 | Replace Outdated 9-1-1 Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management to Improve Efficiency | 591,156 |
| 8 | Replace Website Management Software | 188,556 |
| 9 | Install Fiber Optic Infrastructure to Reduce Operating Costs | 11,385,555 |
| 11 | Replace Document Management System to Improve Public Access to Information | 674,000 |
| 12 | Update Scottsdale's 15-year-old Digital Terrain Model | 177,240 |
| 14 | Replace Obsolete Planning and Permitting Software | 2,964,000 |
| 16 | Replace the City's Obsolete Training Software | 342,000 |
| 17 | Obtain a Citywide Data Management and Analytics Solution for Data-Based Decision Making | 62,000 |
| 26 | Replace Deteriorating Vehicle Training Track at the Police and Fire Training Facility | 1,919,401 |
| 27 | Modernize and Expand the Police and Fire Training Facility | 4,227,262 |
| 28 | Build a New Fire Station near Hayden Road and the Loop 101 to Improve Response Times | 10,470,043 |
| 29 | Replace Workstations at 911 Communications Dispatch Center to Accommodate New Technology | 638,522 |
| 33 | Renovate the Via Linda Police Station to Increase Efficiency | 16,600,000 |
| 34 | Build New Fire Station at 90th Street and Via Linda to Replace Aging Facility | 5,914,028 |
| 35 | Install Bullet Proof Glass in Reception Areas of Police Department Facilities . | 977,256 |
| 36 | Provide Free Public WiFi at the Civic Center Plaza | 57,200 |
| 37 | Implement an Inventory and Asset Control System for City Technology | 572,000 |
| 38 | Build a new Fire Department Training Facility | 18,258,520 |
| 39 | Renovate the Foothills Police Station to Accommodate Current Staffing Levels | 1,024,000 |
| 40 | Renovate and Expand the Civic Center Jail and Downtown Police Facility to Meet Demand | 13,102,518 |
| 44 | Replacement of Fire Utility Truck to be used on fire ground activity and response to Hazardous Materials and Technical Rescue incidents | 782,638 |
| Question 3 Total: | $94.1 million | |
Beginning in early October, each registered voter will be sent a ballot with prepaid return postage along with the Election Information Pamphlet. To be eligible to vote in the November 5, 2019, Special Election by mail, Scottsdale residents must be registered to vote by no later than Monday, October 7, 2019.
Voters are to return voted ballots to Maricopa County Elections via U.S. Mail. Voters may also drop off voted ballots at designated replacement ballot centers listed in the Election Information Pamphlets.
To have your ballot counted, the Maricopa County Elections Department must receive your ballot by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.
If voters reject the bond program, bonds will not be issued for the projects, and the likelihood is that the proposed projects will remain unfunded and will not be built.
We at the Connie Colla Group at RETSY are a local Arizona business and we care about our community and are dedicated to bringing you the important news and information as it happens. Please reach out to us anytime if you have questions about this story or about buying or selling your home here in the Valley.
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Jeff Hernandez, Esq., Realtor | 602-550-1114 | Jeff@ConnieCollaGroup.com
Connie Colla, Realtor | 480-599-5058 | Connie@ConnieCollaGroup.com | ConnieCollaGroup.com
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