Queen Creek council adopts FY2025-26 final budget and corporate strategic plan

Queen Creek Town Council on May 22 unanimously approved the town's fiscal year 2025-26 final budget and adopted the corporate strategic plan for the coming year.

The council voted 7-0 to adopt the $628,000,000 final budget after a public hearing and a brief presentation by Deputy Town Manager and CFO Scott McCarty and Town Manager Bruce Gardner. Councilmembers also unanimously approved the FY26 corporate strategic plan, which McCarty described as the guiding document that links the town's priorities to the budget.

Why it matters: Council and staff said the budget ties resources to five strategic priorities—effective government, safe community, secure future (utilities), superior infrastructure and quality of lifestyle—and preserves a property-tax freeze while directing nearly half the budget toward capital and infrastructure projects.

McCarty told the council the final budget reflects two notable changes from the tentative plan: the town closed a long-running water purchase transaction (described in the presentation as the Harquihala water purchase) and approved the acquisition of land for a future park (the Bridal land), which…