[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6570299,"mediaKeyId","3210788-5316b0311c0cda0bcc18bd9b40380a00","parentId",3210788,"title","Payson council work study reviews FY26 draft budget, hears sharp debate over pool funding and staffing","audioSeconds",5134,"startMs",3155000,"endMs",8289000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3210788-5316b0311c0cda0bcc18bd9b40380a00&start=3155&end=8289","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3210788-5316b0311c0cda0bcc18bd9b40380a00/thumbnail_3155000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6570299/Payson/Gila-County/Arizona/Payson-council-work-study-reviews-FY26-draft-budget-hears-sharp-debate-over-pool-funding-and-staffing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6570299-9295a014cbda97c12f0161845f946d24/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192524&Signature=iLyM2cqy1kdojJU~Vgbe0sOf8Rj2Z2yptmdk56OpgtYW2wIcDjokoTmveKuRzWJUffQbpBo5BEJU-MKsnOa6eHzhAy53syAJbjKt-L9QTUGbHWO0AXt1XPL54FskMIQ~Rr95MMfNnBhCRRU2dqE0oN-4Z63PRkfOaWDJ14VQ2EyYK4WvG8~7JgqBf0xp3Q6OOLh26kkph6cv3wr2ZJ9v4r8MZsFwQFLux3zJI~diClxCztSxdIalqtePgZE87ew4eMyeejg~vBQzAKoXWR5ASJ0HJ3-WLQgjscFonCfnDCFTWPs0x7zdYYRw-009Di5L9IcJWEFEWt69in50Lremyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Payson","date","2025-05-06T00:00:00Z","article","Payson staff presented a draft fiscal 2025–26 budget at a May 6 work-study session that projects general-fund revenues roughly in line with planned expenditures and leaves limited uncommitted fund balance for new capital projects. Councilors spent much of the meeting debating priorities — including whether to fund a municipal pool, how to address rising personnel costs, and what capital projects to advance — and asked staff for additional analysis before finalizing the town’s expenditure limitation later in May.

Town finance staff told council the general fund projections show about $35.9 million in revenues against about $35.5 million in expenditures in the draft; the town expects an unrestricted general-fund balance of roughly $16 million this year, of which a $10 million policy reserve leaves about $5.9 million available for one-time uses. Staff said those available funds, combined with other sources such as HEERF and water funds, constrain what the council can commit to new capital projects without reducing reserves or increasing tax or fee revenue.

Council members pushed back on both revenue assumptions and new spending. Councilmember Charlie Bell called for sharper scrutiny of consultant, attorney and temporary-staff fees and urged the group to identify which services to preserve. \"We really need to evaluate what's happening with this budget,\" Bell said. Several members raised the same theme: personnel and benefits are the budget’s largest share and are the main drivers of the projected equilibrium between revenues and expenses.

Pool debate and capital priorities

A large portion of discussion focused on a possible aquatic center. Councilors and staff discussed plans under study and whether the town should commit general-fund dollars now to design and construction. Staff said a conceptual scoping process is ongoing and that the design team will return with a preferred option in a future meeting; council members said they need cost and financing scenarios before committing major dollars. \"If we come back and the design isn't anything that we really want, what do we do? We start all over again?\" one council member asked.

Council members differed on tradeoffs. Some favored prioritizing revenue-generating projects and repairs to existing assets — citing the event center, improvements to Ramsey Park and Green Valley Parkway among examples — while others argued for moving ahead on the pool if a feasible financing plan (bonds, grants or other sources) can be identified. Staff advised that committing the entire available fund balance to a single project would leave little room for other projects or for borrowing capacity.

Staffing, personnel costs and the hiring pause

The draft shows personnel costs are 74% of general-fund expenditures. Councilors pressed staff for scenarios to reduce ongoing operating costs and asked about pausing hires or narrowing vacant positions that are not essential. Town leaders said they plan to hire a permanent town manager soon and recommended that detailed staffing reorganizations or position eliminations be coordinated with that new manager. Several councilors asked staff to return with targeted scenarios (for example, a specified dollar target such as $500,000 or more in savings) showing how reductions could be achieved without undermining core public safety services.

Transit and other items

Council also received an update on the Bee Line transit service the town assumed from the senior center in 2023. Staff reported ridership growth since the town took over (about 9,000 rides in 2024) and said FY24 operating costs were about $362,801; the Arizona Department of Transportation reimbursed roughly $241,758 of that amount and local partners contributed about $83,000 toward the required local match, leaving the town’s FY24 share near $38,000.

