• Failure to apply timely (within 30 days of start of business) will result in a penalty fee assessed in the amount of 50% of the total amount due per account.


• Failure to pay by a specified due date will result in a penalty fee assessed in the amount of 25% of the base rate.


• Written Notice and Demand – A business owner who fails or refuses to apply for a business license within 30 days of having received a written notice of demand letter from the Finance department will result in a penalty fee assessed in the amount of 100% of the total amount due per account.

For further information regarding Records Management, please call 623.222.1200. Please note that currently there is a charge of .50 cents per page and may be additional costs for staff time. Public Records Request Form

“ORDINANCE” means a City Council Action setting forth a rule of public conduct that is considered long-term. Long-term rules include zoning issues, annexations, abandonments, laws of the City or similar actions of the Council. Each Ordinance, in addition to being referenced by number and brief title in the Minutes, will be recorded and maintained in numerical sequence as a permanent record of the City in a separate set of books. Effective dates of Ordinances shall be as provided by law.

State Law requires that you be properly registered to vote no less than 29 days prior to an election, and that you will be at least 18 years of age by the election, in order to be eligible to vote in that election. Maricopa County Elections Website

Contact the City Clerk at clerk@surpriseaz.com, 623.222.1200, or the office of the Maricopa County Elections Department @ http://www.recorder.maricopa.gov/web/elections.aspx

For more election information, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 623.222.1200. For other municipal elections held within Maricopa Count call: Maricopa County Elections Department – 602.506.1511 or visit their website http://www.recorder.maricopa.gov/web/elections.aspx

For more election information, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 623.222.1200. For other municipal elections held within Maricopa Count call: Maricopa County Elections Department – 602.506.1511 or visit their website http://www.recorder.maricopa.gov/web/elections.aspx

For more election information, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 623.222.1200. For other municipal elections held within Maricopa Count call: Maricopa County Elections Department – 602.506.1511 or visit their website http://www.recorder.maricopa.gov/web/elections.aspx

For more election information, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 623.222.1200. For other municipal elections held within Maricopa Count call: Maricopa County Elections Department – 602.506.1511 or visit their website http://www.recorder.maricopa.gov/web/elections.aspx http://www.recorder.maricopa.gov/web/elections.asp

The City of Surprise holds Non-Partisan elections every two years on the odd-year on the 2nd Tuesday in September (Primary) and, if necessary, on the 3rd Tuesday in November (General).

The City’s Mayor is elected at-large; voters within each one of the six City Council Electoral Districts elect a candidate who lives in their district as the Council representative.

District 1 (Acacia): John Longabaugh, Term Expires 12/2009

District 2 (Cottonwood: Richard Alton, Term Expires 12/2011

District 3 (Mesquite): John Williams, Term Expires 12/2011

District 4 (Mulberry): Roy Villanueva, Term Expires 12/2011

District 5 (Palm): Joe Johnson, Term Expires 12/2009

District 6 (Palo Verde): Skip Hall, Term Expires 12/2009 Mayor & Council web page

If you have been cited for a criminal violation, you may file for an extension. Court date extensions must be requested in writing prior to your court date. Extensions are not automatically granted. If good cause cannot be shown, the extension will not be granted and you will have to appear on your original court date.

Superior Court: The Northwest Regional Superior Court is located at 14264 W. Tierra Buena Lane in Surprise 602.372.9400 and handles civil and contract disputes, small claims, marriage licenses, some landlord/tenant matters, Protection Orders, family court, and probate matters.

Justice of the Peace Courts: The Northwest Regional Court Center is comprised of four justice courts -- Hassayampa, Lake Pleasant, Manistee, and North Valley Justice Courts. The courts are located at 14264 W. Tierra Buena Lane in Surprise 602.372.2000. The justice courts hear traffic cases and certain criminal and civil cases, including domestic violence and harassment cases. They can issue search warrants. Their civil jurisdiction is limited to cases involving claims less than $10,000.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR ELECTION DAY – The Surprise City Clerk’s Office will be open on Tuesday, September 1, 2009, from 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., this day only for voter’s to drop off ballots if they have not done so already and to vote in person. Every other day up to this date will be open from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday.

- View the regular collection schedule or download the regular collection schedule zone map.

- Download the holiday collection schedule.

- Lookup your service days by your address at MySurpriseAddress

- Clogged storm drains
- Downed trees
- Dead animal on City streets
- Flooded roads
- Garbage can broken
- Garbage container missed during normal routes
- Illegal dumping
- Potholes/debris on City streets Online Service Request

- The truck came by before your container was put at the curb. Your container should be placed at the curb by 6 a.m. Don’t rely on routes being run at the same time every week.

- It contained illegal materials such as rocks, bricks, etc., or was over the 200 pound weight limit.

- A car or other obstacle was blocking access to the trash container

- It’s a City holiday. Download the Holiday Collection Schedule

Click here for more information about the Northwest Regional Landfill

- Medical sharps should be placed in either a medical sharps container purchased from a pharmacy or health care provider, or in a heavy-plastic or metal container.

- The container should be puncture-proof with a tight-fitting lid.

