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Florence council adds $500,000 for Jason Lopez Park, adopts amended CIP and tentative budget
Summary
After weeks of planning debate, the Florence Town Council voted to add $500,000 to the 2027 CIP for Jason Lopez Park, adopted the capital plan as amended and approved an amended tentative budget; council also approved routine contracts including storm repairs and a one-year solid-waste extension.
The Florence Town Council on May 19 approved amendments to its 202627 27 Capital Improvement Plan and tentatively earmarked funding for park and downtown revitalization projects.
Council member Benzina moved to add $500,000 for Jason Lopez Park improvements and to earmark an additional $500,000 for downtown revitalization; after discussion and a brief procedural withdrawal and re-motion the council adopted a $500,000 earmark specifically for Jason Lopez Park and then adopted the CIP as amended. The motion to add $500,000 for Jason Lopez Park passed on a roll-call vote with council members voting Aye; the council then voted unanimously to adopt the CIP as amended.
Mayor Eaton and several council members emphasized the need for a work session or retreat to scope projects and vet sources. "I think it's time that we reinvent ourselves and show them that we are historic and beautiful," Council member Bucielato said during the debate; other members pressed for clearer fiscal detail and staged implementation. Town staff told the council that the tentative budget can include placeholders to preserve authority to spend if council later decides how to allocate funds.
At the same meeting the council also: approved a consent-agenda contract (Town contract 26-072CUC using City of Mesa agreement 2025062) with East Valley Disaster Services Inc. for storm repairs at Silver King Marketplace not to exceed $67,523.88; approved the first of three optional one-year extensions with Waste Connections of Arizona for solid-waste and recycling services for 07/01/2026through06/30/2027, not to exceed $1,628,000; and adopted Resolution No. 1991-26 to set the tentative FY2026-27 budget (amended to include the Jason Lopez earmark).
Council members repeatedly asked staff for clearer schedules, cost estimates and a public engagement plan before committing to larger downtown investments. The council did not adopt a larger $1,000,000 revitalization earmark that had been discussed in earlier debate; it left open the possibility of additional midyear budget amendments or a retreat to prioritize projects.
Procedural votes and roll-call tallies on each item were recorded in the meeting minutes.
