TheGridNet
The Phoenix Grid Phoenix

City’s $134M surplus covers raises, cricket

Phoenix City Council has approved a $1.9 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1 that includes additional money for public safety, services to the homeless, parks and Phoenix City Council has approved a $1.9 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1 that includes additional money for public safety, services to the homeless, parks and community arts programs and even cricket. Councilman Jim Waring cast the lone “no” in the 8-1 vote on May 16, saying that while the spending plan was more of a “back to basics budget,” it was still allocating too much money for social services “while our roads are crumbling.” According to a council report from City Manager Jeff Barton, $114 million for raises is necessary to meet the challenges posed by a 17% vacancy rate in the city workforce. Of the roughly $20 million in surplus cash that remains, $5 million has been set aside to build up the city’s reserves. The budget also adds $3.6 million and 26 new positions for “healthy neighborhoods and community enrichment” and includes $577,000 for the Gated Alley Program.

City’s $134M surplus covers raises, cricket

Diterbitkan : 10 bulan yang lalu oleh Foothills Focus Staff Writer, Paul Maryniak di dalam

Phoenix City Council has approved a $1.9 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1 that includes additional money for public safety, services to the homeless, parks and community arts programs and even cricket.

Councilman Jim Waring cast the lone “no” in the 8-1 vote on May 16, saying that while the spending plan was more of a “back to basics budget,” it was still allocating too much money for social services “while our roads are crumbling.”

While Waring conceded that the spending plan had a “focus on things that I think our residents are noticing,” he also said he had considered to support the new budget but that “there are just too many holdovers from previous years that made that impossible for me.”

But neither Waring nor his colleagues voiced any criticism of the fact that 85% of the $134 million surplus in the 2023-24 budget will be spent on raises for city workers “to address retention and hiring challenges occurring in all city departments,” according to a council report from City Manager Jeff Barton.

City Budget and Research Director Amber Williamson said that $114 million for raises is necessary to meet the challenges posed by a 17% vacancy rate in the city workforce.

“We want to invest in our employees to continue to develop the best workforce we can to deliver programs and services to the community,” she told the council.

A significant portion of the $114 million would meet the recommendations of a city employee compensation study that is being finalized by the administration to identify ways for Phoenix to compete with the private and public sectors for talent.

“This amount includes $20 million to be set-aside for potential employee compensation increases in FY 2024-25 and beyond,” Barton noted.

Of the roughly $20 million in surplus cash that remains, $5 million has been set aside to build up the city’s reserves.

And of the remaining $15, the biggest piece — $7.6 million — will be “for the continuity of services for vulnerable populations.”

Barton noted, that $2.4 million of that $7.6 million will “support the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Victims of Crime Act and to expand the Behavioral Health Engagement Teams contract.

“These programs are essential in the continuation of outreach to areas of the city experiencing high instances of substance abuse, behavioral health issues and homelessness, as well as managing domestic violence and sexual assault referrals while maintaining acceptable response times,” he told council.

The other $5.2 million of that will be “for operations at homeless shelters in the city for public safety responsiveness and criminal justice support,” Williamson said.

The new budget also adds $3.6 million and 26 new positions for “healthy neighborhoods and community enrichment.”

“The services, programs and positions reflected in this area will enhance the city’s ability to develop and maintain healthy, vibrant and safe neighborhoods throughout the city,” Barton said.

That would include another $577,000 for the Gated Alley Program that would give Phoenix a total of 77 gated alley segments and restore two grant-funded inspectors.

The budget also doubles the initial $125,000 allocation “to support renters at Herberger Theater Center and other local venues such as the Black Theatre Troupe, Phoenix Center for the Arts’ Third Street Theater, Phoenix Theatre and Valley Youth Theatre,” Barton said.

“A project manager position is also included to help manage and coordinate the Office of Arts and Culture’s model for involving artists in designing and building a better city,” he wrote.

To increase park security and resident safety, $2 million will be used to hire 14 park rangers in a dozen city parks.

Councilwoman Ann O’Brien cited the reference to a 17% vacancy rate and wanted to know if those salary savings would sustain security in city parks.

Williamson said, “We can start recruiting for those new positions that become effective July 1 so that we can kind of shorten the gap in the recruiting process and get those folks closer to onboarding by the time we get the budget to potentially eliminate some of that gap.”

Williamson also said, “There will be vacancy savings within the parks department that will avail themselves of the opportunity to cover those vacancies with security as well as to look at other opportunities if that’s necessary.

Barton noted that over the course of 12 town halls on the proposed spending plan last month, as well as on the city’s website, a mere 362 residents provided suggestions for how the city should spend close to $2 billion in the next fiscal year.

Of the 760 comments — some people made multiple suggestions — the biggest share, 160, called for “additional funding to create cricket fields and amenities.” The additional spending items approved by council included $250,000 for three cricket fields.

Roughly 30 comments each called for more money for park improvements, public bathrooms, arts and culture, free public transit, more homeless services and free public Wi-Fi.

Of the remaining surplus money, the next biggest allocation is $3.8 million to fully staff the new Ahwatukee fire station, the fourth for the community. Those 31 firefighters and paramedics already are in training to be ready for service at the new station at 19th Avenue and Chandler Boulevard when it opens in about two years.

The remaining $1 million in add-ons to the original budget include $250,000 for a street sweeper to clean bike lanes throughout the city, $250,000 for A New Leaf’s Phoenix Day Early Childhood Education Center, $125,000 for additional maintenance at Sueño Park, and $150,000 “to clean and remove debris in up to three additional washes annually and to clean-up medians.”

Read at original source