By Jeff Grant | Independent Newsmedia
A year that ended with a major announcement for the city holds the promise of further groundbreaking headlines for Surprise in 2014.
But the agreement by Phoenix to transfer authority for enforcing deed restrictions on property surrounding the city government complex was one of several signaling Surprise is poised to enter a new era in its development as a municipality.
The 12 months just gone by saw completion of the city’s section of an expanded Loop 303, approval of an updated general plan and several commercial projects either start or finish that will boost the local tax base and Surprise’s prospects for drawing further tenants. Officials also continued putting the city’s finances back in order an effort that is winding up ahead of schedule, thanks to healthier-than-expected construction revenues, personnel reductions and disciplined budgeting.
