First, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Back on November 5, Prescott voters approved Proposition 478, providing funding for the City to improve our public safety facilities, and ultimately, improve public safety services for all residents and visitors. I would like to say thank you, on behalf of our entire City staff and elected officials, to the voters who understand the critical need to upgrade our facilities and improve emergency response times.
Your yes vote adopts a dedicated transaction privilege (sales) tax of ninety-five hundredths of one percent (0.95%) to fund new fire stations, police evidence facilities and staffing. Once the capital expenses are complete, and then the rate will reduce to seventy-five hundredths of one percent (0.75%) by December 31, 2035 or sooner.
The new rate will go into effect April 1, 2025. However, this voter approval will allow us to get to work immediately. We plan to announce proposed fire station locations by the end of this year, with planning beginning in early 2025, and hopefully construction to begin in the second half of 2025. We won’t just be building new stations, we plan to improve existing facilities to make them more functional, healthy and safe for our first responders. Ultimately, we plan to have the new facilities completed and fully staffed by July 1, 2028.
Both police and fire departments will be well funded, ready to staff up as these new facilities come online. Staffing levels will begin to increase immediately. Fire Chief Holger Durre said he hopes to have six new recruits in the Spring 2025 training academy.
The end result of these efforts will be a safer Prescott, with improved response times for emergencies, modernized and updated stations, and an appropriate staff level of first responders to meet the needs of our growing city.
Transparency in government spending will continue to be a top priority. As promised, we will implement the new OpenGov software platform so that citizens can track City expenditures by simply going to our website. We hope to have this system in place in early 2025, and will notify the public when it is online.
Finally, as we are now in the middle of the Holiday Season, I hope everyone takes time to enjoy the beautiful lights around the Courthouse Plaza, and support our local businesses for your holiday shopping. I would like to share my wishes for a very a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and Happy Hannukah to our Jewish citizens.
Mayor Monthly Letter for December 2024
