More Valley Jobs In Scottsdale

Study finds 36,000 commute to city…

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – New U.S. Census Bureau data confirms what city leaders have long known: Scottsdale is one of the Valley’s biggest job centers, encouraging people from around the region to commute here each day for work.

Scottsdale imports more workers per capita than any Valley city save for Tempe, the Census Bureau study said. An estimated 36,000 people commute to Scottsdale for work. Tempe lures 59,768.

Third-ranked Phoenix draws the most actual workers: 96,120. But those commuters represent a smaller portion of Phoenix’s resident population than do Scottsdale and Tempe’s commuters.

Scottsdale officials said the high number of commuters was a happy effect of the city’s focus on luring businesses and creating jobs.

"Those businesses pay a good percentage of our taxes in the city, so that’s a good sign," said Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross.

Moreover, the strong local economy allowed Scottsdale to lower its property taxes this year.

A city study found that compared to other large cities in the Valley, Scottsdale’s property taxes were an average of 33 percent lower, saving residents about $600 a year.

The business tax base also allows Scottsdale to provide more services to residents than other communities are able to, said Dave Roderique, economic vitality manager for Scottsdale.

At the same time, the daily influx of workers has created mounting concerns over traffic congestion. This year, Scottsdale is starting work on its first-ever master transportation plan in an effort to reduce the effects of job growth on commuters.

"You do that by trying to create a variety of alternative modes of transportation, and that’s what we’re really trying to embark on more seriously than we ever have before," Manross said. "We need to plan for 20, 30 years down the road."