The top proposed expenditure funded by the $155,819,660 budget, according to city records, is for public safety, $21,087,797.
City of Apache Junction
Finance Director Angelie Hawley
City of Apache Junction
City Manager Bryant Powell.
Posted
Line items in budget
The city of Apache Junction’s document for its tentative $155 million budget for fiscal year 2025-26 includes line items of expenditures from the general fund such as:
• $1,433,850 for south campus architectural design of police substation, library, park and maintenance yard.
• $700,000 for construction of library reading garden.
• $400,000 for aquatic center fencing and masonry replacement construction.
• $150,000 for dog park shade structures.
• $125,000 for surveillance cameras.
• $100,000 for freestanding restrooms at public safety range.
A public hearing and adoption of the tentative $155 million budget for fiscal year 2025-26 for the city of Apache Junction is slated for a Monday, May 19, meeting, with a public hearing and adoption of the final budget Monday, June 16.
Both meetings start at 7 p.m. in the city council chambers, 300 E. Superstition Blvd.
The proposed expenditures of the top five departments funded by the $155,819,660 budget, according to city records, are:
Public safety, $21,087,797;
Parks and recreation, $8,899,028;
Management services, $6,327,043;
General government operations, $6,107,262; and
Development services, $3,992,266.
The draft balanced city budget represents the council’s goals and objectives for the community, City Manager Bryant Powell said during a May 5 council budget work session.
He thanked the finance department for its work to “correlate where we ended the last fiscal year, where current revenues and current expenditures are at, and then to try to forecast where things are going. And in these times, sometimes that can be, you know, a little difficult.”
A total of $3.5 million is set aside in the budget for work at the Apache Junction Rodeo Grounds, 1590 E. Lost Dutchman Blvd.
“A couple years ago we purchased land at the rodeo grounds and this will be the next phase, the next chapter as we get going through that,” Powell said.
A total of nine new general fund employees are in the budget, four new water employees and two grant-funded employees, Powell said.
“And this budget also has in it right around July 1 a 2.5% step increase for all of our staff. That is not quite to the market that we compare to — it’s a little bit under — but the purpose of that is to keep the best we can in terms of managing what we’re not sure of in the marketplace,” he said.
The budget’s revenue go into three categories — general funds, special revenue funds and capital funds, Finance Director Angelie Hawley said during the work session.
If council approves the proposed budget, some of the larger capital improvements planned include $1.5 million for continued design of Weeke’s Wash, $2 million for Palm Wash detention improvements, $3 million for continued design for Southern Avenue and Palm Wash, $1.35 million for fleet vehicle replacement and $1.7 million for a south campus master plan, according to Hawley’s presentation.
Councilmember Bryan Soller thanked city staff for their efforts to put forward a balanced budget.
“I want to thank you for having a balanced budget unlike the state that always wants to take our money. So thank you to all of the people that worked on our budget to make it balanced,” he said.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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