Report: Phoenix ranked among cities with most efficient public spending

PHOENIX — If you’re a resident of a city, town or a village, you most likely pay taxes on a regular basis.

(And we don’t want to know if you don’t.)

But for those who do pay taxes, you most likely would like to know how your tax dollars are being spent, right?

As residents, it is our responsibility to hold lawmakers responsible and ensure they are not spending your hard-earned money toward frivolous items and are instead using it to fix roads and bridges, fund schools and hospitals and overall make living there more pleasant.

If these sound like good ways to spend your tax dollars and you happen to live in Phoenix, then you’re in luck: the Valley was recently ranked one of the most efficiently-spending cities in the nation, according to WalletHub.

Out of 78 local governments, Phoenix ranked No. 10 in the nation for efficient public spending, falling behind cities like Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Dallas and Hialeah, Florida. New Orleans, Miami, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Houston rounded out the top five.

Jill Gonzalez with WalletHub said the city is spending “far below” the national average.

“Phoenix is spending far below the national average and yet (is) doing a lot with it,” she said. “So you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to per capita, only about $22.”

However, Phoenix fell immensely when it came to education and law enforcement spending, ranking 30 and 24 in the nation, respectively. The city redeemed itself with parks and recreational spending, coming in at No. 2.

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