El Mirage mayor highlights new digital services, parks expansion and public-safety gains in 2025 State of the City

Mayor Alexis Hermosillo presented El Mirage’s 2025 digital State of the City during the council meeting Wednesday, Feb. 19, outlining technology upgrades, parkland acquisition, public-safety milestones and infrastructure work.

Hermosillo said the presentation “showcases the many ways our city has invested in council priorities and values, such as transparency, safety, our parks, and our people.” She framed the changes as efforts to make city services more accessible and to increase transparency about how tax dollars are spent.

The mayor described several new and updated digital tools. Development services launched a 24/7 online permitting portal called Elm Online through SmartGov that allows customers to submit plans, track submittals and communicate about permits virtually. The finance department moved procurement posting and bid management to a digital portal called OpenGov, and the city budget is now available interactively through a platform called ClearGov, Hermosillo said. The city has won the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for five consecutive years and earned a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the thirteenth straight year, she added.

On parks and open space, Hermosillo said the city bought 13 acres adjacent to Basin Park last year to expand an existing system she described as more than 50 acres of parks, trails and open space. She invited residents to comment on amenities for the expanded parkland.

Hermosillo also summarized public-safety and utilities work. She said the El Mirage Police Department has added a community resource officer position to expand one-on-one engagement, and that the department earned accreditation through the Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program after responding to more than 12,000 calls for service in the past year. The fire department responded to more than 4,000 calls and, through a grant, acquired a training piece described in the presentation as a “drafts unit” that the mayor said saves the city millions of gallons of water annually. The utilities division has begun a water meter replacement program and has brought meter technicians in-house to improve customer contact during upgrades.

On capital projects, Hermosillo said El Mirage maintains more than 150 miles of paved streets and continues to use capital funds to address road and sewer needs. Projects she named included widening Geyser Road south of Peoria, a sanitary sewer replacement on Fifth Avenue and a drainage project on First Avenue. The city’s website, she said, hosts project updates and a schedule for the open budget meetings where projects are prioritized.

Hermosillo said the city has secured more than $2 million in grant funding since fiscal year 2024 and that economic development efforts are expected to bring about 550 new jobs in the coming year. She closed by encouraging residents to use the new online tools and to contact the mayor’s office or council members with questions.

The presentation was delivered as a video and accompanied by the city manager’s annual report, both of which the mayor said are available on the city’s website and social media channels.