Resident urges Mesa to curb expenditures and address rising pension liability
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Summary
A resident told the Mesa City Council the city faces growing general fund deficits and high pension liabilities and urged the council to reduce expenditures and prioritize pension funding in the 2025-26 budget.
Cary Davis, a Mesa resident, spoke during citizen comments at the May 12 council meeting to urge the city to reduce expenditures and address growing pension liabilities.
Davis said the current fiscal year’s general governmental revenues are $701,500,000 and expenditures are $705,700,000, producing a projected deficit of $4,300,000. For fiscal year 2025-26 he said the forecasted revenue is $667,400,000 and expenditures $718,900,000, creating a projected $51,500,000 shortfall. “If the city were to only spend $667,000,000 that they take in for 25-26 and not overspend by $51,000,000, the city would have then the opportunity to help to reduce that overage for pension,” Davis said.
Davis raised pension funding as a particular concern. He told the council the city’s net pension and OPEB liability was $1,768,824,000 for a prior fiscal year and that it increased by about $156 million for the fiscal year ending 2024; he said the funded ratios were roughly 51.54% for fire pensions and 50.67% for police pensions. He urged the council to consider expenditure reductions to improve the funded status of police and fire pensions.
The remarks were offered as citizen input; no council action followed during the meeting. Mayor John Freeman closed the public-comment period and the council adjourned after routine closing formalities.
Davis framed his comments as budgetary recommendations for council consideration during the upcoming budget process rather than a request for immediate action at the meeting.