Chandler Council tables vote on new fee schedule

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

One item the Chandler City Council was supposed to cross off its to-do list this month was instead shelved.

The council’s tabling of a vote on a new citywide fee schedule, which it was set to vote on at its Nov. 7 meeting, not only pushed back the opportunity for the Community Services Department’s chance to recoup some of its non-subsidized fees, but it also could delay the city’s opportunity to begin implementing new or increased fees in areas like development, fire inspections and utilities.

The city advertised raising fees 60 days in advance of the Nov. 7 meeting. A vote is now planned on the schedule at the council’s Dec. 12 meeting.

The new fee schedule is set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2025. But it isn’t clear what could convince a majority of four council members to approve the new fee schedule, as is.

Chandler spokesperson Matt Burdick said while any fees left intact from the published proposed ordinance can be approved Dec. 12, any changes would need to be posted for at least 60 days for the new 2025-26 council to vote on.

The tabling of the final vote derailed a detailed, multiphase process of reevaluating fees that goes back at least a year and a half.

It was Vice Mayor O.D. Harris who first made a move to slow the process. Pointing out how some Chandler residents are on fixed or lower incomes, he mentioned how even though there’s a reduced rate for city residents on many price schedules, he still doesn’t want as much financial burden on them.

Harris was eventually joined by Mayor Kevin Hartke and council members Christine Ellis and Mark Stewart in voting to table the entire item. Council members Jane Poston, Matt Orlando and Angel Encinas voted against the motion.

“I don’t understand why we can’t leave costs the same for members of our community and raise fees for those outside the community,” Harris said.

City budget director Marr Dunbar explained a new punch-card system for residents who use city pools, for example, will be a price reduction. He also said items such as park pavilions aren’t usually rented by individual city residents.

“There are costs associated with those, in terms of the labor and materials to keep them clean,” Dunbar said. “And those aren’t typically rented by individuals. It’s more from large families and businesses who rent those.”

Dunbar, Community Services Director John Sefton, Mayor Hartke and council member Ellis all pointed out that the fee increases were determined by a long process that involved community input, staff calculations, committee work and at least one council work session, plus budget-process discussions last spring.

Harris seconded Stewart’s initial motion to amend the resolution that would raise the fees. He moved the city freeze community services fees for residents only and approve the rest of the increases as written. But the motion was defeated, 5-2, with only Stewart and Harris in favor.

Ellis seemed angry that the committee work didn’t lead to a smoother vote.

“We made sure our residents were taken care of,” Ellis said. “We have to keep these services in place and affordable, while also taking into account how inflation affects our supplies and contractor costs. These increases are something we hashed out with staff and traded information, and this is the first we’re hearing of these objections. There was plenty of time to raise these concerns. My work is valuable. I take my time in committee work. I come prepared. Why am I spending my time on that, and then we come to the dais, and it’s as if it was never talked about?”

We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this topic. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org.

INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA

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.

Community: He supports animal shelters.