$217M city of Apache Junction budget to be considered in June

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

Adopting the city of Apache Junction’s $216.7 million budget for fiscal year 2026-27 will be discussed and considered at a meeting in June.

The tentative budget of the same amount was approved during a special meeting of the city council on May 18.

“(W)e’ve got such great staff that got this all straightened out for us way in advance,” Councilmember Bambi Johnson said in making the motion to approve the tentative budget.

The final budget is to be considered at a meeting that begins at 7 p.m. June 15 in the council chambers, 300 E. Superstition Blvd.

The $216,771,334 million budget total includes $94,446,268 for the general fund, $94,713,056 for the special revenue fund and $27,612,010 for the capital projects fund, according to a summary schedule of estimated revenue and expenditures/expenses for FY 2027.

Projects to be funded by the budget, according to a May 4 council budget discussion, include:

• Continued design for Weeke’s Wash, $1.5 million

• Palm Wash detention improvements, $2 million

• Continued design for Southern Avenue and Palm Wash, $3 million

• Rodeo grounds construction, $4.9 million

• City services expansion, $10.2 million

The budget states $168,916,398 is the total of all funds for last year’s adopted/adjusted budgeted expenditures/expenses, with $82,077,047 being the beginning fund balance at July 1.

In separate votes May 18, the council approved the city’s fiscal year 2026-27 classification and compensation plan and recruit and sworn compensation plan; and also the city’s Public Safety Personnel Retirement System pension funding policy.

The latter is required annually to show the city’s intent in how to fund the pension policy, Assistant City Manager Matt Busby said May 18.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

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.