The Town Council will be holding a public hearing and considering a final vote on its $32.5 million budget proposal for the 2019/2020 fiscal year when it meets on Tuesday, June 4.

The budget is highlighted by staffing as there is a proposed raise for town employees and the addition of new positions in the plan.

At the council’s urging, staff added the wage increase for town employees. With this budget, town workers will receive a total 3.5 percent wage hike over the next fiscal year. That will come as a 2 percent increase with the start of the new fiscal year in July and the additional 1.5 percent will be added with the beginning of the new calendar year in January 2020.

In proposing the increase, council members expressed appreciation for the hard work in carrying the load with minimal staffing and wishing to retain current personnel and make it easier to attract new people.

The budget proposal also includes an increase in staffing from 56 full-time-equivalents to 61 for the new fiscal year.

Staff budget requests include the addition of a senior building inspector, code enforcement officer, procurement officer, streets technician and a part-time accounting clerk.

Costs related to the building inspector would be offset by elimination of a third-party inspection contract. Some of the other new staff would have expenditure offsets to cover costs.

Public safety costs make up roughly one half of the town’s operating budget with its contracts with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and Rural/Metro Corp.

The two contracts total nearly $9 million with $4.7 million to MCSO and just over $4 million to Rural/Metro. Both have annual increases written into their contracts.

The capital projects plan for the year has a budget of $3,197,250.

The planned capital work includes enhancements to Golden Eagle Park drainage to mitigate future flooding, sidewalk infill projects and several other drainage and storm water related projects. Improvements at Four Peaks Park are included as well as a building at the street maintenance yard. Money is also included for preliminary planning and design work for other street improvements.

The council meeting is scheduled for council chambers at Town Hall beginning at 5:30 p.m.