Avondale City Council Regular Meeting and Budget Workshop - October 22, 2025
Avondale City Council Regular Meeting and Budget Workshop - October 22, 2025
The Avondale City Council held a regular meeting on October 22, 2025, which included the consent agenda, public hearings on the Ashley Furniture minor general plan amendment and rezone (items 4A and 4B), and a budget workshop for fiscal year 2025. The meeting was called to order at 23:39 UTC, with all council members present except Councilmember Solorio (excused). The consent agenda was approved unanimously, and the budget session covered financial updates, economic indicators, Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) status, and council priorities for the upcoming budget cycle.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the consent agenda (6-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Ashley Furniture project: One comment on the Avondale Connect platform opposed the use and suggested a grocery store. One comment from a representative of a neighboring property (Village at the Boulevard) raised concerns about truck traffic heading west on Roosevelt Street; these concerns were addressed in a meeting with city staff and the developer.
- No public speakers appeared at the public hearings for items 4A or 4B.
Discussion Items
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Items 4A & 4B – Ashley Furniture Minor General Plan Amendment and Rezone: Senior Planner Michelle presented the proposal to change the land use designation from freeway commercial, high-intensity office, and mixed use to business park (65.7 acres) and freeway commercial (9.3 acres), and to rezone the 75-gross-acre site from Avondale Gateway PAD to Ashley Furniture PAD. The project includes a showroom, call center, light manufacturing, retail sales, and warehousing. Deviations requested: reduction of rear building setback from 15 to 10 feet (for a security building), a zero-foot internal building setback, and an increase of 388 parking spaces. The Planning Commission recommended approval (3-1). Council discussion focused on truck traffic noise, setbacks, and the restriction that trucks must enter from 107th Avenue and not use Roosevelt Street west of 111th Avenue. Councilmember White expressed concern about the 10-foot setback for the security building. The city manager noted that prohibiting trucks on public right-of-way is difficult. The mayor highlighted the project's 900+ jobs and $1 million annual tax revenue. Item 4A passed 5-1; item 4B passed 6-0.
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Budget Workshop – Fiscal Year 2025:
- Financial Update (Renee Wetmore): FY2023 actuals exceeded projections by $2.7 million in the general fund. FY2024 revenues through November were trending higher than budget, driven by contracting sales tax, but retail sales tax showed a slight dip. The ongoing revenue vs. expense forecast shows a deficit in FY2026 and FY2027 due to the loss of residential rental sales tax revenue. The general fund balance is projected to decline to $1.8 million by FY2029. Staff emphasized a conservative approach and the need to balance one-time and ongoing expenses.
- Economic Indicators (Rob Barr): Arizona faces a state budget shortfall of $900 million, partly due to the flat tax and new programs. Personal income growth is slowing (1.5% year-over-year), unemployment is 4% (up slightly), inflation is falling back toward 2%, and 30-year mortgage rates remain at two-decade highs. Single-family home permits are slowing but Avondale remains active. Hotel room sales are at record highs.
- CIP Update (James Milanese): Completed projects include Avondale Boulevard at Lower Buckeye intersection ($7 million), Mountain View Community Center, and others. Ongoing projects include Old Town Phase 2, Sam Garcia Library/Cerros Plaza Park improvements, and the Aquatic Center (expected to open in April 2025, supply chain issues resolved). Future projects include Civic Center Park, Western Avenue reconstruction, and Fire Station 171. Inflationary pressures have increased costs for Deaconess Park, Crystal Garden sediment removal, and Mountain View Park expansion. The total CIP value is $190 million with $18 million spent to date.
- Budget Priorities (Ron Corbin): Priorities include personnel (5% merit increases, fire MOU, PD items), maintaining current programs (recycling program cost concerns, transfer of ARPA-funded positions), and new/expanding programs (expanded Ride program, summer youth camp, special events, trails). New capital asks include fire training tower ($2.5 million), court expansion phase 2, resource center expansion, indoor recreation facility, Avondale Boulevard mill and overlay, and IT system upgrades. A needs assessment for a performing arts center was requested but not funded. Council discussed balancing priorities: public safety, infrastructure, employee retention, and technology. Mayor and Council members stressed the importance of investing in existing infrastructure and internal efficiency before new large projects, and to prepare for a potential two-year slowdown rather than a recession.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved (6-0).
- Item 4A (General Plan Amendment): Approved (5-1).
- Item 4B (Rezone): Approved (6-0).
- Budget Direction: Council directed staff to develop a balanced FY2025 budget focusing on personnel, infrastructure, and needs assessments. Next budget discussion is scheduled for March 2025. Council emphasized a conservative approach, prioritizing employee retention, public safety, roads, and technology upgrades over new projects. The city manager will continue to monitor state legislative impacts on city revenues.
Meeting Transcript
I'd like to call the regular meeting of December 18th, 2023 to order. Would you all please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of reflection? Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under T and Justice Raw. Thank you all. Chris, do you do mind doing roll call? Councilmember Condi. Councilmember Malone. Councilmember Nielsen. Councilmember White. Here. Vice Mayor Pineda. Here. Mayor Weiss. Here. And Councilmember Solorio has an excused absence tonight. For this meeting and for the budget session. Chris, we have any uh comment cards on schedule public appearances. Uh no, Mayor, we do not. Item number three is the consent agenda. Are there any counselors who wish to have an item removed for separate consideration? Seeing and hearing none, can I get a motion, please? I have a motion from Councilmember White, a second from our vice mayor. Please vote. Thank you, members. It passes 6-0. Ron, item 4A, please. Ron, will 4A and 4B put together? That is correct, Mr. Mayor. Council uh Michelle, our senior planner with development services will present both items for your consideration tonight. I'm good. How are you? All right. Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members. Tonight I'm presenting items 4A and 4B, Ashley Furniture, Minor General Plan Amendment and Rezone, applications PL 21-0140 and 0141. There we go. So the purpose of these items are to review a proposed minor general plan amendment and rezone for Ashley Furniture, conduct separate public hearings for each item, and take action on each item. So the site, it's located at the northwest corner of 107th Avenue and Roosevelt Street. It's outlined in red on the left. It's about 75 gross acres and was annexed into the city limits in 1986. It is currently being used for farming. The applicant is requesting to rezone the site from the Avondale Gateway PAD to the Ashley Furniture PAD. We also have a request for a comprehensive sign plan that does include a freeway pylon sign that's included as an exhibit in the staff report. And then in terms of the surrounding zoning districts and land uses north of the I-10 freeway from west to east, there's some vacant land, zone C2, a hospital zone C3, two medical facilities, zoned PAD, and a site with some future commercial uses, zone both C3 and PAD. And then east of 107th Avenue, there are vehicle dealerships on the Avondale Automal PAD, south of Roosevelt Street, their single family homes zoned the Roosevelt Park PAD, some vacant land zone PAD, and then there's a multifamily community zone to Boulevard, and then to the west of the project is some vacant land in the Avondale Gateway PAD. So here's a couple of photos of the site. The first is looking southeast from the I-10 freeway, and the second is looking northwest from 107th Avenue. In terms of the uses, the applicant is requesting custom uses for the Ashley Furniture component of the project. This does include a call center, office, late manufacturing and assembly, retail sales, and warehousing and distribution.
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