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The Peoria City Council unanimously approved the fiscal year 2024 final budget, May 16.
Leading up to this vote, the city council approved the tentative budget for fiscal year 2024, setting the maximum appropriation at $950 million, May 2.
Adoption of the final budget complies with the requirements set forth by Arizona Revised Statutes for the publishing of the proposed budget and public hearings held prior to final budget adoption.
City Manager Henry Darwin said the proposed budget totals $950 million, which represents an increase from the $783 million budget last year, and reflects the city’s efforts and success in weathering inflation.
About one-third of the increases in the budget are a direct result of inflationary influences or impacts, he said.
The budget includes funding for 31.5 new full-time employees, the majority of which are for the police department — $3.3 million for 13 sworn patrol officers and $731,000 for six civilian positions.
Some council members had concerns about the 10-year capital improvement program, which passed on a split vote, May 2.
Based on a negative response from their constituents and concerns over decreased funding for parks and recreation, Councilmembers Brad Shafer, Michael Finn and Bill Patena voted against the CIP.
The mayor and council’s top three priorities for the CIP include water, public safety and economic development.
Funding for capital projects for those areas include: $171 million for water, $13.4 million for public safety and $39.5 million for economic development.
Philip Haldiman is a third generation Arizona native with brief residencies on the east and west coasts.
He has bachelor’s degrees in Theater and Journalism at Arizona State University, and is an award winning journalist with more than 15 years worth of experience in reporting and editing.
Most recently, he took first place for investigative reporting and third place for best sustained coverage or series at the 2023 Arizona Newspapers Association awards.
In his free time, he produces an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
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