Hello, I’m Mayor Phil Goode with your weekly update.
We had our final Council meetings of 2022 last week. It’s amazing how fast the year has gone by.
Council and our Legislative Lobbyist, Barry Aarons, participated in a follow-up discussion and consideration of the Council Strategic Plan for 2023. As you may recall, Council began discussing the Strategic Plan on Tuesday, November 29th. This discussion was a continuation of the November meeting.
During the Voting Meeting, we approved five end-of-year Water Service Applications. Finally, we also set the Residential Water Budget for January through June of 2023 at 25 acre-feet per year. The non-residential water budget for the same period of time was also set at 25 acre-feet per year.
With the holidays, comes temporary changes to office and service hours. Please remember that City of Prescott offices are closed Monday January 2, 2023, since New Year’s falls on Sunday this year.
The Prescott Public Library will be closed Sunday, January 1st and Monday, January 2nd.
Solid Waste Collection will have no change to service during this period of time for either residential or commercial trash pickup. Please be sure to have your containers curbside at 6 AM on your regularly scheduled pickup day.
The Transfer Station will be closed on Saturday December 31st. It will reopen Monday at 8 AM.
If you’re planning on taking down your Christmas trees this coming week, keep in mind that the city’s Solid Waste Division will provide a curbside Christmas Tree collection service during the week of January 9th-13th.
The City’s collection trucks will pass through each City neighborhood one time only that week.
You’ll need to prepare your trees by clearing them of all decorations, lights and stands. Please do not bag trees.
No plastic trees will be picked up during this collection.
Residential solid waste customers may also dispose of their live Christmas trees, at no cost, at the Transfer Station, 2800 Sundog Ranch Rd. from now through January 14th, 2023 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Effective January 1, 2023, the City of Prescott’s transaction privilege (sales) tax rate is decreasing from 2.75% to 2%. The combined tax rate (State, County & City) for Prescott will decrease from 9.10% to 8.35%.
The Prescott City Council voted on October 11, 2022, to adopt Ordinance No. 2022-1801 eliminating the 0.75% transaction privilege tax dedicated to paying down the City’s unfunded liability in the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS).
Last Thursday, PSPRS released the June 30, 2022, actuarial valuation for our two trust funds. The full reports are available on the City website. Information about the Actuarial will be discussed publicly at the January 10, 2023 Council meeting.
Prescott City Council and Boards, Commissions & Committees (BCCs) began conducting “hybrid” meetings during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic due to city hall closures. As a courtesy, these hybrid options have continued over the past year. However, as all city operations and services have returned to normal, beginning in January, 2023, hybrid meeting options will no longer be offered.
City Council Meetings will continue to air live on the City website, Facebook, on Public Access Channel 64 and be available on-demand. Planning & Zoning Commission and Council Subcommittee on Water Issues will also continue to air live, and other BCCs will return to their in-person participation model.
Finally, as a reminder, the iconic 12th Annual Whiskey Row New Year’s Eve Boot Drop will take place in downtown Prescott on Montezuma Street. There will be two “drops” with fireworks, one at 10 PM, and one at Midnight. Live band, The Pickup Lines, will perform throughout the night. Look for food from street vendors, carnival games and rides and prizes throughout the night. Admission is free. Since we’re expecting some rainy weather that weekend, be sure to dress warm and have an umbrella handy.
I want to wish you and your families a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year. See you next year.
