Coconino News

On Tuesday night, the Glendale City Council approved the 2023-24 budget of $1.26 billion for the upcoming year starting on July 1. The adopted budget prioritized public safety, economic development, streets, parks, neighborhoods, libraries, innovation & technology and employee retention.

The Glendale Police Department received funding for additional police officers in the Patrol Division to help keep Glendale residents and businesses safe. The city will enhance its service levels citywide with the addition of seven new police officers, three forensic technicians, six fire captains, two code compliance officers, three park rangers and five park service workers. A misdemeanor repeat offender program was funded to help address homelessness issues.

The 2023-24 budget includes over $37 million in improvements to amenities and recreational opportunities at the city’s parks and open spaces to encourage residents to enjoy more time outdoors. The city is increasing funding for water, irrigation and arborist services that keep our open spaces and trees healthy. Glendale continues to move forward with its commitment to finish building Heroes Regional Park located at 83rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road. The $17.5 million investment will build three lighted soccer fields, new play areas, walking paths, a food truck court, upgrades to the splash pad and ample parking for park visitors.

The budget provides funds to increase six hours of operation at all Glendale libraries. In addition, funding to update Glendale’s general plan will allow residents the opportunity to provide their vision and guidance that will drive how Glendale will grow and develop in the future.

Significant roadway improvements will continue to be funded in this budget with over $17 million slated for pavement management projects in the upcoming year. The Transportation Department plans to touch between 100-120 miles of roadway per year with treatments like crack seals, slurry seals, thin overlay and mill and overlay. These treatments extend the overall life expectancy of Glendale’s streets using the most efficient and cost-effective pavement preservation strategies.

“The city is in a very good position to continue to fund the priorities of the council,” said Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps. “From day one, the council has wanted to put money back into improvements for our roads, parks and public safety efforts. I am pleased that we will be able to fund council’s priorities with this budget.”

The budget provides inflationary increases for utilities and contracted services such as equipment maintenance, cleaning and landscaping. Innovation and technology were also a priority as the city added software engineers and project managers to develop and implement safe and secure systems for city customers, businesses and vendors.

“This budget allowed us to address various needs across the city and help departments as we move forward,” said Glendale’s Director of Budget & Finance Levi Gibson. “We took care of our employees, added more jobs, took care of our parks and made sure to prioritize our I.T. projects.”

“I am proud of our hard work on making sure we did not raise property taxes these past eight years,” said Glendale Mayor Jerry P. Weiers. “This year’s balanced budget continues that trend and is focused on my priorities which include job growth, economic development and public safety.”

To view the budget in its entirety, visit the city’s website.

Original source can be found here.