Bullhead City adopts tentative 2025-26 budget; council agrees to fund pickleball shade area

Bullhead City Mayor Steve D'Amico and the City Council on June 3 adopted the city's tentative fiscal year 2025-26 budget and voted to include funding for a shade structure at Rotary Park's pickleball courts.

The council adopted Resolution No. 2025-R-27 to publish the tentative budget and set the hearing and final adoption dates. City Manager Cotter said the package reflects few changes from the budget workshop, adds contingency, and carries $1,000,000 set aside to build three indoor pickleball courts at the Optimum Community Center. Finance Director Toby said the schedules required by the state are included and noted the city does not levy a property tax; he reported roughly $52,000,000 in contingency across all funds.

Why it matters: The budget will determine which capital projects and services move forward in the year ahead; the council's action also responded to repeated requests from pickleball players for shade and indoor play options. The council and staff described the decisions as balancing infrastructure and public-safety priorities with community amenity requests.

Council and staff emphasized the city's broader fiscal picture. City Manager Cotter said the city recently invested more than $2 million to expand parking at the Optimum Community Center and that the planned indoor courts are part of a phased, pay-as-you-go approach to improvements there. Cotter said the gymnasium will have to be configured to generate revenue for rentals and events in addition to recreation use.

Public comment focused on shade at Rotary Park and timelines for indoor courts. Ken O'Gotta, representing the Bullhead Pickleball Club, told the council the club has more than 200 members and has raised about $15,000 toward shade structures; he asked the city both to install shade at Rotary Park and to restore access to indoor gym time at the Optimum center while longer-term work proceeds. Jim Gandy, a Bullhead City resident, clarified the group's request: he said players sought covered seating/bleacher areas between courts, not full court canopies.

Council members debated whether to add a budget amendment that night. Vice Mayor Dan Alfonso proposed a 50/50 cost split with the pickleball community for the shade; Public Works Director Angie Johnson estimated seating-area shade would likely fall under $50,000 and said the club had offered about $15,000 toward the cost. Several council members said they preferred to preserve contingency for infrastructure and public safety but were open to adding the shade funding if the council agreed.

The council approved adding the shade amendment to the tentative budget and directed staff to reflect a matching contribution from the…