The Great Recession of 2008 hit Phoenix as hard as most other cities.

By 2009, the city was in the midst of an unprecedented financial crisis, facing a deficit of more than $277 million and the possibility of having to disrupt services to the community.

That same year the mayor and city council appointed David Cavazos as city manager.

In January 2010, he created an Innovation and Efficiency Task Force composed of city staff and the public. Its charge: to find ways for the city to deliver city services more efficiently and maximize the use of limited taxpayer dollars.

The task force focused on key areas including:

• technology enhancement
• cultivation of regional public partnerships
• process improvement
• rightsourcing (assessing whether it is more efficient and effective to keep delivery of services in-house or contract them out to a third-party provider)
• communications

Since its inception, the task force has found ways to save the city nearly $60 million, ensuring its fiscal health, structurally balanced budget, and continued AAA bond rating. At the same time, it has involved members of the community in solving the city’s problems. City Manager Cavasos has set a new goal of $100 million in total savings by December 2015.

Visit the task force’s informative website to learn more.

Meet the Manager

David Cavazos

City Manager

David Cavazos was Phoenix city manager from 2009 to 2013. In his first two years, Cavazos triggered a major fiscal turnaround, resulting in a structurally balanced budget. A Chicago native, Cavazos joined the city in 1987 as a member of the nationally recognized Phoenix Management Intern Program. After completing the program, he worked in the Economic Development Department where he helped expand the city's economic base by aiding new business development and encouraging existing businesses to grow and expand. Later, he held a variety of key positions with the Aviation Department, including acting director, at a time when Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport experienced significant growth. He received his MS in management and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University. He is now the city manager of Santa Ana, CA.