Community
Surprise
Local government, budgets, meetings, civic topics, and public information for Surprise, Arizona.
Resident Quick Reference
Common city services and official links residents may need most often.
Utilities
- Find address services Enter a Surprise address to find important property-related service and utility information.
- Utility billing City utility billing, rates and account information for customers served by the City.
- Start / stop utilities Start or stop applicable City of Surprise utility services for an address served by the City.
Trash & Recycling
- Trash & recycling Collection schedules, recycling, bulk trash, household hazardous waste and other sanitation services.
Report a Problem
- Request City service Use the City's service-request resource for non-emergency City service issues.
City Meetings
- Agendas & minutes Find City Council, board and commission agendas, minutes and available meeting media.
Safety & Outages
- Police information Find Surprise Police Department contact and non-emergency information.
Water
- Find water provider Determine the drinking-water provider serving your address and access City drinking-water resources.
- Water resources Water quality, conservation, wastewater, drought preparedness and water-resource information.
Getting Around
- Transportation resources Find public transit, road restrictions, transportation projects, Park and Ride and related resources.
Parks & Community
- Parks & recreation Parks, facilities, recreation programs, aquatics, sports and community activities.
- Recreation calendar Find upcoming City parks, recreation and community activities.
City Services
- Resident services Browse City resources for neighborhoods, courts, public safety, assistance programs, libraries, transportation and other services.
City History
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1930s
Agricultural labor and migration shape the area
Before Surprise became an incorporated city, the surrounding Dysart-area communities were closely tied to agriculture and migrant farm labor. Federal research and later historical scholarship describe Surprise and nearby communities as developing in this agricultural-worker setting.
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May 12, 1938
Flora Statler acquires land associated with the Surprise townsite
Historian Carol Palmer identifies a May 12, 1938 State of Arizona deed documenting Flora Statler's acquisition of an unimproved parcel west of the Agua Fria River. The land became associated with development of the community that became Surprise.
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1938
Development of the Surprise community begins
Modern City histories date Surprise's beginnings to 1938. Palmer's research describes Flora Statler developing a community where railroad and highway access met an agricultural area whose workers needed nearby housing.
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1938
Accounts differ over how Surprise got its name
Modern City history associates the name with Flora Statler and the idea that she would be surprised if the small development ever amounted to much. An older Arizona Department of Commerce account instead credited Homer C. Ludden and connected the name to Surprise, Nebraska.
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1940s-1950s
Surprise grows as an agricultural-worker community
For much of its early history, Surprise remained closely connected to surrounding farms and the workers who supported West Valley agriculture. This economic and social setting shaped the community before incorporation.
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1960
Residents pursue municipal incorporation
Residents of Surprise and North El Mirage pursued incorporation during a period of municipal expansion in the West Valley. Palmer reports that voters approved joining together by a vote of 113 to 40.
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December 12, 1960
Surprise officially incorporates
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors certified the new municipality, establishing December 12, 1960 as Surprise's official incorporation date. The community entered cityhood with a small population and substantial infrastructure needs.
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1960s
The new city confronts major infrastructure needs
Early incorporated Surprise had limited municipal resources and significant gaps in roads and basic services. Building municipal infrastructure became a defining challenge for the young city.
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1969
George Cumbie becomes mayor
George Cumbie became mayor after entering Surprise city government during the previous decade. His long tenure coincided with efforts to improve roads and other basic municipal infrastructure as the city developed.
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1970s
Road paving and infrastructure modernization continue
Surprise continued working to replace dirt roads and improve transportation and municipal infrastructure. Palmer documents road work as a recurring priority during this period.
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June 1979
Roy Villanueva enters Surprise city government
Roy Villanueva was first sworn into city office in June 1979. He later served as councilmember, vice mayor and mayor during more than three decades of public service.
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1980s
Federal community-development funding supports neighborhood improvements
Community Development Block Grant funding supported housing rehabilitation and improvements to roads, streetlights, sidewalks, sewer systems and other neighborhood infrastructure. Roy Villanueva was credited with helping direct those federal resources toward Surprise.
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1990
Joan Shafer becomes the first woman elected to City Council
Joan H. Shafer became the first woman elected to the Surprise City Council in 1990, beginning a series of electoral firsts in the city's government.
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1990
Population reaches 7,122
The 1990 Census counted 7,122 residents in Surprise. The figure provides a baseline for the extraordinary population expansion that followed during the next two decades.
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1994
Joan Shafer becomes Surprise's first woman mayor and first elected mayor
City records state that Joan H. Shafer became both the first woman mayor and the first elected mayor of Surprise in 1994.
