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Council approves final budget
Posted
The Town Council has approved the final version of its annual budget for the 2018/19 fiscal year with a total of $32,414,866.
The final budget was voted on by the council at a June 5 special session in conjunction with the regular meeting. The vote was 5-0 with a vacant seat left with the resignation of Cecil Yates, who is running for mayor, and Councilman Art Tolis, who was absent.
The tentative budget approved in early May was adjusted to remove $7 million that had been included in the event voters approved a primary property tax proposal.
The budget includes two rounds of staff salary increases for the coming year. Those are included at 2.5 percent each in July and again in January (2019). There will be no request for any staff salary increases for the following fiscal year (2019/20).
The budget proposal includes only one additional part-time staff position for information technology support.
The budget proposal also includes about $200,000 to begin Phase I of a five-year plan for improvements to Four Peaks Park. The overall facility is considered outdated and not serving the needs of the neighborhood as it should.
The proposed budget boasts $4.1 million in capital projects including design work for Shea Boulevard widening, Fountain Hills Boulevard shoulder paving, sidewalk completion and contingency.
Breaking down the budget plan by core services from all funds it includes public safety, $8.1 million; general government, $2.1 million; administration, $2.9 million; public works, $1 million; development services, $1 million; community services, $2.5 million; excise tax for funding downtown, economic development and tourism, $544,955; special revenue funds (capital, streets, environmental), $11.5 million and debt service, $2.7 million.
The budget was prepared based on a flat trend analysis for revenue increases. A modest increase in state shared revenues is anticipated, building permit activity includes Adero Canyon and FireRock development. Additional priority staffing levels are considered based on necessity.
Projections do not presume development on the State Trust Land within the next five years.
There were contract increases for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (10.1 percent) and Rural/Metro (3 percent).
