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THE NEWSPAPER OF AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, GOODYEAR, LITCHFIELD PARK & TOLLESON
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Big changes in Avondale PAGE
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NEWS .............. 4 Hundreds of jobs headed to Buckeye project?
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The Voice of the West Valley for 35 years
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February 3, 2021
Goodyear passes utility, aquatic center rates BY TOM SCANLON
West Valley View Managing Editor
Goodyear City Council passed a new utility-rate plan that raises rates by 14% over the next four years — a reduction from an earlier proposal that called for a 21% increase in combined water, sewer and garbage collection by 2025. And council agreed to a reduced rate for the Goodyear Recreation and Aquatic Center, scheduled to open in June. “Based on public input,” as Finance Director Doug Sandstrom put it, the city not only will not raise water, sewer or garbage collection rates this year, Goodyear is reducing combined charges by 3% in 2021. An average Goodyear combined utility monthly bill of $121 in 2020 will be reduced to $117 this year — but will increase to $138 per month in 2025. Though Goodyear utility rates are significantly higher than neighboring cities Avondale, Glendale and Peoria, the city leaders noted after public input they are not raising rates as much as originally planned. “I’m thrilled with what we’re doing, and
Goodyear City Council approved new utility rates and a discounted annual pass of $75 for the first year of the Goodyear Recreation and Aquatic Center, being constructed and scheduled to open in June. The centerpiece of the aquatic center is a giant slide. (West Valley View photo by Tom Scanlon)
I’m proud of it,” Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord said during the Jan. 25 meeting. Councilman Bill Stipp noted, “The public process works.”
But Stipp and Lord sharply disagreed on Stipp’s idea to give Goodyear residents a
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Gun sales challenge supply during pandemic BY ALLISON ENGSTROM West Valley View Staff Writer
West Valley gun shops report gun sales that were peaking months ago have fallen drastically — though demand remains high, supplies are extremely low. With increased demand, store owners are
challenged with keeping products on their shelves at places like AZFirearms in Avondale, owned by Dan and Cheryl Todd since 2003. “Since COVID, about February of last year, there have been millions of brand-new gun owners,” Dan said. “These are ones that
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have never owned a gun before because they want to protect or defend themselves. … This is interesting because they need help in picking the right kind of firearm.” At Arizona Gunner in Buckeye, “I’m getting
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