Construction of new homes in the city of Maricopa continued to fizzle at the end of 2010 as builders pulled six permits in December.
Six is the second lowest number of permits issued by the city in a month. The all-time low was two permits issued in October.
For the calendar year, 186 permits were issued, resulting in a monthly average of 15.5. These numbers make 2010 the slowest on record for the city. The previous low for a calendar year was set in 2009 when 400 permits were pulled.
The construction of homes brings money to the city in the form of permit fees and sales tax on newly built homes, and Maricopa bases its budget partially on the number of building permits it expects to issue.
This fiscal year, which runs July to June, the city initially budgeted for an average of 33 permits a month. More recently, that number was lowered to 10 permits a month. Shortly afterward, in response to the downward adjustment, the city council made nearly $1 million in budget cuts.
Related Stories:
