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Surprise Lake Sign by Gage SkidmorePhoto: Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Surprise

How is Surprise run?

Surprise’s city government spent $239.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,556 per resident. Water and other utilities ($18.5 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Today

General election in Arizona.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2024
$239.9M
year to June 30, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$1,556
2022 was an estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$115.6M
end of FY2024, reported
City staff, 2025
979
full-time · 230 part-time · March payroll $8.3M · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,842
0.42% of home value · AZ 0.48%

What stands out about how Surprise is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online3 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Mayor Kevin SartorAs listed by Open States, October 9, 2026.Runs its own water & sewer18% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2024).A shared school districtShares Dysart Unified District with 1 other town.
★ What stands out · Meetings

3 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Surprise’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

  • Nov2
    Regular City Council MeetingMonday · 6:00 pm · 16000 N. Civic Center Plaza, Council ChambersAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Nov2
    Regular City Council Work SessionMonday · 5:00 pm · 16000 N Civic Center Plaza, Council ChambersCity Council Work SessionAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct26
    Parks and Recreation CommissionMonday · 6:00 pm · Oasis Swim Center, 12361 N Perryville RdAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct20
    Regular City Council MeetingTuesday · 6:00 pm · 16000 N Civic Center Plaza, Council ChambersAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct20
    Regular City Council Work SessionTuesday · 5:00 pm · 16000 N Civic Center Plaza, Council ChambersCity Council Work SessionAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2024 budget

About $1,556 per resident a year, or $4.26 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 19%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 34%From the state 23%Fees & charges 21%Interest, fines & other 8%Utility sales 6%Property taxes 5%Other taxes & licenses 3%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $48.3 million; interest on debt $4.8 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $311.5 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Surprise yet

The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Surprise’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2024 only (2022 and 2023 are estimates), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
City staff
979

full-time in March 2025, up from 909 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Surprise

From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.

Kevin SartorMayor · as listed by Open States, October 9, 2026Office of the Mayor ↗

Council members and agencies: surpriseaz.gov ↗

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,842 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.42% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Arizona.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Peoria$2,160
Buckeye$2,081
Arizona$1,879
Surprise$1,842
Wittmann$1,681
Sun City West$1,655
Glendale$1,612
El Mirage$1,079
Sun City$977
$1,842
typical bill a year
0.42%
effective rate
$435,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Surprise’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Tax bills are one input to Surprise’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Surprise →

Who works for Surprise

One full-time city employee for every 158 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (154,198).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Fire225
Police219 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries75 + 199 pt
Administration & buildings138 + 5 pt
Sewer & trash62 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation62
Housing & development44
Courts, inspections & corrections41 + 3 pt
Water & other utilities40 + 1 pt
Health & welfare21 + 16 pt
Other52 + 4 pt
979
full-time
230
part-time
$8.3M
payroll for March 2025
$99.4M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$98,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
161
sworn police officers
181
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Surprise didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Dysart Unified District

Surprise’s K–12 school district, shared with El Mirage. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Surprise →
$10,430
per pupil · AZ $12,318
23,118
students
$54.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $10,430 per pupil, $5,637 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 34%State 53%Federal 13%

Arizona districts overall: 35% local, 47% state, 18% federal.

Also serving Surprise

Nadaburg Unified School District · $10,708 per pupil

Wickenburg Unified District · $12,263 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Surprise’s votes are counted by county

Arizona reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Surprise alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Maricopa County’s results.

President · Maricopa County’s results2,062,044 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican51.0%1,051,531 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat47.5%980,016 votes

Others: 1.5% (30,497 votes).

Most votes in Maricopa County: Donald J Trump

The county’s page

100% of Surprise lies in Maricopa County. Every 2024 race in Maricopa County is on the county’s page.

Maricopa County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Surprise

From town hall to Washington

Surprise sends 6 representatives to the Arizona House alone.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor
    Kevin Sartoras listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
  2. 2
    Arizona HouseSurprise is split between 3 districts
    James TaylorSteve MontenegroMichael CarboneNick KupperBeverly PingerelliDavid Livingston
  3. 3
    Arizona SenateState senator
    Janae ShampTim DunnFrank Carroll
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Katie Hobbs
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseSplit between districts
    Paul A. GosarAbraham J. Hamadeh
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arizona
    Mark KellyRuben Gallego
Find your state legislators by address ↗Find your House district by ZIP code ↗

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Surprise compares with the towns next door

Surprise’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. Neighbors that reported 2022 spent $952 to $1,415 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.

Sun City West: unincorporated, no town budgetSun City: unincorporated, no town budgetEl Mirage: $952 per resident (2022)Peoria: $1,356 per resident (2022)Wittmann: unincorporated, no town budgetGlendale: $1,415 per resident (2022)Buckeye: $1,366 per resident (2022)Sun City WestSun CityEl MiragePeoriaWittmannGlendaleBuckeyeSurprise
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
El Mirage$952$1,079
Peoria$1,356$2,160
Buckeye$1,366$2,081
Glendale$1,415$1,612
Surpriseestimate$1,842

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach Surprise’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitesurpriseaz.gov ↗

Questions about Surprise’s government

How much does Surprise spend per resident?

About $1,556 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau.

What is the property tax rate in Surprise?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,842 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Arizona. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see surpriseaz.gov.

Who is the mayor of Surprise?

Kevin Sartor, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on surpriseaz.gov.

How did Surprise vote in 2024?

Arizona counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Surprise alone. Maricopa County, where 100% of Surprise lies, voted Trump 51.0%, Harris 47.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Surprise?

979 full-time and 230 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $8.3M (about $99.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Surprise in the state legislature?

Surprise is split among 3 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Arizona Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Surprise?

The next posted meeting is Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission on Wednesday, November 4, at 6:30 pm in 16089 N Bullard Ave, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Surprise’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →