[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6260251,"mediaKeyId","3134187-7eac4ebe5008821a139e61416e3d2b27","parentId",3134187,"title","Tempe staff present $1.7 billion operating and capital proposal; council urged caution over lost rental tax","audioSeconds",804,"startMs",630485,"endMs",1434789,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3134187-7eac4ebe5008821a139e61416e3d2b27&start=630&end=1434","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3134187-7eac4ebe5008821a139e61416e3d2b27/thumbnail_630485.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6260251/Tempe/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Tempe-staff-present-17-billion-operating-and-capital-proposal-council-urged-caution-over-lost-rental-tax","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6260251-441b9e858d34e4d1b53dafa0bcf52083/orig.mp4?Expires=1771123338&Signature=ZOVtGv2OWh-ZqKJdS67lpVKX5p-uOI1c-tuEu9dbXgBmLlNoiiWQt1uugbs8XiAHJHmCnrgZHyir6yrG7QJONhNl~bXx61-2d0c9Nr1NLhgViPEkK7JeF97rJbgMHjLR5rVB0lQgaYw8SC0H0nwJjJtLgbBAtxtfI0TgT3YrLo7S-ZRG4TqOp7Oqy4kImWtAaEsLwJFj-ZMb82tIMD1tno7SSaaai3QI1NcO8WjQyjP0je2mx4XQDQFBl2GlQFan9H~HpoEdKX2Y~rLLeWxl6KKnukCfnpoOizvN1t9eu29eMlWs6BOSD5yHfmgsdtEV5tSGlJCCW0sTtRHwOzZYmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Tempe, AZ","date","2025-04-25T01:30:33Z","article","Lisette Camacho, presenting to the Tempe City Council on April 24, said, \"This presentation is our last budget review session before we go into the tentative budget process.\" She and Julie Hyder walked council through the recommended operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2026 and the five-year capital improvement program.

Camacho said the operating and capital budgets together total $1,700,000,000 and that the recommended operating budget for FY2026 is about $875,000,000, a 7.4% increase over the prior year. She said the recommended general fund total is $344,000,000 and highlighted planned additions including three firefighters and two parks maintenance technicians; staff counted five regular full-time equivalents added overall.

The presentation listed several key budget pressures and responses. Camacho and Hyder told council that the city is planning drawdowns of fund balance beginning in FY2026 as a result of the elimination of the residential rental sales tax. Hyder summarized that \"the residential rental tax elimination became effective last January and this is the cost on the revenue loss for fiscal year 25: $10,000,000 across all funds, $6,600,000 in the general fund,\" and noted the forecasted average revenue impact in later years was about $22,000,000 annually.

Hyder and Camacho also reviewed the capital program. Julie Hyder said the five-year CIP totals $1,900,000,000, with the recommended first-year appropriation shown at $832,600,000. She called out a 23% increase in the water/wastewater program largely driven by reappropriations and a project to reactivate the reclamation facility, and said the transit program increase reflected federally funded projects and pathway maintenance work.

Council members praised staff work but raised timing and risk questions. Councilmember Brad Adams told staff, \"You guys did a great job with this budget under difficult circumstances,\" and welcomed the planned firefighters and fund-balance approach. Councilmember Amberg said she was concerned about restoring department budgets to pre-cut levels at a time of national uncertainty and about relying on an internal monitoring cadence that could postpone detailed council-level adjustments. She urged earlier council updates so that midyear spending does not foreclose options.

Camacho responded that staff meet regularly with department directors and recommended adopting the requested budget as the tentative budget (which sets the city's maximum spending level) while instructing departments to be conservative on noncritical hires. She told council she expected internal discussions in May or June to review revenues and would return to council sooner than November if conditions required it.

Councilmembers also asked about grant and financing risks. Camacho said the city is monitoring roughly 79 grant awards totaling about $38,000,000 and that Community Development Block Grant and housing programs present the greatest program risk if federal funding changed. On tax-exempt bonds she said, \"no decision has been made on that; we're still watching that\" and that consultants and the Government Finance Officers Association were tracking developments.