- Household containers, such as plastic detergent bottles, can be used if heavy duty tape is used to secure the lid to the container and the words “Not Recyclable” are written on the container with a black indelible marker.

The AZ DEQ guidance includes these warnings:

- Do not use a clear or glass container.
- Do not over-fill the containers.
Keep container out of reach of children and pets.

- Always wash your hands after handling or touching medical sharps. Visit the AZDEQ web site to review guidelines.

• "001" For Hotel/Motel
• "003" For Bar and Restaurant
• "005" Construction Contracting

• Privilege Tax 2.2%
• Additional Hotel/Motel Tax 2.52%
• Restaurant/Bar Tax 3.2%
• Construction Contracting Tax 3.7%

Residential rentals are taxable at 2.2% for the City of Surprise (unless you meet the exemption below). Residential rentals are not taxed by the State or County. You will need an Arizona State Privilege Tax ID# in order to report the rental tax collected for the City of Surprise. Please note that you are only applying for a program city license, so will pay the fee that corresponds with that particular city. The fee for The City of Surprise is $10.00. You will need to indicate on the application that the type of business is “City of Surprise Residential Rental Only”.

Exemption: If you have less than 2 residential rentals within the State and no commercial rentals, you are not deemed to be in the rental business, and are therefore exempt from the tax. However, if your rental property is rented through a broker or property manager then each property is taxable even if you have less than three properties, and is remitted by the broker or property manager.

Business license costs vary, depending on the type of business.  For more information, see the fee schedule, call 623. 222.1836 - or eMail.

For more information on City licensing, please review City Ordinance Title 5.04.

The Arizona Department of Revenue’s Small Business Workshops are an easy way to learn more about your business tax liability and how to report those taxes. The workshop is a basic overview of completing the Joint Tax Application, reporting and factoring tax, state and city taxes, resale certificates, business classifications, employment taxes and Use tax. Attendees receive a workbook containing valuable information on the taxes that apply to most business classifications.   Department of Revenue seminars, workshops, and special events are listed at:

Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) 

2902 W.  Agua Fria Freeway

Phoenix, AZ 85027

Phone: 602.255.2060

Forms by Phone: 602.542.4260  

Website: www.revenue.state.az.us         

Forms by Fax: 602.542-3756

Another source of information is the online brochure “Business Basics -A Guide to Taxes for Arizona Businesses,”

1. Go to the Economic Development web page for a breakout of specific incentives. Take a look at the last section "City of Surprise Incentives Guidelines."
2. Original Town Site redevelopment incentives Original Town Site Incentive Info
3. Western Maricopa County Enterprise Zone Western Maricopa Enterprise Zone Info

1. You can access city bid opportunities on the Surprise City website.

2. If you email or mail your company's information (business card, a letter of interest, flyer, etc.), the Purchasing Department will forward to the appropriate city department. Call 623.222.3700, eMail, or mail your company information to City of Surprise Purchasing Department 16000 N Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, AZ 85374-9002.

1. Go to the Economic Development webpage. There you’ll be able to choose from different information on topics like quality of life, community profile, business climate, utility providers, business assistance, government, location, demographics, workforce, traffic counts, points of interest, population growth, drive time and concentric circle analysis for specific intersections, and other maps.

2. The Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) is our regional economic development agency whose mission is to attract quality businesses to the Greater Phoenix region from around the world.

Telephone:
Qwest 800.244.1111
http://www.qwest.com/

Cable Television:
Cox Communications 602.277.1000
http://www.cox.com/

Electric Power:
Arizona Public Service
http://www.aps.com/

2. Use a basic water filter (faucet, refrigerator, and or pitcher type filter) that is capable of removing chlorine from the water.

Arizona American Water can be reached at 1-800-383-0834. They are contracted by the city to provide water, sewer, and sanitation billing. Visit the wastewater page for more information...

Background on the Arizona Groundwater Management Act (GMA): Groundwater levels in the Phoenix-Mesa metropolitan area have been adversely impacted by historic overuse of groundwater.

During the mid 1900’s, many Arizona cities began transitioning from an agricultural to an urban economy, and many policy makers became increasingly concerned about the adequacy of water supplies to support the state’s growth.

After several earlier failed efforts, water users came together to develop a comprehensive groundwater management plan, known as the Arizona Groundwater Management Act of 1980.

The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) administers and enforces the Groundwater Code. The highest level of management, with the most restrictive provisions, is applied to Active Management Areas (AMAs) where groundwater overdraft historically was most severe. The Phoenix area AMA was established in 1994 and its goal is safe-yield by 2025. Safe-yield is a long-term balance between the amount of groundwater withdrawn in the AMA and the amount of natural and artificial recharge.

The Groundwater Code places restrictions on cities’ use of groundwater, to ensure that they do not pump more groundwater than is naturally replaced or artificially recharged.

*NOTE: An aquifer is an underground layer or water-bearing permeable rock, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, silt or clay) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using well water. Water on the surface of the earth slowly percolates through the ground and fills the open spaces between gravel and sand particles, and the cracks and fractures of rocks.