The town of Buckeye is about to disappear. Unofficial results of Tuesday’s election showed Buckeye voters decided by about a 4-to-3 margin to become a city.
The vote was based on recommendations from city officials. Mayor Jackie Meck said the change will help Buckeye with economic development and job creation, but some critics doubt the change will make much difference and believe it could eventually lead to higher taxes.
Buckeye has grown explosively since 2000, when Census figures showed it had 6,500 residents. Last year, its population was about 55,000, making Buckeye the ninth fastest growing community in the country.
Voters Tuesday decided only to change the name from Town of to City of Buckeye, but the decision gives Buckeye the ability to adopt a charter to establish powers and authority under state law. There are no plans to do that right now.