Staff reiterated a set of budget balancing strategies: limiting cash funding for capital projects not already in the adopted CIP, drawing down particular reserve accounts (including $1 million annually from a public safety pension reserve and $500,000 annually from OPEB reserves starting in FY2026), and relying on the classification and compensation study recommendations (the first full study since 1988) to address market competitiveness.

Camacho and Hyder closed by outlining the approval timeline: staff expect a tentative budget adoption and later public hearings and final adoption in the May–July cycle. No formal funding decisions were made during the work study session.

Looking ahead, council asked staff to keep the entire body informed with an earlier update if revenues deteriorate; staff agreed to provide additional updates as monitoring warrants.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tempe City Council - Work Study Session - April 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Lisette Camacho, presenting to the Tempe City Council on April 24, said, \"This presentation is our last budget review session before we go into the tentative budget process.\"","taxTitle","Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona","taxId",2209,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6260240,"Council authorizes drink‑spiking education subcommittee; heat‑safety and lake revitalization subcommittees report progress",0,4282335,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3134187-7eac4ebe5008821a139e61416e3d2b27&start=4282&end=4282","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3134187-7eac4ebe5008821a139e61416e3d2b27/thumbnail_4282335.jpg","/articles/6260240/Tempe/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Council-authorizes-drinkspiking-education-subcommittee-heatsafety-and-lake-revitalization-subcommittees-report-progress","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6260240-3f01caa85f7c83c1f6392bdfab09a0d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771123339&Signature=V9Pr0N1iIogIIanYJ1GWmPAXAZ1d6TQvkVE~6N9ip12HcVAQGT-faZfOQlKehR~zeaS5Sj7Vd6wZ-0YTjmqxG6eWfXNdX9DX34fr04SlSgM72Oq5G8oxpnNr6tWtiVKfYgD4Jr5Al9KOcuI32rdIqJU~QCDiCIPl52zTQeeYsnRtK9k6HrM8RxEPhJESDCZehuuOqvrFyNWVke9O10zCivNF1oAKjOwas217g5dbbLbRjjTUZ-D99Xi4EE9aZnUOgyubJfMStY2W8tvAidEzwuugPgFmDIyXrxmdN7OoMLdqre1-ymJHYs--efeYKz4IbtpxsQyy5lseQW1Nb5SplQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilmember Keating proposed formation of a council subcommittee on drink‑spiking education and prevention and said she and Vice Mayor Garland \"would like to propose a subcommittee on drink spiking education and prevention\" to \"look at various tactics to inform the public how to go out and enjoy Tempe's nightlife safely.\" Keating asked the council to consider trainings for industry staff and prevention tools; she cited a statistic that only one in ten drink‑spiking incidents is reported.

Mayor Corey Woods asked whether council members had questions and, finding none, confirmed Keating and Garland had authorization to move forward with the new subcommittee.

Separately, subcommittee status updates provided brief reports: the Heat Safety for Tempe and Contract Workers subcommittee (chaired by Keating) said it has a draft ordinance that will go to public comment and that members of the subcommittee have worked with stakeholders to craft robust protections that extend to contract workers. The Increased Advocacy for Tempe Youth with Disabilities subcommittee reported an upcoming meeting scheduled for April 25. The Nuisance Ordinance subcommittee noted the ordinance will be heard for second reading on May 1. The Revitalization of Tempe Town Lake subcommittee reported staff are preparing RFPs and RFQs and that further subcommittee work will likely resume in early fall after solicitations are issued.

