|
Source
Scottsdale has a much bigger government bureaucracy then other cities??? http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/2012/05/09/20120509scottsdale-workforce-size-questioned.html Scottsdale's workforce size questioned Size draws criticism; study cites commuters by Beth Duckett - May. 10, 2012 10:06 PM The Republic | azcentral.com For every 1,000 people who live in Scottsdale, the city government employs about 11 workers, the most of any major municipality in the Valley. That figure, which is a larger per capita employee number than much larger cities such as Phoenix and Mesa, has drawn criticism from at least one city councilman who questions whether Scottsdale's workforce is bloated. But city officials say an ongoing study offers an explanation: Scottsdale's population actually swells during the day. An influx of 9-to-5 workers bumps up the city's population by nearly one-third, according to a study that compares cities' employment trends. The same daytime migration happens in Phoenix and Tempe, but not other Valley cities, the study found. All three have major employment hubs that draw thousands of daytime workers such as Scottsdale's Airpark area, Phoenix's downtown and Arizona State University's main campus in Tempe. Study results could explain in part why Scottsdale has more workers per resident than any major Valley city, City Manager David Richert said. The complete answer, city officials say, is probably more complex, and could take into account Scottsdale's tourism and retail scene, capital projects and even its size, which is geographically larger and narrower than most other Valley cities. More people during the day means more government workers needed to safeguard city streets, manage parks and libraries and carry out basic services, they say. "What it shows is that during the day, there are even more people here and populating the streets, roadways, parks and restaurants," Richert said. New data show that, among eight major Valley cities, Scottsdale ranks highest with 11.3 full-time equivalent employees per 1,000 residents, compared with Phoenix's 10.4 and Tempe's 9.9, which are next. In terms of actual number of employees, Phoenix is by far the largest, followed by Mesa. Daytime population refers to the people who are present in a city during normal business hours. This is in contrast to the "resident" population in the evening and nighttime, according to Scottsdale's study. Daytime estimates are for work-related travel only and don't include shoppers, students or tourists. Tempe spokeswoman Kris Baxter-Ging said that it makes sense Tempe's population swells during the day since there are 151,000 jobs and major employers such as Arizona State University and US Airways. Mill Avenue boasts more than 125 retail shops and restaurants alone, she said. "Probably half the people who work here come from somewhere else," Baxter-Ging said. In Scottsdale, about 48,500 people work in the Airpark, the area surrounding the Scottsdale Airport and generally bounded by 90th Street and the Loop 101 to the east, Scottsdale Road to the west, and Thunderbird Road and Grayhawk to the south and north. About 70 percent of the workforce at the Scottsdale Airpark area is imported, said Andrew Bourne, chairman of the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce's Airpark Committee. Scottsdale City Councilman Bob Littlefield, who requested the employment data, has criticized the city as being overstaffed and inefficient. Last year, he challenged the city staff to explain why there is a higher ratio of employees per resident. "The bad news is they are not there yet and they still have a ways to go before the figures they come up with are really believable," Littlefield said. "But it is moving in the right direction." Scottsdale's study taps a variety of sources, including the U.S. census. The study is designed to aid future management decisions and policy making, said Brent Stockwell, Scottsdale strategic-initiatives director, who is leading the study. Cities are individually reviewing the data, and more information is due out later this year. |