Tempe City Council Special Budget Meeting - June 5, 2025
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Tempe City Council Special Budget Meeting - June 5, 2025
The Tempe City Council held a special budget meeting on June 5, 2025, to adopt the capital improvements program (CIP) for fiscal years 2025-26 through 2029-30, consider a property tax levy increase, introduce the property tax ordinance, and adopt the final budget for fiscal year 2025-26. All items passed unanimously (7-0) with no public testimony.
Discussion Items
- Item 2A – Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Adoption: Councilmember (Vice Mayor Garland) expressed support for a dementia-friendly park initiative, noting community input. The city manager confirmed staff is already working on the concept with the CFO. The council agreed to pursue the idea in future CIP cycles. The motion to adopt the resolution passed 7-0.
- Item 2B – Truth and Taxation Resolution: Council adopted a resolution indicating the city’s intent to adopt a primary property tax levy that (excluding new construction) will exceed last year’s levy. The vote was 7-0 via roll call.
- Item 2C – First Public Hearing on Property Tax Ordinance: The council introduced the fiscal year 2025-26 property tax ordinance. No public testimony was heard. The second and final public hearing is scheduled for July 1, 2025.
- Item 2D – Final Budget Adoption: The council adopted a resolution containing estimates of proposed expenditures for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, declaring it the final budget. The motion passed 7-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public addressed the council on any of the four items.
Key Outcomes
- All four agenda items (2A-2D) were approved unanimously (7-0).
- The council directed staff to explore a dementia-friendly park initiative for inclusion in future CIP updates.
- The second public hearing on the property tax ordinance (Item 2C) is set for July 1, 2025.
- The next scheduled special budget meeting will be on July 1, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the city council special budget meeting. Item number one is called to order. Council meetings can be watched in real time via Cox Cable Channel 11 and at Tempe.gov slash Tempe11. Members of the public may also attend the meeting virtually through Microsoft Teams. Also just want to note that the statement played during the video earlier at the regular council meeting regarding the proper conduct at city council meetings still applies for this special meeting. So the first item under uh section two is as 2A, which is to hold a public hearing to adopt a resolution authorized adopting the fiscal years 2025-26 through 2029-30 capital improvements program. Council members, any questions for staff regarding items 2A through 2D. Not seeing any. All right, this is also though a public hearing. So I'm gonna open up the public testimony portion of the public hearing. Is there anyone in the audience wishing to address the city council on the adoption of the fiscal year 2025-26 through 2029 CIP? 29 and 30 CIP. All right. Um seeing none, obviously that I will go ahead and close the public testimony portion of the public hearing. Um council members, any comments or discussion? It's been moved by Vice Mayor Garland and seconded by councilmember Keating. Uh I just have one item for staff. Um actually, I see our city manager. I can actually ask her. So um one item regarding the CF uh the CIP, and I understand that there's no specific kind of dollar amount for this item, but I know a couple of members of our community talked at one point about implementing uh a dementia friendly park initiative. Um, and I know that you know right now it can't be done next year. The money is not allotted, but we're talking about kind of a five-year CIP, and once again, not asking staff to come forward right now and present uh a hard number on what that might look like. But obviously, I know a lot of us uh have family members or people in our lives that have been touched by dementia, along with a lot of people in this community who've had some of the same challenges. Uh, and so I I really do think it's a really wonderful idea that they've brought forward and would love to see if at some point we could actually make this a reality and designate a portion of an existing park as a dementia friendly park for folks who are uh suffering through dementia, which is very hard, obviously for people suffering, but also especially hard for the family. So once again, not asking for a specific kind of dollar recommendation this evening, uh, but is that something that we can pursue in the upcoming kind of CIP? Yes, Mayor, of course. And I think the staff is already working on that with our CFO. So happy to give you an update. Wonderful. And in a later date. Thank you so much. Appreciate that. And council, are you okay with that? I should I should ask you all of you. I think it's a great idea. Excellent. Want to make sure I got consensus before we're giving excellent. Thank you very much thank you very much. Appreciate it. All right, uh, that being said, the motion was made by Vice Mayor Garwood and seconded by Councilmember Keating. With that, please vote. I have to say aye. Okay. And she said aye, so that item also passes seven to zero. The next item under the section is two B, which is to hold a public hearing is required under the state's truth and taxation statute and adopt a resolution indicating the city's intention to adopt a primary property tax levy that excluding amounts related to new construction will be greater than last year's primary tax levy. Uh, this is also a public hearing item, so I'm gonna open up the public testimony portion. If there's anyone wishing to speak before the council at this time, please get my attention now. All right, seeing none, uh I will close the public testimony portion of the public hearing.
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