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October 1996
Sun City Grand opens in Surprise
Sun City Grand opened in October 1996 as the local successor to Del Webb's earlier Sun City communities. Its arrival reflected Surprise's growing shift toward large master-planned suburban and retirement development.
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2000
Population reaches 30,848
The 2000 Census counted 30,848 residents in Surprise, more than four times the city's 1990 population.
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2002
Surprise Stadium opens
Surprise Stadium opened in 2002 as the centerpiece of a major baseball complex and a new civic and recreational landmark for the rapidly growing city.
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2003
Major League Baseball spring training comes to Surprise
The Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers began spring training in Surprise in 2003. The move established Surprise as part of the Cactus League and gave the city a regional sports identity.
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February 12, 2004
City forms the Marley Park Community Facilities District
Surprise formed the Marley Park Community Facilities District to finance public infrastructure associated with the master-planned development, illustrating how municipal financing tools accompanied the city's rapid physical expansion.
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2005
Marley Park opens
Marley Park opened in 2005 as a large master-planned community in Surprise. Developer records describe a grand-opening celebration drawing about 2,000 visitors.
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2008
City establishes the City Historian role
The Surprise City Council appointed the City Clerk as City Historian in 2008. The role became the foundation for organized municipal efforts to collect, preserve and present Surprise's history.
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2010
Surprise History Project documents the city's past
The City's historical work developed into the Surprise History Project, which gathered archival material and oral histories and produced a written community history and documentary as Surprise marked its first half-century as an incorporated city.
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2010
Population reaches 117,517 after a decade of extraordinary growth
The 2010 Census counted 117,517 Surprise residents, up from 30,848 in 2000. The Census Bureau calculated 281.0 percent growth and ranked Surprise second among the nation's fastest-growing incorporated places that had at least 10,000 residents in 2000.
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2011
Loop 303 freeway construction advances through Surprise
Construction began on a major Loop 303 segment through Surprise in 2011, converting an existing roadway into a modern urban freeway. The corridor became increasingly important to West Valley mobility and economic-development planning.
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2016
Surprise establishes the Heritage District framework
The Surprise Heritage District replaced the former Original Townsite overlay. The district covers the historic area between Bell and Greenway roads and El Mirage and Dysart roads, with regulations intended to protect the historic residential core while allowing compatible infill and redevelopment.
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2020
Population reaches 143,148
The 2020 Census counted 143,148 residents in Surprise, continuing the city's long-term transformation from a small agricultural community into a major West Valley municipality.
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July 1, 2025 estimate
Census estimate places Surprise above 175,000 residents
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Surprise's population at 175,304 as of July 1, 2025. Unlike the decennial Census counts elsewhere in this timeline, this figure is an annual population estimate.
Budget & Spending
FY2027 Budget
Adopted$966.6 million
- Previous budget
- FY2026 Adopted $925.7M
Budget over time
How the budget has changed
From FY2020 to FY2027, the adopted all-funds budget increased 156.8%.
| Fiscal year | Adopted budget | Mayor at adoption | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $376,362,400 | Not yet verified | — |
| FY2021 | $375,296,800 | Not yet verified | -0.3% |
| FY2022 | $437,829,400 | Not yet verified | +16.7% |
| FY2023 | $667,815,300 | Not yet verified | +52.5% |
| FY2024 | $771,076,900 | Not yet verified | +15.5% |
| FY2025 | $952,132,000 | Not yet verified | +23.5% |
| FY2026 | $925,744,000 | Not yet verified | -2.8% |
| FY2027 | $966,639,200 | Not yet verified | +4.4% |
Comparable adopted figures only. Tentative and recommended budgets, actual spending, revenues, tax rates and other measures are kept separate.
Local Government
Mayor
Kevin Sartor
Councilmember · District 1
Nick Haney
Vice Mayor · District 2
Earle Greenberg
Councilmember · District 3
Patrick Duffy
Councilmember · District 4
Johnny V. Melton
Councilmember · District 5
Jack Hastings
Councilmember · District 6
Chris Judd
Meetings
No verified upcoming public meetings are currently listed.
Recent meetings
Latest verified past public meetings from official City meeting records.
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Oct 1 2026
Surprise Planning and Zoning Commission
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Sep 29 2026
Surprise Council Subcommittee on Community Outreach, Partnerships and Grants
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Sep 26 2026
Surprise Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission
Civic Topics
Public Safety & Surveillance
Police, surveillance technology, public-safety systems, and related budget records.
