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Queen Creek approves FY2026 tentative budget; staff keeps $50 million CIP contingency
Summary
Queen Creek’s council voted unanimously to set the fiscal year 2026 tentative budget ceiling, a procedural step that gives staff maximum spending authority while reserving the right for council to lower the final adopted budget later.
The Queen Creek Town Council voted unanimously to set the town's fiscal year 2026 tentative budget ceiling, continuing the multi‑step adoption process that will return to council for a final budget vote in a subsequent meeting.
Deputy Town Manager and CFO Scott McCarty said the tentative budget reflects roughly a 6% reduction from the prior year, while preserving significant capital spending authority. Staff recommended maintaining a $50,000,000 contingency for the capital improvement program (CIP). McCarty described the contingency as an "expenditure authority" that allows the town to sign multi‑year construction contracts and carry forward unspent budget authority into future years; he said council approval would be required to deploy contingency funds to specific projects.
McCarty also reviewed the budget’s structure: about half of the town’s total spending is related to infrastructure across transportation, water, wastewater, parks, police and fire; operating expenditures were concentrated in police, transportation, and fire/medical services. He said staff programmed funding to allow for several known upcoming public‑safety expenses over the next three years, including the police headquarters mortgage and future dispatch-related costs, and estimated that those commitments influenced the level of funds held in reserve.
Staff told council the tentative budget includes roughly 37 new full‑time equivalents across the organization (34 in the operating budget), with the majority in police and fire. McCarty said work on capacity and impact fees for water and wastewater remains a staff priority.
Councilmember McClure moved to approve agenda item 10B, the tentative FY2026 budget as written; Councilmember Brown seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. Staff and council members discussed a plan to present more detailed reporting on the contingency’s use and options for future capital‑debt management.
Votes at a glance: Motion to approve the town’s FY2026 tentative budget (agenda item 10B); motion by Councilmember McClure; second by Councilmember Brown; outcome: approved unanimously.
