Welcome to Mesa, Arizona. Mesa, located in Maricopa County, is one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities, with a population that grew by more than 37 percent between 1990 and 2000. There are solid reasons for Mesa’s growth: low costs of doing business, reasonable tax structure, skilled and well-educated workforce, low crime rate, superior schools, affordable housing and an excellent quality of life.

As part of the Phoenix-Mesa metroplex, Mesa is the third-largest city in Arizona and the nation’s 40th-largest city. Taking advantage of Mesa’s attractive lifestyle, more than 430,000 people call Mesa home. The City provides the advantages of a thriving metropolis while maintaining the feel of a suburban environment. Just 15 miles east of Phoenix, Mesa covers 128 square miles.

With dynamic recreational, educational and business environments, Mesa enjoys the best in a variety of amenities including parks within easy walking distance from home, a variety of sports facilities that cater to athletes young and old, highly rated golf courses for every skill level, a diversity of special events and community festivals, and Mesa’s ever-popular Chicago Cubs Spring Training baseball.

With a sophisticated infrastructure and highly professional local government, the City of Mesa has a council-manager form of charter government. The City operates under a district system of council representation, with the mayor elected at large and six councilmembers elected by district.

The City Manager, appointed by the Council, is the chief administrative officer carrying out the policies of the City Council and directing a full-service, customer-oriented municipal organization with more than 3,800 employees. The City provides a full range of municipal services including police and fire protection, parks and recreation, libraries, transportation, neighborhood outreach and general administration. In addition, the City owns and operates several enterprises including the operation of electricity, gas, water, wastewater, solid waste, aquatics, airports, golf courses and a community center.

Many City offices are located in the Mesa City Plaza building, 20 E. Main St., including the Mayor and City Council, City Manager, City Clerk and City Attorney. The Municipal Building, at 55 N. Center St., houses Tax and Licensing, Utilities Customer Service, and Planning and Zoning. Additionally, Personnel, Code Compliance and Information Services are located at the South Center Campus, 200 S. Center St. For general information, call (480) 644-2011.