City volunteers save Scottsdale $3.4 million

Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega has proclaimed April 21-27 as Scottsdale Volunteer Appreciation Week, recognizing the thousands of citizen volunteers who make a difference in the city every day.

In the last fiscal year, more than 3,700 resident volunteers contributed in excess of 114,000 hours of service to the community, which saved the taxpayers an estimated $3.4 million in labor costs, according to a press release.

The city’s volunteer workforce is larger than its paid staff by nearly 1,000 people — evidence of Scottsdale residents’ commitment to maintaining and improving the world-class community they call home.
“Volunteers truly are the city’s supplementary workforce. The real value of the volunteer program, though, isn’t so much the amount of work that is accomplished, but simply that it allows people to engage with their community, connect with others and find purpose,” Scottsdale Volunteer Coordinator Brandon Chapman said in the release.

Chapman recently made and appearance on Podsdale, a city of Scottsdale podcast, to share details on some of the remarkable work our volunteer programs have produced.

Nearly every department in every corner of the city benefits in some way from the service of volunteers. From Adopt-a-Road sponsors to the Old Town Ambassadors, volunteerism is the “secret” behind many of the unique attributes and services that make Scottsdale an exceptional place to be, for residents and visitors alike.

“Scottsdale carries so much beauty, is a clean city and is a great place to do business due to our residents who volunteer side-by-side with our employees,” Ortega said in the release. “Our entire Council is exceedingly grateful for all the Scottsdale community volunteers who serve as ambassadors and stewards, work on beautification crews, assist our public safety personnel and so much more.”