But council members had concerns about cuts to the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue dive team, ambulance station construction and internal custodial funds, so a final decision still lingers.

Jones added that six supplementals are recommended to be chosen for a total of $2.5 million.

Get the best of State Press delivered straight to your inbox. Although council members said they hear the community's concerns, they are not considering any cuts to the police department budget at the moment beyond those necessitated by the pandemic. All rights reserved. Zoom Meeting October 08, 2020 | 04:00 PM - 05:00 PM The Mentoring Program is open to any member of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce and its employees. The allocations will go directly into the city's general fund.

Jones said the federal money can be used for a variety of purposes, but that there are limits, as it is intended to help cities recoup pandemic-related costs. In this section, you will find the notices and results for all city of Phoenix public meetings, including Phoenix City Council, council subcommittees, all city boards, commissions and committees, zoning related hearings and more. The killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Dion Johnson in Phoenix have prompted protests throughout the state since May and Floyd's death have resulted in national calls for the defunding of police. Council members identified several services they hope to prioritize with minimal cuts, including: A number of other areas, however, likely will see hiring freezes or other reductions, such as: As the city selects services to maintain, Jones stressed that more conversation will be needed to make adjustments and move toward "a more balanced budget. A city "cannot spend more than it brings in," Singla said. "The goal is to have a good plan for the future so that you know how to balance resources coming in with your obligations going out.". Ken Jones, the city's chief financial officer, called the conversation "a balancing act. "Like any other plan, it is based on the information you have available at the time that you write it," Singla said. A Tempe forum provided community feedback on the budget adjustments from June 11 to June 19, with 94% of participants responding no to agreeing with the budget adjustments. Photo by Alex Gould | The State Press . During a special meeting Monday to determine how the vacancy would be filled, the City … "What everyone's been calling for in emails and public comment tonight is exactly what we've been doing over the years, and we're going to continue to look at ways that are innovative to do even more," Mitchell said. The police budget cuts were discussed in many of the comments, with some arguing the police should not face any cuts, while others advocated for even more cuts and a reallocation of those resources to other community departments. "Responding quickly is important but you want to make sure that you're responding well.". Submitted community comments and dialogue between members during the meeting will be considered and evaluated in the creation of a new adjustment list to be discussed again in August. The council on Thursday highlighted areas they want to keep intact, but made no final decisions. "It's the same thing if we wanted to do utility assistance for individuals.

Citizens who spoke during the meeting noted that millions of dollars in cuts recommended for community resources could be avoided by approving six adjustments to the police department that are not recommended. The City Council approved a $2 million settlement for Arce's family during Thursday's meeting. The crowd of protesters at the Defund Tempe Police rally organized by Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro listen to the organizers and other attendees speak about reallocating funding for the police department to community programs like housing or mental services on Thursday, June 25, 2020, Meyer Park in Tempe.

Tempe's first Black mayor, Corey Woods, and new council members will be sworn in on July 2. Reach the reporters at [email protected] and [email protected] and follow @piperjhansen and @wmyskow on Twitter. More than a third of the recommended reductions come out of the police department’s funding. Council members considered roughly $13.8 million in proposed cuts to the general fund, which covers the biggest chunk of the city's day-to-day operating expenses. The adjustments were prioritized in three tiers: the first tier is recommended adjustments to budget proposals for police, internal services, purchases, internal hires and more, which would cut nearly $14 million. Budget adjustments consist of funding cuts and reallocations to a variety of department budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, including police, fire, park maintenance and recreation programs — all within Tempe's roughly $240 million general fund. Tempe will need to be "somewhat innovative" with how it uses the money, depending on what initiatives the City Council wants funded, he said. The adjustments discussed Thursday had planned to transfer funds from miscellaneous projects and other plans to the general fund while also cutting funding across departments. Some of the adjustments could impact recreational activities, such as ASU's homecoming, due to a reduction in wages for the recreation services marketing and outreach program. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. Tempe City Council approved some of its projected budget adjustments by default at its special virtual meeting Thursday after a city-wide financial review of economic impacts caused by COVID-19. At Tempe's previous council meeting, 300 protesters marched from Tempe Beach Park to Tempe City Hall, demanding that the city redirect $22.5 million from the police department to fund free transit passes for residents, Tempe’s preschool program and affordable housing initiatives. The city has already taken steps to curtail spending this year, according to Jones, and hopes to spread the reductions over two to three years. Items in the first tier that members had no questions about will move forward and take effect July 1. The City will be hosting a meeting to provide an overview of a proposed Amendment to the Tempe City Charter regarding park preserves and guidelines on preserve use. Let's see if we can scale back the adjustment to make the council happier.". Tempe residents may notice fewer recreational sports leagues, museum programs and library services as city officials grapple with a budget shortfall in the wake of COVID-19. "Please don't dismiss our voices," she said. Beyond cuts, the city has transferred excess cash from capital projects to bolster its general fund, he said. At Tempe's previous council meeting, 300 protesters marched from Tempe Beach Park to Tempe City Hall, demanding that the city redirect $22.5 million from the … The city also has gotten several one-time grants that will help fund specific positions and departments, including homeless outreach and the sustainability department.