Across the Valley, municipalities are being forced to break promises to residents and voters alike — due to inflation, labor costs and other issues, there is not enough money to make good on city projects as planned.
Cities including Scottsdale and Peoria, and the town of Queen Creek, have all made budget adjustments this spring to face a similar project: there isn’t enough money to go around. The reality is unfortunate, says some elected members of these cities, as community projects voters approved — like new parks or local improvements — will no longer come to fruition.
A common method for municipalities to gain extra money for construction, infastructure and necessities is to tax its residents more, if voters approve. In 2019, Scottsdale succeeded in passing a bond measure for more than $318.9 million that included 58 projects.
