Tempe City Council Meeting – April 30, 2026

The Tempe City Council held a regular meeting on the evening of April 30, 2026, covering a wide range of topics from presentations and proclamations to major policy discussions on a proposed sales tax measure, a nuisance ordinance amendment, and speed limit reductions. The evening began with recognition of Law Day art contest winners, the retirement of Presiding Judge Kevin Kane, and a proclamation for Municipal Clerks Week. The city manager highlighted a structural deficit driven by state legislative actions, leading to a proposal for a 0.5% sales tax increase to be placed before voters. Public comment touched on issues including the Shalimar golf course, homelessness, Flock cameras, and speed limits. After debate, the council voted to amend the tax proposal to include funding for early childhood education and to consolidate the tax questions into a single ballot measure, continuing the item to May 14, 2026. First readings were held on a nuisance ordinance and speed limit reductions, also continued to May 14. Other consent agenda items and routine business were approved.

Consent Calendar

• Meeting Minutes (Item 4A1): Approved 7-0.
• Board, Commission, and Committee Minutes (Items 4B1-4B9): Accepted 7-0.
• Consent Agenda (Items 7B1-7B14, 7C1-7C6): Approved 7-0 as a group.

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Public Appearances (Item 6): Multiple residents spoke on:
  • Criticism of the city’s engagement with commissions, citing a specific instance where the Parks Commission was not consulted on park permitting changes.
  • Concerns about the stalled Shalimar golf course property, urging preservation of green space and opposition to high-density development. Speakers noted loss of habitat, trees (over 310), community space, and increased traffic.
  • Opposition to Flock safety cameras, citing privacy concerns and a recent incident in Dunwoody, Georgia, where Flock misused footage.
  • Support for lowering speed limits to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, citing data that lower speeds reduce fatality risk (46% at 40 mph vs 8% at 20 mph).
  • Mixed views on homelessness: some residents supported park rule changes to address drug use and sanitation issues near Daily Park, while others urged evidence-based policies like housing first and opposed criminalization of mutual aid.
• On Item 8A1 (Sales Tax): Over a dozen speakers addressed the proposed tax increase. Supporters included representatives from Downtown Tempe Authority, Tempe Tourism Office, Tempe Bicycle Action Group, Transportation Commission, and Sustainability Commission, who emphasized the need for stable funding for public safety, transit, and bike/pedestrian infrastructure. Opponents argued the city should first cut waste before raising taxes, questioned the urgency, and criticized bundling multiple tax purposes into one question. Several residents supported Councilmember Keating’s amendment to dedicate a portion to early childhood education (Tempe Pre).
• On Item 8B4 (Nuisance Ordinance): Residents from the Daily Park neighborhood testified in favor, describing ongoing issues with drug paraphernalia, public defecation, and crime linked to regular food distributions at nearby churches. Speakers called for the ordinance to hold properties accountable for creating nuisance conditions. Opponents, including representatives from University Presbyterian Church and mutual aid advocates, argued the ordinance was overly broad, could restrict constitutionally protected religious and charitable activities, and would not solve root causes of homelessness. They urged collaboration rather than enforcement.
• On Item 8B2 (Speed Limits): A few speakers supported the reductions, citing safety data and the need for multimodal improvements. No opposition was voiced during the public hearing.

