Page 10 February 2011 This month’s report from Sal DiCiccio The ongoing debate over the city’s water-rate hike completes a trilogy of misinformation over tax and rate increases you have seen this past year and poses serious concerns over Phoenix’s credibility with taxpayers. Let me present three myths from the past year and what story the evidence truly supports: Myth 1: Tax food to save police and fi re or to pay for raises and bonuses. Phoenix declares a fi scal emergency and on Feb. 2 passes a $50 million per year food tax with barely 24 hours notice. The claim was that without the tax, police and fi re would be cut. Fact: On June 23, the city granted $29.6 million per year to city staff in pay raises and bonuses . Myth 2: Increase property tax to save bond integrity or to pay staff. Phoenix declares a fi scal emergency in June saying that the secondary debt (used to pay off citizen-approved debt) is in dire shape and will have a structural de fi cit if the Council does not approve a huge property-tax rate increase. Fact: On July 7, the city shifted $18.9 million from this fund to pay employee and operational expenses, creating the crisis it sought to avoid. Eventually, it will come to you again for a property-tax increase to stabilize the debt fund. Myth 3: Increase water rate for health and safety or to pay staff. Phoenix declares that the health and safety of your water is in jeopardy unless the Council raises your water rates $22.9 million per year, or 7 percent on top of 40 percent in the past fi ve years. Fact: On Dec. 14, the city reports that 303 people cut from other departments are being shifted to the Water Department, at a cost $19.3 million per year Two solutions: Compensate public employees commensurate with what the area’s private sector employees get. Even if we exclude police and fi re, Phoenix would save more than $300 million per year as the average employee cost is $100,000/year for more than 15,000 employees. This alone would solve our fi scal crisis. Seek competitive bids for all non- strategic city government functions (excluding police, fi re and judges). We should at the very least get bids to see what the market provides. We may need to appeal to the state to Continued on page 22 &WFSZPOF
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 FOR SALE • 2,164 sf Townhome, 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 garage 3125 E. Hazelwood Street • $249,900 ARCADIA SOUTH 44th - 56th St., Indian School - Thomas Active Listings: 30 homes from $149,900 - $550,000 Under Contract: 11 homes from $149,000 - $425,000 Closed Sales: 34 homes from $149,000 - $425,000 HOME SALES <2,500sf 14 properties from $165,000 - $360,000 Average Sale = $244,929 or $130/sf HOME SALES >2,500sf 4 properties from $280,000 - $540,000 Average Sale = $420,000 or $148/sf news you can use! I have assembled all assembled all active, pending and recently sold single-family detached home statistics for Arcadia and its surrounding neighborhoods. Enjoy! Sales are via MLS between Oct 1, 2010 - Jan. 15, 2011 ARCADIA PROPER 44th – 68th St., Camelback – Indian, N. of canal Active Listings: 49 homes from $384,900 - $10,990,000 Under Contract: 10 homes from $359,000 - $2,995,000 Closed Sales: 20 homes from $240,000 - $2,000,000 HOME SALES <2,500sf 6 properties from $240,000 - $461,500 Average Sale = $371,067 or $185/sf HOME SALES >2,500sf & <$1 million 10 properties from $415,000 - $892,400 Average Sale = $700,740 or $192/sf HOME SALES >$1 million 4 properties from $1,100,000 - $2,000,000 Average Sale = $1,527,250 or $268/sf ARCADIA WEST 32nd – 44th St., Camelback – Indian School Active Listings: 42 homes from $134,900 - $1,800,000 Under Contract: 24 homes from $110,000 - $775,000 Closed Sales: 34 homes from $120,000 - $495,000 HOME SALES <2,500sf 29 properties from $120,000 - $465,000 Average Sale = $238,507 or $147/sf HOME SALES >2,500sf 5 properties from $420,000 - $495,000 Average Sale = $451,000 or $140/sf FOR LEASE • 3,147 sf Home, 4 bed, 3 bath, 2 garage 1321 E. Missouri • $2,400/month

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