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Chandler holds first public hearing on renewing home‑rule expenditure limit for November ballot
Summary
City staff described how Chandler’s ‘home rule’ option replaces an outdated state formula and said the city’s projected FY27/28 expenditures exceed the state cap by roughly $232 million; council scheduled a second hearing and staff will publish explanatory materials ahead of a vote to place the measure on the Nov. 3 ballot.
City staff presented the first required public hearing on a proposed local alternative expenditure limitation — commonly called the home‑rule option — that would allow Chandler to budget based on local revenues rather than a state formula tied to 1980 spending.
Sylvia, speaking for the city, told the council that the Arizona Constitution sets a maximum spending limit using a formula tied to the 1979–80 base budget and adjusted for population and inflation, and that Chandler has used the local home‑rule option since 1982. She said Chandler voters have approved home rule repeatedly and the most recent approval in August 2022 covers budgets through fiscal year 2027–28.
“The preliminary projected amount over the state limit is about $232 million,” Sylvia said, summarizing staff’s fiscal comparison between state‑calculated limits and the city’s anticipated FY27/28 expenditures. She added that home rule does not increase taxes and that if voters reject home rule the city would need to identify about $232 million in reductions, though staff have not yet specified which programs would be affected.
Council members asked practical questions about outreach and past voting patterns. Mayor Harky and others noted that voters historically approve home rule by large margins; staff said the topic is typically procedural rather than controversial and promised a clear landing page and presentation slides for residents.
The city will hold the second statutorily required public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 26; staff said council will then be asked to adopt a resolution to place home rule on the Nov. 3 ballot, and that a two‑thirds council majority is required to place the question before voters.