Police Surveillance Technology
Documented
Public sources document historical and reported police surveillance technology in Surprise, including automated license plate readers, the August 2026 Flock contract cancellation, camera access, digital evidence, CAD/RMS systems and drone projects. Some current operating details remain unresolved.
State and County Ballot Measures
November 3, 2026 general election. These statewide and countywide measures also apply to eligible voters in this community.
Arizona statewide propositions
Measures decided by voters across Arizona.
Proposition 141: Vehicle mileage taxes and monitoring
On the ballot
Vehicle mileage taxes and government monitoring of miles traveled.
Proposition 142: Preferential treatment and discrimination
On the ballot
Constitutional rules concerning preferential treatment and discrimination.
Proposition 144: Election identification and administration
On the ballot
Identification and citizenship-verification requirements for elections.
Proposition 316: Municipal taxes on groceries
On the ballot
Restrictions on municipal taxes involving groceries.
Proposition 317: Drug cartels and homeland security
On the ballot
State measures involving drug cartels and related offenses.
Proposition 318: Student athletics and private spaces
On the ballot
Requirements involving student athletics and certain private spaces.
Proposition 319: Traffic photo enforcement systems
On the ballot
Speed and red-light ticket cameras. Does not automatically ban police ALPRs.
Proposition 320: School district operational spending
On the ballot
School district operational spending and associated funding provisions.
Maricopa County propositions
Countywide measures decided by eligible Maricopa County voters.
Proposition 413: County jail facilities sales tax
On the ballot
Maricopa County jail-related sales tax replacement proposal.
Statewide and countywide proposals are separate from city-specific measures. School and special-district measures vary by residence and are not included here.
Search Surprise
Find Surprise budgets, meeting records, public records, official City resources, and OWVAZ research.
Searches run locally in your browser. Try: budget, council meeting, water, police, proposition.
Official Sources (14)
View official sources
Primary City of Surprise sources supporting the civic information on this page.
Local Government & Elections 6
City Council
Official City of Surprise City Council page used to verify the current governing-body roster and district representation.
City of Surprise 2022 Elections
City of Surprise 2024 Election Results and New Council Terms
2018 City of Surprise Election Canvass
Official 2018 City election canvass used for historical council election provenance.
FY2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report
Official City report used for Jack Hastings historical election provenance.
Patrick Duffy Council Election History
Official councilmember biography used for Patrick Duffy historical service provenance. His first elected year is tracked separately from his earlier appointment.
Budgets 8
FY2020 Final Budget Book
Primary comprehensive City of Surprise FY2020 annual budget publication. The direct CivicPlus asset was published from the City's annual budget and capital improvements plan page. OWVAZ retains a SHA256-verified research copy.
FY2021 Final Budget Book
Primary comprehensive City of Surprise FY2021 annual budget publication. The direct CivicPlus asset was published from the City's annual budget and capital improvements plan page. OWVAZ retains a SHA256-verified research copy.
FY2022 Adopted Budget Book
The retained research corpus confirms the FY2022 budget-book filename, its placement in the City's FY2022 CivicPlus budget widget, the public PDF asset identifier, and the retained PDF hash. The historical direct asset URL was not retained, so the official City annual-budget landing page is used as the canonical public URL.
FY2023 Adopted Budget Book
Primary comprehensive FY2023 budget publication. The official City annual-budget landing page is used as the canonical public URL.
FY2024 Adopted Budget Book
Retained source file: Surprise-FY2024-Adopted-Budget-Book.pdf. Retained PDF SHA256: a0e48501782e444ee99e64641d3ea914abc2f98fb697e46b16d4f812d90c8e8b
FY2025 Adopted Budget Book
Primary comprehensive FY2025 adopted budget publication. Canonical budget record preserves the distinct Summary of Sources and Uses and Schedule A accounting layers.
FY2026 Adopted Budget - City of Surprise
Retained official adopted budget PDF. Verified SHA256 b8ee3e81133274a6890476d9d06549cbe46a775c0d55c308f88393eea8b4b74f. Schedule A and Schedule B contain conflicting property-tax boilerplate/presentation; the underlying source evidence is preserved.
FY2027 Adopted Budget - City of Surprise
Retained official FY2027 adopted-budget PDF SHA256 808ea306398f6bfbac2ce063f46e8300bb11ef6ff5f421a8e14f463f6b98d6d6. Visible document content and official schedules identify FY2027, while embedded PDF metadata contains an FY2026 title. Schedule A also contains boilerplate stating that the city does not levy property taxes and that Schedule B is omitted, despite property-tax levy rows and an included City of Surprise Schedule B.