$474M in new capital projects planned in Chandler budget

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

Jeremy Abbott has a budgeted $131 million project.

The large figure is for water treatment plant improvements. It’s the largest item on a long list of more than $474 million in new capital projects proposed in the Chandler budget for fiscal 2027, which starts July 1 of this year.

“The excavation is still ongoing,” Abbott, the city of Chandler’s public works and utilities director, said about the current phase of the massive water treatment plant project, calling the main contract for the project — likely to be more than $100 million — as probably one of the most expensive single contracts in city history.

Abbott and about nine other department heads presented their FY27 budget requests at a daylong May 1 budget briefing for the Chandler City Council. The $131 million in FY27 — to be paid with water bonds — is not only accompanied by $23.5 million in follow-up costs in FY28, but is one of many expensive public works projects budgeted within FY27.

Reclaimed water facility improvements have a budgeted total of $45 million in water bond funds in FY27. A set of brine water treatment facility improvements is budgeted for more than $32 million over the next two fiscal years.

Abbott also went over other expensive FY27 projects, such as manhole rehabilitation and a $10.65 million sewer assessment and rehabilitation.

Abbott explained that manhole rehabilitation largely involves replacing the concrete structure of manholes with something “more corrosion-resistant.”

He said “starting small” includes rehabilitation between 90 and 100 manholes per year, eventually ramping up to between 300 and 350 per year.
One of the more high-visibility projects budgeted within the FY27 capital projects is a $2.26 million widening and other improvements along Kyrene Road, just north of Loop 202.

In the years ahead is city investment in the Bartlett Dam capacity increase project. While Chandler’s expected share in that investment is probably going to be among the most among Salt River Project customer cities, it’s still among Chandler’s cheaper options for securing more water.

City staff have prepared a much larger overall budget for fiscal 2027, going from $1.629 billion overall to about $1.87 billion. And while the Council seemed surprised that the general funds will remain almost the same in year-over-year comparisons to fiscal 2026, the growth in the amount the city has budgeted for capital projects seemed less of a surprise.

It’s the price tag of individual projects like the $131 million water treatment plant that generated discussion at the budget briefing.

Dawn Lang, chief financial officer for the city, explained to Council that the bond-funded capital projects in the FY27 budget include some that spread the cost across multiple budget years, such as a large road project that includes an initial design phase.

“Some of those projects can be spread over three or, in a few cases, four budget years,” she said. “And this gives us flexibility that if revenues dip, we can wait to sell a series of bonds, deferring the start of projects or phases into later years, when the city’s overall finances have stabilized.”

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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.