The Mayor and Tucson City Council on Tuesday is considering $1.368 billion budget proposed by City Manager Martha Durkin. The proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2016 is an increase of $103 million from the current fiscal budget.
Under the proposal, the City would, spend $600,000 for swimming pools, $1.6 million for graffiti removal. However, the proposal does not include an increase transit fares, so residents will not pay more to get to the food stamp office.
For the residents of the fifth poorest metropolitan area in the country, the proposed 13.5 cent per $100 assessed value property tax increase could prove to be daunting.
The City is hoping to sell enough land and annex taxpayers to increase revenue, but will still need to use $3.2 million from the Stabilization Fund to make ends meet. The city does not know how it will pay back into the Stabilization Fund.
The first of two public hearings on the spending plan is scheduled for May 5, with final adoption by Mayor and Council set for June 9.