No formal votes beyond the authorization to proceed with the drink‑spiking subcommittee were recorded in the work study session minutes.","The council authorized a new subcommittee on drink‑spiking education and prevention after a proposal from Councilmember Keating and Vice Mayor Garland; updates were given on existing subcommittees including a draft heat‑safety ordinance for contract workers and upcoming RFP/RFQ work for Tempe Town Lake revitalization.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6260245,"Tempe presents Hayden Butte and Papago preserves management plan, proposes MOU with tribal partners and stewardship program",1768,2378975,4147660,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3134187-7eac4ebe5008821a139e61416e3d2b27&start=2378&end=4147","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3134187-7eac4ebe5008821a139e61416e3d2b27/thumbnail_2378975.jpg","/articles/6260245/Tempe/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Tempe-presents-Hayden-Butte-and-Papago-preserves-management-plan-proposes-MOU-with-tribal-partners-and-stewardship-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6260245-ec96eaf8296c9a2a7cbead323c70576f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771123339&Signature=jY~bP1bSOsFcGxXmRGQpO-tU78AAE1Wr5NCRpHAaLDoNPT2QReiElxhBc66yvMOJj1bLdHbwEUm9oeEW3T5TX5q8uDBEPh~kDgQs6a3KX2-el1rVskf4olLFFMehvZVa9C2YGWc2cCHs5rwT3uij6qvDYU-nsaLIw5GLuldJPjVFFSk4ITdPgXXNWjuBXI0LmkKaxdHLoXOE1wyVDso6UVReMBjpBrZ17L6zxoLVhJDAAzjpmtI-Oi1vmIhLCsrgC0Tk-D0t5UxwJFLXT87aylLpA9XKvUWjPrqZYHuB-9LGfcDWouAYvVeoRfX54eugD6X6yNAD0lnMJE6mUHbXQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alex Jovanovich, deputy community services director for park services, and Alex Cortese, community services manager for parks maintenance, presented the Hayden Butte and Papago Preserves management plan to the Tempe City Council on April 24 and described the plan as \"a structured approach to preserve the environmental integrity, historical significance, and recreational value\" of the preserves.

The plan was developed by consultant Logan Simpson (contracted in fall 2023) and incorporates community engagement: staff reported roughly 200 participants across four workshops and about 600 survey responses. The consultants performed a class 3 cultural resources survey of Papago Preserve and a traditional cultural place study that identified sites of cultural and spiritual significance to living tribal communities; City Historic Preservation Officer Zach Lechner assisted with consultations.

Key recommendations include forming a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community to guide culturally sensitive stewardship; developing a formal trails assessment and trails plan; restoring native vegetation and eradicating invasive species (including stinknet); improving signage and designated access points; piloting a volunteer park steward program; and identifying alternative locations for bicycle jump areas currently built by community members inside preserves.

Cortese explained that some informal features, such as bike jumps, developed before the preserves were formally designated and now present both ecological and enforcement challenges. He said the staff recommendation is to \"work with the stakeholders... to try to identify an alternative location somewhere outside of sensitive areas\" and, where appropriate, restore the disturbed areas to native habitat.

Staff described an implementation timeline with short-term actions (first three years) focused on initial restoration, a trail assessment and the MOU; medium-term work (four to six years) centered on trail improvements and formal education programs; and long-term adaptive management tied to measurable success criteria. The plan lists 14 objectives with success metrics and notes approximately 45 specific recommendations; staff identified 10 objectives as high priority for initial focus.

Public comment and council discussion emphasized education and outreach. Kim Gaffney Loza, a Tempe resident who spoke earlier during the call to the audience, had urged attention to staffing for preserve rangers and volunteers; the presentation and subsequent council exchange acknowledged ranger presence has improved some conditions. Councilmember Chin encouraged collaboration with Tempe Tourism and local schools and universities to broaden education and outreach; Vice Mayor Garland and other councilmembers supported the volunteer steward approach and highlighted the importance of tribal consultations.

Staff said they would pilot a park steward program in late spring or early summer and continue community engagement with recreational user groups before implementing actions that affect user amenities. No formal council vote was taken; staff requested direction and support for prioritizing high-priority objectives and continuing community and tribal engagement.","City staff presented a management plan for Hayden Butte and Papago Preserves that includes 45 recommendations across 14 objectives, a proposed memorandum of understanding with Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, a pilot park steward program and measures to address trails, invasive species and informal bike jumps.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tempe staff present $1.7 billion operating and capital proposal; council urged caution over lost rental tax

Council authorizes drink‑spiking education subcommittee; heat‑safety and lake revitalization subcommittees report progress

Tempe presents Hayden Butte and Papago preserves management plan, proposes MOU with tribal partners and stewardship program