Sun City West Fire District pursues annexation

The Sun City West Fire District will pursue the annexation of seven parcels of land north and east of its current service area after approval from the district board Thursday.

But before any of the parcels, which are spread around Corta Bella, Rancho Mercado and between 99th Avenue and El Mirage road, can become part of the district’s service area, 51 percent of landowners must agree to the annexation, something fire officials believe is very attainable.

“We surveyed these people and overwhelmingly people want to get into the district for fire service,” said board Chair Dusty Rhodes.

Board members said there was no time frame for the annexation of any or all of the seven parcels of land, but Chief Robert Biscoe referred to a consultation on the issue in which a sixth-month period for annexing the land would garner the most revenue for the district due to changing tax rates and continually declining property values.

“(The consultant) said that if we could bring in some of those areas by February. ... It would be very beneficial to the district because what we’re going to see in our next tax year is the value of existing properties going down as the market corrects itself,” he said.

“The ultimate goal is to reduce the tax burden for our property owners in the district.”

The board was advised by PolicyLogic consultant John Flynn at a workshop meeting Tuesday. The acquisition of the parcels of land would have financial benefits for the district, contributing between $5 million and $8 million in property tax revenue in the next five years, depending on development.

Some residents who attended the meeting expressed concern that service to residents living within the current service area could be compromised due to the expansion.

“I’m concerned that the services I get now will be compromised,” said Langley Page, a Sun City West resident. “How can you (offer comparable services to new residents) without at least one or probably two (additional) stations? I think it’s not just a fiscal issue, it’s a service providing capability that has to be looked at very carefully at the same time.”

But fire officials insisted the high level of service would be maintained or changes would be made.

“At the time our deputy chief brings in a report that response times are at five minutes, something’s got to change,” board member David Wilson said. “I haven’t, in the four years I’ve been here with the expansion to Corta Bella, seen those response times change. With recent annexation, we’re still supplying that service.”

“We’re very confident that if we were able to annex all those areas available to us today, we feel we could provide the service with one additional station and with the help of our neighbors (with) the automatic aid consortium that we have that’s so incredible,” Biscoe said.

Fire district staff will begin the process of contacting land and business owners regarding annexation, which will include neighborhood meetings and at some point a petition drive, Biscoe said.

He said the board will be apprised of and need to approve any final stages of annexation.

The Rural-Metro Fire Department serves the unincorporated and largely undeveloped areas the district is considering annexing.
In other news the board:

• Celebrated the 30-year service anniversary of Deputy Chief Jim Heger. Heger was one of the first firefighters to join the district and has been involved in firefighting for 34 years.

Rhodes thanked Heger for his dedication to the district.

“Jim, for the past 30 years, has been a leader and a role model for the district,” he said.

Heger joked that his time with the district has flown by.

“It’s only been a few minutes, really,” he said. “It’s been a great place to work.”

• Approved the annexation of 10-acre parcel of undeveloped land near 123rd Avenue and Williams Drive that will eventually be a 160-unit luxury apartment complex. The developer of Palisades at Crossriver Apartments requested to be annexed into the district.

The next board workshop meeting will be at 9 a.m. Sept. 16. The regular meeting is at 9 a.m. Sept. 18. The meetings, in the district administrative offices at 18818 N. Spanish Garden Drive, are open to the public.

Erin Turner may be reached at 623-876-2522 or eturner@yourwestvalley.com.