On October 7, 2025, the Phoenix City Council convened for a policy meeting that included a budget update for fiscal year 2024-2025, approval of the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget calendar, and a presentation of the final report from the Strategic Work Group on Accessibility. The meeting featured council member updates, public testimony on transportation services, and recognition of retiring city employees.
Budget Update: City Manager Jeff Barton and Deputy City Manager Amber Williamson presented fiscal year 2024-2025 general fund results. Revenue variance was 0.7% (actuals $2,158.3 million vs. estimate $2,142.6 million), and expenditure variance was 0.2% (actuals $1,936.5 million vs. estimate $1,932.5 million). The ending fund balance was $221.8 million, $11.6 million higher than estimated. Of that, $1.6 million may be transferred to the Housing Trust Fund pending February 2026 capacity review. Key challenges discussed include economic uncertainty, a federal government shutdown (day 7 at the time), estimated revenue reductions of $56.7 million over the multi-year forecast due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, need for $11.6 million for bond program operating costs in 2026-2027, and an estimated $22 million additional general fund need for homeless services after ARPA fund expiration. Council members raised questions about pension funding, homelessness funding, community input in the budget process, and the impact of the federal shutdown on city services. The budget calendar for fiscal year 2026-2027 was presented and approved (voice vote, one opposed). Key dates: February 24, 2026 – general fund status and multi-year forecast; March 24 – trial budget; April – community budget hearings; May 5 – city manager’s proposed budget; May 19 – final council action; June 3 – tentative adoption; June 17 – final adoption; July 1 – property tax adoption.
Strategic Work Group on Accessibility Final Report: Councilwoman Deborah Stark, chair of the work group, introduced the presentation. The work group was established in August 2024 following Mayor Gallego's State of the City address. Three subcommittees reported:
City Department Highlights (Judy Burroughs, Interim EOD Director): Parks and Recreation – Telephone Pioneer Park (first barrier-free park, District 1), Encanto Park accessible playground (District 4), Pop Go Park accessible fishing dock (District 6). Phoenix Sky Harbor – Compassion Cacti Lanyard program, sensory room, dementia-friendly travel workshop. Public Transit – Dial-a-Ride and Ride Choice services, 50th Street light rail station (over 600,000 boardings since April 2019, ~8,500 monthly). ADA self-assessments underway. Citywide training for Certified Autism Center designation (2,200 employees completed training). Mobile Career Unit (MCU) – 477 contingent employment offers made as of June 2025.
Transition to Mayor’s Commission on Disability Issues (MCDI): Nicole Anderson, MCDI chair, confirmed that the commission will continue the work group’s initiatives. The MCDI’s annual Disability Awareness and Recognition Event (DARE) is scheduled for October 23, 2025, at Burton Barr Central Library (reached capacity).
Good afternoon. It is October 7th, 2025, and I'll now call our policy meeting to order. Will the clerk call the roll? Councilwoman Guardado. Councilwoman Hernandez. Here. Councilwoman Hodge Washington. Here. Councilwoman Pastor. Councilman Robinson. Councilwoman Stark. Councilman Waring. Here. Mayor Gallego. Here. Thank you so much for joining us. We're gonna have a really important council meeting today on the budget and our strategic work group on accessibility will present. But we'll begin today with council information and follow-up requests. Would anyone like to go first? Councilwoman Pastor. Hi. I'm just waiting for the slides. Thank you. As you can see, I am looking for volunteers, volunteer with District Four. We are having monthly cleanups, and it's starting from Maryvale to Midtown, and we are focusing on organizing community cleanups in different different parts of the district, and we need help. The more hands on deck, the better, the faster we can clean that alley or clean that neighborhood. If you like, you can scan the QR code to get started. So thank you. As I spoke about uh cleanups, we have next slide. Uh we have the Alhambra Community Cleanup uh this Saturday from 8 to 11. Uh we will be meeting at Granada East Elementary School 3022 West Campbell Avenue. And once again, you can scan that card. Just scan it. Investing in District 4. As you can see, next slide. As you can see, investing in District 4. We invested 20,000 for trees and shade, 15,000 for water for the heat out outreach, 15,000 for public activation initiative, Zumba, Yoga, self-defense defense classes, 5,000 for a mural at Swanyo Park, 10,000 to provide resources for students through the Phoenix Economic Partners. 500 uh 5,500 to sponsor VFW 720's food pantry, 2500 for academic scholarships and programming uh with Augula Summer Symposium, and 8,000 to support St. Vincent DePa's dental program for the vulnerable population. I just thought it was important to see where taxpayers' dollars are going and what type of programs they're going to. Participatory budget in action, as you can see on the slide. Uh, with our participatory budget funds, we paid for a new speed hump at 49th Drive and Crinton Lane, food and snacks for the local Lethod Elotero for the Migos uh Blockwatch water safety event, movies in the park at Salito Park, Solano Park, and Maryview, and we were also excited to see what community projects are coming our way for the next round of participatory budget. I want to give a shout out to Rehoba Saints Center who celebrated their 30th anniversary. Um that's the game one, but I think one more back. Um they celebrated 30 their 30th anniversary, they are located on 27th Avenue in Camelback, and we had a great time just listening to all the praise. And most importantly, uh that day as I was sitting and listening to the music and all the uh kind words, I just said I felt the spirit that day. So it was a great time to be with them. Um gang kickoff, next slide, gang kickoff. As you can see, we're at the gang kickoff. Uh we celebrated this past weekend along with my other colleagues and the mayor.