Phoenix Approves $1.6B Budget For 2021-22

PHOENIX, AZ — The Phoenix City Council Tuesday approved a $1.6 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year that includes a more than $20 million boost for public safety.

The budget, which was passed by a 6-3 margin, includes more than $150 million in general fund additions, including more than $118 million for employee compensation.

Additionally, the council's budget includes public safety reform, including $15 million to expand an existing, civilian only program for responding to mental and behavioral health calls for service.

That money will go toward expanding Phoenix's Community Assistance Program, increasing the number of crisis response units and establishing nine new behavioral health units across Phoenix, centered where the highest concentration of calls are received.

The goal of the expanded program is to have mental health crisis response teams work alongside nonprofit organizations to improve quality of life for those in need.

Additionally, the Phoenix Police Department received a $3.7 million boost, to pay for a 75-person civilian staff to improve accountability, transparency and relationships within the community.

The Phoenix Fire Department received $800,000 to expand CAP mental health calls, to add 15 positions, including 10 911 dispatchers, three paramedic trainers and three radio technicians.

The budget also include $2.8 million to address climate change in Phoenix, establishing a four-person Office of Heat Response and Mitigation to address the growing threat that rising temperatures have on residents.

Additionally, the climate change additions set out to achieve the city's 2010 Tree and Shade Master Plan goal of doubling the shade canopy in Phoenix by 2030.

More than half ($1.5 million) of the climate change funding is set to go toward the city's Streets Transportation Department, to fund Phoenix's Cool Corridors Program, which aims to plant 200 trees per mile, in accordance with the 2010 master plan.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego gave the following statement to Patch on the city's budget:

"Each of these issues speaks directly to the quality of life in Phoenix,” said Gallego said in the release. “To be a livable city, every person must feel safe and be treated with respect. We must protect our environment and climate so our families can live and grow. Likewise, every family and individual deserves a safe, comfortable place to live. Finally, as I have said many times, the fastest way to recover from the economic ravages of COVID-19 is to recover and protect public health. This balanced budget addresses those priorities in a way that is responsible and effective.”

“This budget sets a clear path forward for the city by investing in important police reform, compensation to attract and retain quality employees, heat resiliency to protect our most vulnerable residents, and many other valued community needs the City Council and residents asked for,” said Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher in a statement.

The next step toward having the budget approved is a final budget adoption hearing on June 16 and a property tax levy adoption on July 1.