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About Mesa ...
Welcome to Mesa, Arizona – a city with a progressive vision for
the future. Mesa is a rapidly
growing city of over 440,000 (Mesa’s population is expected to reach 567,000
by 2020), and is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Mesa
offers a quality urban experience supported by a diversified economic base,
educational institutions of excellence, professional local government,
sophisticated infrastructure, and a superior workforce. Mesa takes pride in its
progressive growth and pro-business attitude, and is still pursuing an
aggressive economic strategy.
The City provides a full range
of municipal services including police and fire protection, parks and
recreation, libraries, transportation, neighborhood outreach and general
administration. In addition, the City owns and operates several enterprises
including the operation of electricity, gas, water, wastewater, solid waste,
aquatics, museums, airports, golf courses, and a community center.
City Government
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Mesa operates under
charter form of government with citizens electing a
mayor and six council members to set policy for the
City. In 1998, a voter initiative was approved that
changed the way Council members are elected from an
at-large to a district system. Six districts were created and in March 2000, the first three
district council members were elected in Districts 1,2,
and 3. In 2002, Districts 4,5, and 6 elected their first
district council members.
Mesa’s
council members serve terms of four years, with three members being elected
every two years. The mayor is
elected at-large every four years. The
mayor and council are elected on a non-partisan basis. The vice mayor is selected by the City Council.
The Mesa City Council believes
that its people, not leaders, are what makes a City great and actively works to
encourage citizen participation in the decision making process. Whether it through neighborhood meetings, advisory boards and
committees, telephone calls, and letters, or electronic mail through the World
Wide Web, the Mesa City Council sets policies based on the input and needs of
its citizens.
Mesa
By The Numbers
Founded 1878
Incorporated
July 1883
Elevation 1,241 feet
Land Area 170.7 square miles
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Median
Home Value
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New:
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$165,070
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Re-Sale
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$132,000
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Apartment
Rental - Average Monthly Rent
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One
Bedroom
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$558
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Two
Bedroom
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$665
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Three
Bedroom
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$883
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More than
430,000 people have a Mesa, Arizona address. It's not just because there
are quality neighborhoods with a wide range of housing choices. It's
because living in those neighborhoods are friendly people, looking to create a
sense of place and be part of a great community.
Population
Diversity - White:
84%, Persons of Hispanic Origin: 19.7%, American Indian: 1.7%, Black: 2.6 %,
Asian: 1.5%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: .2%
Median
age in Mesa: 32
Wage
Rates
- Administrative
Assistant\$28,804, Automotive
Mechanic\ $30,242,
Civil Engineer\$46,777,
Legal Secretary\37,920,
Licensed
Practical Nurse\$35,544
Taxes
- The retail
tax rate in Mesa is currently 7.8%. This consists of:
- City of Mesa 1.5%
- State of Arizona 5.6%
- Maricopa County 0.7%
Principal Economic Activities- Mesa’s
economic base consists of aerospace/aviation, agri-business, automotive,
business services, education services, electronics, health services,
manufacturing, retail, and transportation services. Mesa boasts seven regional
employment centers and/or corridors including Downtown Mesa, Falcon Airpark,
Fiesta Quadrant, Superstition Springs, Williams Gateway Airport, Superstition
Freeway Corridor, and Union Pacific Business Corridor.
Total Labor Force- Population
25 years and over 245,104
Key Employers-
Mesa
Public Schools/ 10,000,
Banner Health System/ 6,100
Boeing/ 4,300,
City of Mesa/ 3,700, AT&T/ 2,800,
Wal-Mart/ 1,775,
TRW/ 1,450,
The Kroger Company/ 1,080,
Empire Southwest Machinery/ 1,000,
Bashas’/ 860,
Home Depot/ 750, Special Devices, Inc./ 750, Target/ 700,
Albertson’s/ 680,
United States Postal Service/ 670
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AMPAM Riggs Plumbing/ 575,
Tribune Newspapers/ 550,
Mesa Community College/ 500,
NCS Pearson/ 500
Airports
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Mesa
Falcon Field,
Williams
Gateway (See Links)
Education
People
are Mesa’s Greatest Resource. Mesa
Unified Public School District-
Mesa
Public Schools is home to Longfellow Elementary School which was named a 2004 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of
Education.
