Chandler’s chief financial officer, Dawn Lang, talks about the limbo the city is in regarding federal grants and federal programs during a Feb. 20 Chandler City Council work session.
Courtesy of City of Chandler
This chart shows how much COVID-era one-time state and federal funding was used for Chandler projects over the past few budget years and how much of it disappears this budget cycle and in the years ahead.
There are many unknowns in annual Arizona municipal budget planning in February. This year, looking at how one Chandler budget session went, there’s even more uncertainty.
Immediate and planned cuts to several federally funded program areas create uncertainty, Chandler’s chief financial officer said. Dawn Lang said there are about $70 million in federal grants for which the city is unsure about them being in jeopardy.
Much hinges on decisions the Trump administration and/or federal agencies announce regarding federal grants and other programs.
Lang, in a Feb. 20 citizen survey and budget process presentation, talked about announcements made in the early days of the Trump administration about federal terminations and funding freezes for a long list of programs — some of which affect Chandler.
“We were very concerned about Section 8 and emergency housing,” Lang said. “And we recently found out those are not part of the freeze.”
Council member Matt Orlando clarified that those two programs have placed people in homes, for whom the city would need to take some type of action if that $900,000 per month in federal funding — almost $11 million annually — disappeared.
Lang said yes, those populations would be at risk. She also said the city also has about $480,000 in monthly housing and community development programs that could be canceled.
“We haven’t heard back on those,” Lang said.
That total would come to $5.76 million per year — and that’s before looking at other areas where Trump has ordered or threatened to cancel funding or end programs.
Lang said there are also about $70 million in federal grants that are in various stages of approval.
“If we start spending money in grants where we haven’t received the money yet, and we don’t get it, then we need to use our general funds,” Lang said.
She said there are other potential federal and state changes that might impact Chandler, such as the proposed federal elimination of tax-exempt bond status.
The next public steps in the city’s annual budget process are 4 p.m. work sessions set for Monday and Thursday, March 24 and 27. These will be held in the City Hall conference room.
The March 27 session will be dedicated to capital improvement projects.
On May 2, council will hear from department heads in a daylong budget briefing in council chambers. In May, as part of a regular meeting, council is set approve its tentative budget adoption.
That will be followed with a public hearing and final budget and capital project adoption at June 12 meetings and the final adoption of the annual tax levy on June 26.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
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