Scottsdale council adopts tentative FY2025-26 budget with amendments; funds for wildlife-crossing study, changes to CIP noted

The Scottsdale City Council adopted a tentative fiscal year 2025-26 budget and five-year capital improvement plan on May 20 after debate about capital timing, departmental vacancies and several community priorities.

Budget staff presented the changes between the proposed and tentative budgets, including moving a $400,000 Scottsdale Arts increase from operating to contingency, relocating certain staff across departments, and shifting timing on several capital projects. The budget document also added a $250,000 feasibility study for a Rio Verde wildlife crossing to the FY2026 capital budget and included a $1.4 million grant-funded fire truck. Staff reported several completed projects were closed out, producing roughly $4.4 million in savings for the five-year CIP; some bond projects and large park projects were moved outside the immediate five-year window pending feasibility studies.

Scott Selden, budget director, explained that the tentative budget imposes a maximum expenditure ceiling per state law and summarized net changes from the proposed budget. City treasurer Sonia Andrews and city manager Greg Caton participated in discussion; Caton told council that schedule changes on a bridge and other design work explain moving some construction timelines.

Council members and public speakers made several points during the budget hearing. Public commenters included Harold (60 Eighth Street Sidewalk Association) thanking council for funding their sidewalk; Robert Halligan of the Preserve Commission and Raul Zubia urged the council to keep the Rio Verde wildlife overpass feasibility study in the budget; and Sgt. Dan Serbolic, president of the Police Officers of Scottsdale Association (POSA), thanked the council for steps to improve police compensation.

Council debate focused on police compensation and head count, pavement-condition funding, park maintenance (notably in south Scottsdale), and fiscal controls on capital projects. Councilman Barry Graham praised the budget as shifting focus toward "public safety, potholes and parks" and noted increased police pay and pension funding were priorities. Councilwoman Solange Whitehead and others emphasized the need for a detailed review of vacancies (the tentative budget includes roughly $22 million associated with vacancies and related offsets) and the need to better prioritize long-term pavement investments.

Mayor Lisa Borowski moved to adopt the tentative budget with one amendment: restore two full-time positions to the mayor's office (an executive assistant and a management-analyst-level position) that had been reallocated earlier in the budget process; Councilwoman Cathy Littlefield seconded. An alternate motion to adopt certain ordinance numbers as presented failed, and the mayor's amended motion subsequently passed. The tentative budget is subject to final adoption at the June 10 meeting; staff indicated certain items may return with fuller detail and that contingency and reserve adjustments remain possible.