Discussion Items

• Item 5 – Reports and Announcements:
  • Law Day Art Contest winners were presented with awards; 478 students participated from 24 classrooms, with 130 poster entries.
  • A proclamation declared May 1, 2026 as “Honorable Kevin Kane Day” in recognition of his 10-year service as Presiding Judge.
  • A proclamation declared May 3-9, 2026 as the 57th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week.
• Item 8A1 – Proposition for Sales Tax Increase:
  • Deputy City Manager/CFO Lisette Camacho presented the proposal: a 0.4% dedicated public safety tax and a 0.1% transit tax (total 0.5% increase, raising the city’s tax rate from 1.8% to 2.3%). The measure aims to offset an estimated $25.7 million annual revenue loss from state legislative actions (primarily repeal of residential rental tax). Over the past two years, the city achieved $19 million in savings, but a structural deficit remains. The public safety portion (0.4%) would fund additional police and fire personnel, equipment, park ranger coverage, and crime prevention design. The transit portion (0.1%) would support streetcar expansion, pedestrian/cyclist infrastructure, and multi-use paths. The grocery tax would remain exempt. If no action is taken, service cuts (fewer officers, longer response times, reduced transit) would be necessary.
  • Interim Fire Chief Carmen and Assistant Police Chief Sorensen detailed the strain on emergency services: fire calls increased nearly 50% in 20 years, with only 186 firefighters; police response times for priority 2 calls rose 223% (from 2:46 to 8:57 minutes) and priority 3 calls rose 647% (from 6:24 to 47:50 minutes). Detective caseloads are double best practices. The tax would help restaff and modernize equipment.
  • Councilmember Keating proposed an amendment to allocate 0.1% of the public safety tax (reducing it from 0.4% to 0.3%) to expand Tempe Pre, the city’s early childhood education program, citing long-term public safety benefits (lower crime, higher graduation rates). He also moved to consolidate all three tax purposes (public safety, transit, pre-K) into a single ballot question, arguing they are interconnected. After debate, the council voted 7-0 to amend the resolution to include 0.3% public safety, 0.1% transit, and 0.1% pre-K. Then voted 6-1 (Amberg opposed) to consolidate into one question. Finally, voted 7-0 to continue the item to the May 14, 2026 meeting for final adoption and public hearing.
• Item 8B4 – Nuisance Ordinance Amendment:
  • City Attorney Anderson presented a proposed addition to the city’s nuisance code (Section 21-3B.22) that would define as a public nuisance a regularly occurring distribution of food, beverages, or merchandise on private property when it leads to criminal activities (e.g., drug use, public defecation) that substantially interfere with neighboring properties. The ordinance is based on common law and recent court rulings, and aims to give code enforcement a tool to address chronic issues without targeting specific groups. The first public hearing was held; the second and final hearing is scheduled for May 14, 2026.
• Item 8B2 – Speed Limit Reductions:
  • Transportation Director Eric Iverson and Senior Engineer Michelle Beckley presented a proposal to reduce speed limits by 5 mph on seven corridors: 4A, 4B, 5, and others (listed in materials). The changes respond to increased density, multimodal use, and crash data showing 22% of crashes on these corridors are speed-related. National best practices (MUTCD, FHWA) support adjusting speeds to land use context. Public feedback from Tempe residents was 53% in favor. The first public hearing was held; the second and final hearing is scheduled for May 14, 2026.
• Other Items:
  • Item 8A2 (Downtown TIF District assessments): Approved 6-0 (Keating absent).
  • Item 8A3 (parts store contract): Approved 6-0.
  • Item 8A4 (liquid CO2 contract for water treatment): Approved 6-0.
  • Item 8B1 (PAD overlay amendment for 1255 E Curry Road): First hearing held; continued to May 14.
  • Item 8B3 (easement abandonment): First hearing held; continued to May 14.
  • Item 8C1 (zoning map amendment at 3910 S Rural Road): Second hearing and final adoption approved 6-0.
  • Item 8C2 (general obligation bonds): Second hearing and final adoption approved 6-0.
  • Item 8C3 (excise tax revenue refunding obligations): Second hearing and final adoption approved 6-0.

Key Outcomes

• Item 8A1 (Sales Tax): The council voted 7-0 to amend the resolution to allocate 0.3% for public safety, 0.1% for transit, and 0.1% for Tempe Pre (early childhood education). Voted 6-1 to consolidate all three purposes into a single ballot question. Voted 7-0 to continue the item to the May 14, 2026 regular meeting for final adoption and a second public hearing. The measure, if approved by voters in November, would raise the city’s sales tax rate from 1.8% to 2.3%.
• Item 8B4 (Nuisance Ordinance): First public hearing held. Second and final hearing scheduled for May 14, 2026.
• Item 8B2 (Speed Limits): First public hearing held. Second and final hearing scheduled for May 14, 2026.
• Other Items: Routine approvals and bond issuances passed unanimously (6-0, with Councilmember Keating absent for several votes).