Open Government Transparency Takes A Nose-Dive Here In Mesa

Rumbles over the 15-year tenure of City Manager Chris Brady and the city's long-standing accounting standards are once again starting to flare-up in the increasing light shown in public exposure and scrutiny this year. Yesterday, a public records exemption was floated for City Auditor files at the request of both city manager Brady and Mayor John Giles

If the truth be told, that single action was more than just 'a little suspicious' . . .
Yes, they couched their argument by saying they wanted a change in the language used in the old ordinance or resolution or whatever it was way-back-when.
For two years they've been "circling the wagons" in a desperate defense to questions from one councilmember
Jeremy Whittaker who has a lot of ammunition . . .

Whittaker has repeatedly fired-off questions over the financial state-of-the-city - probing objective analytical questions that the other five city councilmembers have not understood why.
Data presented by city officials is questionable, accounting standards examined with more scrutiny, balances and deficits disguised with internal funds transfers, charges-and-fees for utilities usage have historically been used as tax income.

"On January 28, Truth In Accounting released its fourth annual Financial State of the Cities report, a comprehensive analysis of the fiscal health of the nation's 75 most populous cities based on fiscal year 2018 comprehensive annual financial reports. 

Cities have become more transparent over the last few years, thanks to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles set by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, which now require governments to disclose pension and other post-employment (OPEB) benefits on their balance sheets. If these benefits have not been fully funded, they are considered liabilities, or debt, because they represent money owed to government employees in their retirement.

This year, the study found that 63 cities do not have enough money to pay all of their bills, and in total, the cities have racked up $323 billion in municipal debt.

The study ranks the cities according to their Taxpayer Burden or Taxpayer Surplus™, which is each taxpayer's share of city bills after available assets have been tapped. 

Here are the rankings (from best to worst): 
Mesa is #42 

42. Mesa Taxpayer Burden: $5,300

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You most definitely will not hear City Manager Chris Brady or Mayor John Giles cheer-leading about that, but they both will try to sell you a series of jiggering and rigging their data  

TIA Data

2018 Financial State of Mesa (Released 1/24/2020)

Use Create Your Own City Chart to see additional financial, demographic and economic data for this and other cities

https://www.data-z.org/state_data_and_comparisons/city/mesa

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ADDENDUM
Grading the Finances of the Largest U.S. Cities

Rank	City	Taxpayer Share of City's Surplus or Liability	Grade
1	Irvine, Calif.	$4,100	B
2	Washington, D.C.	$3,500	B
3	Charlotte, S.C.	$3,400	B
4	Fresno, Calif.	$3,200	B
5	Plano, Texas	$2,800	B
6	Stockton, Calif.	$2,600	B
7	Lincoln, Neb.	$2,500	B
8	Aurora, Colo.	$2,200	B
9	Arlington, Texas	$2,100	B
10	Tampa, Fla.	$1,700	B
11	Raleigh, N.C.	$1,400	B
12	Tulsa, Okla.	$100	B
13	Corpus Christi, Texas	-$300	C
14	Oklahoma City	-$400	C
15	Long Beach, Calif.	-$500	C
16	Greensboro, N.C.	-$700	C
17	San Antonio, Texas	-$1,100	C
18	Wichita, Kan.	-$1,200	C
19	Louisville, Ky.	-$1,300	C
20	Bakersfield, Calif.	-$1,600	C
21	Fort Wayne, Ind.	-$1,700	C
22	Minneapolis	-$1,900	C
23	Henderson, Nev.	-$1,900	C
24	Las Vegas	-$2,100	C
25	Virginia Beach, Va.	-$2,100	C
26	Colorado Springs. Colo.	-$2,300	C
27	Chula Vista, Calif.	-$2,300	C
28	Orlando, Fla.	-$2,300	C
29	St. Paul, Minn.	-$2,300	C
30	Riverside, Calif.	-$3,300	C
31	Austin, Texas	-$3,300	C
32	Indianapolis	-$3,500	C
33	Memphis, Tenn.	-$3,700	C
34	El Paso, Texas	-$3,900	C
35	Los Angeles	-$4,000	C
36	Toledo, Ohio	-$4,100	C
37	San Diego	-$4,500	C
38	Sacramento, Calif.	-$4,600	C
39	Columbus, Ohio	-$4,800	C
40	Cleveland, Ohio	-$5,100	D
41	Detroit	-$5,100	D
42	Mesa, Ariz.	-$5,300	D
43	Santa Ana, Calif.	-$5,400	D
44	Seattle	-$5,400	D
45	Phoenix	-$5,500	D
46	Albuquerque	-$5,800	D
47	Anaheim, Calif.	-$6,200	D