Mesa students are well-prepared to compete with their peers in a national
arena. Results of the 2004 college entrance tests show that Mesa students
score above both state and national averages and the district had 19
National Merit semifinalists. The Class of 2004 earned $45 million in
scholarships.
The district serves nearly 75,000 students in preschool through high
school. There are 76 traditional schools and many alternative programs to
accommodate parent choice, including Montessori, enrichment classes for
home-schooled students and distance learning classes. The district has
almost 11,000 employees, making it the 16th largest employer in the state.
Higher
Education in Mesa
Apollo
College
Arizona
Institute of Business and Technology
Arizona
School of Health Sciences
Arizona
State University East
De-Vry
University
East
Valley Institute of Technology
Embry
Riddle Aeronautical University
International
Institute of the Americas
International
Instructor Academy
Keller
Graduate School of Management
Mesa
Community College
Ottawa
University
Pima
Medical Institute
University of Phoenix
UND Aerospace
Tourism
Mesa
is unique among cities in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Mesa is thriving and
dynamic, and has all the comforts of a big city. But because it is located next
to the Tonto National Forest, Mesa is close to outdoor adventures and offers
residents the feel of a small community. Mesa’s near perfect weather makes it
possible to enjoy the outdoors year-round, and be a part of adventures that will
last a lifetime.
Mesa
has some of the most renowned and diverse golf courses in the west, and more
than 40 courses are located within minutes from downtown.
The
Mesa Convention and Visitors Bureau (Mesa CVB) offers complimentary services and
assistance to help streamline the planning process for groups that schedule
events and large meetings for visitors. The bureau represents first-class
properties with substantial on-site meeting facilities, and arranges site
inspections as part of the planning process. Staff will make arrangements for
tours of those properties and facilities in which planners have an interest.
Planning
group activities and off-site functions to enhance the group’s Mesa experience
are a major part of Mesa CVB’s responsibilities. Activities include golf
tournaments, themed outdoor adventures and desert tours, team-building events
and much more such as river rafting, lake cruises, and helicopter tours
There
are 60 hotel/motel properties with 5,000 rooms in Mesa, and the hospitality
industry in the city provides more than 12,000 jobs. Visit the web site at www.visitmesa,com,
or call 480-827-4700 for additional detail.
Arts
and Culture - Mesa
Southwest Museum, Arizona Museum for Youth, Mesa Arts Center ($90 million
facility opening 2005), Mesa Amphitheatre, Mesa Symphony, Ballet Etudes,
Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Mesa Historical Museum, Xicanindio Artes, Sonoran
Desert Chorale, Southwest Shakespeare Company, Mesa Youth Theatre, Mesa
Contemporary Arts, and the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.
Sports
and Recreation
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HoHoKam
Stadium and Fitch Park (Chicago Cubs spring training facilities), Mesa Indoor
Aquatic Center ($20 million facility), 13 public pools, two municipal golf
courses, four recreation centers, Red Mountain Multigenerational Center, two
tennis facilities and the recently completed Reed Park Skate Court. City of Mesa
Parks and Recreation Division provides addition recreational activities.
The
Phoenix-Mesa metropolitan area is one of only 11 cities in the nation to host
teams in all four major professional sports – Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix
Suns, Phoenix Coyotes and Arizona Cardinals.
Sports
- Phoenix Suns NBA Basketball
Phoenix Firebirds Baseball
LPGA Classic
Chicago Cubs Spring Training
Arizona Diamondbacks Baseball
Auto Racing
& Cactus League Games
Fiesta Bowl
Horse/Dog Racing
Phoenix Cardinals NFL Football
Phoenix Open PGA Golf
and Much More!
Recreational
Activity/Facilities - 47
City Parks
71 Softball/Baseball Fields
Horseback Riding
20 Golf Courses
11 Soccer Fields
Hiking
10 Public Swimming Pools
70 miles of Bike Routes
Hot Air Ballooning
120 Tennis Courts
Boating
Steamboat Cruises
56 Racquetball Courts
Fishing
Tubing & Rafting
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