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Sahuarita adopts $109.8 million fiscal 2026 budget; police building, multi‑use paths and school signal funded
Summary
The Town of Sahuarita adopted a $109,787,630 fiscal year 2026 budget at its June meeting, maintaining a $6 million rainy‑day reserve and funding major capital projects including a police building expansion, multi‑use path work and a traffic signal at Walden Grove High School.
The Town of Sahuarita adopted its final fiscal year 2026 budget, $109,787,630, at the June council meeting, approving the town’s spending and capital plan for the year beginning next week.
The budget keeps the town’s general‑fund operations and a $6 million policy reserve intact while programming $20.3 million in capital outlay, including a $5.85 million police department expansion, $1.6 million for multi‑use paths on El Toro and La Veta roads, Animax Park improvements and a $750,000 allocation toward a traffic signal at Walden Grove High School.
Finance Director A.C. Mariotti told the council the budget is balanced — planned financing sources equal planned uses — and is roughly $9.7 million (about 8%) below the current fiscal year’s adopted spending level because several one‑time resources are being spent down. Mariotti said beginning fund balances total about $54.6 million and ending fund balances are projected at $41 million; those beginning balances include bond proceeds and other capital carryforwards.
The general fund is the town’s largest fund at $68.2 million (62% of the total), Mariotti said; other major components include capital grants and intergovernmental revenues ($21.8 million) and taxes ($19.4 million). Enterprise and special‑revenue funds — wastewater, solid waste, transportation and grants — are budgeted separately in accordance with fund accounting rules.
Key capital and program items called out in the proposal were: - Police department building expansion and renovation — $5,850,000 (design and construction funding included) - Multi‑use pedestrian/bike paths on El Toro and La Veta Roads — $1,600,000 - Animax Park maintenance yard expansion and parking lot expansion (multiple projects) — part of a parks package of roughly $1.3 million - Walden Grove High School traffic signal — $750,000 (town staff said contractors are under way and the project is expected to be complete before school starts) - Court parking lot expansion and security upgrades — $550,000 - Technology upgrades across town systems — $443,000 - Wastewater treatment plant odor control design work and equipment replacements
Mariotti said the town will carry forward a contingency and other small sources (about $300,000) and that council may amend the budget later in the year if circumstances change, but that state budget uncertainty does not currently require changes to the FY2026 package.
After a public hearing at which no members of the public spoke on the town budget, the council adopted Resolution No. 2025‑0826 to approve the FY2026 budget. The motion carried unanimously.
The town manager and department leaders praised staff for the budget work and noted the town’s retreat and preparatory sessions helped clarify capital priorities for the council going into the new fiscal year.