Next steps

Staff recommended the council adopt a tentative expenditure limitation at the May 28 meeting and continue line-item review at a June 3 work session. Councilors asked staff to return with: (1) clearer, itemized options for reducing ongoing expenditures by a target amount, (2) the full pool-cost and financing analyses when available, and (3) additional detail on capital requests and grant timelines. Because the May 6 session was a work study, staff emphasized no formal budget votes were taken at that meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Payson - Payson Town Council - Work Study - May 06, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At a May 6 work-study meeting, Payson staff presented a draft FY26 budget showing revenues roughly matching expenditures and a limited fund balance for new capital projects. Councilors debated priorities including a proposed municipal pool, staffing levels, and capital projects such as the event center and Green Valley Parkway.","taxTitle","Payson, Gila County, Arizona","taxId",60910,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6570304,"Payson council reviews annual funding for senior center, humane society and brush pit; court agreement shows small decrease",3093,160000,3253000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3210788-5316b0311c0cda0bcc18bd9b40380a00&start=160&end=3253","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3210788-5316b0311c0cda0bcc18bd9b40380a00/thumbnail_160000.jpg","/articles/6570304/Payson/Gila-County/Arizona/Payson-council-reviews-annual-funding-for-senior-center-humane-society-and-brush-pit-court-agreement-shows-small-decrease","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6570304-7979b64ce575f42cdff7e02eb1b97a72/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192524&Signature=SInQauZ4sM4FqVkzDa-Zshgw8nEGnKlv6sovt8mLwDuWTLPRJWOkVG35zVVnxDxAfh4J1NuTj9GUf7dEMBg11FWkmu91BAIUhmUAm8L0pWWMIuklYuvG0Ynl~~8BuyYGaQ5w9qzHFGFtHgLXb4tz~3Lm3xdpYGYUsTY-dNEjQmWSZbZf3SbFLRvkXhq66gve5Kjik4uapnpIZudpdaFAR0YAnObTMRw6rcUJKeVNCkVMuI9gokOQiCcFDj3FNr3THtVlT9Ms5ivAFMjs5M9N65SJiYaEsL72E2nFtiFrcooq9Bjw0-ZcaIWOIeSoh4fFyZwrytJiVMRp0gmzEuc8fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Payson town staff and leaders of three nonprofit partners briefed the Common Council on May 6 about annual agreements that fund the senior center, the Humane Society and a regional brush pit, and council staff said a separate consolidated court agreement will cost the town less next year.

The presentations explained why the town contributes to those organizations and described the financial requests. Town staff said the senior center’s contract request is unchanged at $135,000; the Humane Society asked for an increase that staff described as $10,000 above the current contract; and the brush pit asked for a roughly 10% increase to its town subsidy, from $7,000 to $7,700. Town staff also told council the consolidated court agreement will decrease next year by about $8,126 annually.

The requests, staff said, are intended to support services the town would otherwise have to provide directly. “Annually, the town has contributed to three nonprofits that have been prequalified in accordance with council’s adopted ordinances,” town staff said during the meeting, describing the funding process and quarterly financial reporting requirements the groups must meet. Those quarterly reports are part of the funding policy the town enforces, staff said.

Brush pit operators described an increase in use and rising costs. Kevin McCully of the Fire Department noted the pits are the remaining element of an earlier regional fuels mitigation project and said last season the facility collected “over 4,600,000 pounds of biofuel” and that about 56% of the material came from Payson residents. Frank Aspelsol, manager of the Blattner Brush Pit, described operational challenges — equipment damage from metal and trash dumped in piles — and said the operator now uses cameras and metal detectors and needs funds for fuel and repairs. “We’re asking for a 10% increase,” McCully said on the brush pit’s behalf, adding that the operator’s cost of operation rose roughly that much year to year.

Humane Society leaders presented program demand and finance details. Mark Van Erne, vice chairman of the Humane Society board, told council the organization has experienced rising caseloads and higher fixed costs and reported an operating loss of about $36,000 in the most recent quarter. “We’re asking for an increase of $10,000,” Van Erne said. Humane Society staff described rising calls for service, increases in bites and dog-at-large complaints and also outlined the nonprofit’s efforts to raise private funds and run a resale store; they said the town contribution represents “a little less than 10%” of their budget and helps sustain animal-control services provided for the town by the Payson Police Department.

Senior center staff described services for older residents and the role of town support. Janice Chesser, director of development and marketing for the Senior Center, said the town’s $135,000 request funds roughly 17% of the center’s operating budget attributable to Payson residents and that Payson residents represent about 78% of the center’s clientele. She provided use figures through March showing thousands of congregate and home-delivered meals and nearly 3,849 rides in the transportation program.

Council and staff discussion focused on the size of the requests, reporting and permitting limits. A council member asked whether the brush pit charges users; Aspelsol and staff said the pit operates under a U.S. Forest Service permit and, because of those permit terms, the site can accept donations but cannot operate as a full commercial fee-for-service site. On enforcement of illegal dumping, Aspelsol said fines and signage have had limited effect and that Forest Service enforcement capacity in the county is small.

Town staff said each agreement would be placed on a future consent agenda for formal approval if council had no further changes. Because the May 6 meeting was a work study, staff emphasized no formal action would be taken at that session.

What’s next: staff will include the agreements on a future consent agenda, and nonprofits will continue to submit quarterly financial reports required under the town’s funding policy.","At a May 6 work-study session, Payson staff and nonprofit representatives described services tied to the town's annual support. Councilors heard requests for modest increases to two contracts, details on services and reporting, and that the consolidated court agreement will cost the town less next year.","actionData","errors"]

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Payson council work study reviews FY26 draft budget, hears sharp debate over pool funding and staffing

Payson council reviews annual funding for senior center, humane society and brush pit; court agreement shows small decrease