Cave Creek council unanimously approves $75 million FY2026 budget with open-space placeholder

Speaker 1 said the Cave Creek Town Council unanimously approved a fiscal year 2026 budget of just over $75,000,000 that includes approximately $18,000,000 earmarked as a placeholder for potential acquisition of roughly 4,005 acres of Arizona State Trust land within town boundaries. "In June, the town council unanimously approved the fiscal year 26 budget of just over $75,000,000," the presentation stated.

The presenter said the budget process was guided by the town's comprehensive strategic plan, with priorities including fiscal sustainability, economic vitality, public safety and infrastructure. The council also directed the town manager to form an open-space ad hoc committee composed of town residents to examine future use and potential acquisition; the committee is finalizing a report that will be posted at cavecreekaz.gov.

The presentation did not name a motion mover or provide a roll-call vote list; it described the approval as unanimous. The budget text in the presentation ties the placeholder to potential open-space acquisition; no purchase was completed at the meeting and the ad hoc committee will examine options before any acquisition decision.

Background details provided in the presentation noted the town relies on sales tax and user fees rather than a property tax to fund services. The speaker also reported a nearly 12% increase in sales tax revenue in fiscal 2024–25, driven largely by an 84% increase in construction sales taxes.

Next steps: the ad hoc committee will finalize its report and present recommendations to the council; the presentation said the report and recommendation will be available on the town website.