Mesa City Council Study Session: Police Budget, CIP, and Water Resources - April 20, 2026

This study session of the Mesa City Council, held on April 20, 2026, focused on reviewing the upcoming council agenda, receiving detailed presentations on the Police Department's budget, the five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and the Water Resources budget. Councilmembers discussed crime statistics, traffic safety, budget reductions, infrastructure projects, and resource management. No formal votes were taken; staff provided updates and council gave direction for future considerations.

Discussion Items

Agenda Review Council briefly discussed items on the April 20 council meeting agenda, including the purchase of One West Main (item 5S), the Christman Road project (item 5T), and a hotel at Longbow (item 6A). Staff clarified that item 5T is an agreement with ADOT to facilitate construction of a portion of Christman Road concurrent with State Route 24 construction.

Mesa Police Department Budget Chief Dan Butler and his command staff presented the proposed FY 2026-27 budget. Key points included:

• Mesa reported the lowest NIBERS Group A crime rate among comparable cities at 44 crimes per 1,000 residents (2024 data from Arizona DPS; FBI data shows 43). Total Group A crimes were 22,475 in 2024, a 0.7% increase from 2023 (essentially flat with population growth). Property crimes decreased 10.6%, while persons crimes increased 18.6% due to proactive enforcement operations.
• Violent crime decreased nearly 14% in 2025, attributed to targeted enforcement (prohibitive possessor offenses up 31%, weapon violations up 19%).
• Traffic collisions increased 5% year-over-year; fatalities increased slightly but were down double-digits from 2022-23. Enforcement activity (warnings and citations) increased 22%. Impaired driving arrests increased 8% in the past year and 27% over two years.
• The total proposed police budget is approximately $290 million for FY 2026-27. The department proposes a $1.7 million reduction in expenditures from a general fund target of $4.4 million. Reductions include eliminating recruit signing bonuses ($315,000), reducing professional staff by 6.5 positions (vacant), civilianizing three sworn positions (saving $152,000), and eliminating three sworn crime gun intelligence detective positions (with reassignment, not layoffs). The department maintains a hiring pipeline of 125 overhire positions to manage attrition; authorized sworn strength would decrease from 845 to 839 under the proposal.
• Overtime hours have declined steadily: from 217,000 sworn hours in FY 2023-24 to a projected 147,000 in FY 2025-26. The department budgeted $17.3 million for overtime but expects to exceed that by $3-4 million.
• Council discussed traffic safety, pedestrian fatalities, data analysis, and the need for street design improvements. Council requested quarterly reports on traffic fatalities.

Capital Improvement Program (FY 2027-2031) Brian Richel (OMB Director) presented the five-year CIP plan. Key points:

• The first year (FY 2026-27) is adopted as part of the annual budget; the remaining four years are a plan.
• Utility projects include the Signal Butte water treatment plant expansion, new groundwater wells, the SRP-CAP interconnect facility (SCIF), the Transwestern gas line expansion, and the East-West Mesa service centers.
• Non-utility projects include Fire Station 223 construction, the Mesa Arts Center (MAC) lighting replacement (Phase 1), Warner Road widening, and multiple park and playground renovations.
• The city is conducting a deferred maintenance assessment via the Gordian Group to prioritize asset repairs.
• Council discussed the indoor recreation center in District 2; the $4.5 million in the budget is for design capacity but no decision has been made on location or moving forward.

Water Resources Budget Director Joe Judice and Deputy Director Chase Carlyle presented the FY 2026-27 water and wastewater budget.

• The water budget is proposed at $6.4 million over the current year, driven by the Signal Butte expansion (5 new positions and operating costs), increased commodity costs, and an additional $1 million for raw water purchases.
• The wastewater budget is $50 million, a $700,000 increase due to commodity costs and merit increases.
• Enhancements include $144,000 for the Bartlett Dam feasibility study (expected completion mid-2026), $97,000 for the SCIF technical review, and $251,000 for unfunded federal mandates on lead/copper and PFAS testing.
• Key performance metrics: water/wastewater affordability for a median-income family is ~1% of income (national benchmark 4.5%); sanitary sewer overflows are below the city's standard of 2 per quarter (national average 8); system water loss is below 10% (state standard) compared to national average of 16%.
• Council discussed conservation efforts, well drilling in the southeast area, and the current Stage 1 drought stage.

Key Outcomes

• Council acknowledged the presentations and provided direction for staff to proceed with budget proposals.
• Staff will provide quarterly traffic fatality reports to council.
• The five-year CIP plan will be adopted but only the first year (FY 2026-27) is binding; the $4.5 million for the indoor recreation center remains as capacity pending further discussion.
• The council will consider approval of the police and water budgets as part of the overall FY 2026-27 budget adoption in June.

Current Events and Conferences Attended

Councilmembers shared recent activities, including attending the Celebrate Mesa event at Pioneer Park, the Cubs Hohokam 75th anniversary dinner, Bike to Work Day, the Alice Cooper Solid Rock Teen Center fundraiser (Coop Stock), and various community meetings. The Mayor reported on a trip to Washington D.C. meeting with the Department of Interior regarding the Bartlett Dam project and attended the Sky Bridge Hotel groundbreaking at Mesa Gateway Airport.