Tempe's proposed $511 million budget for 2006-07 includes more money for transportation and police technology, among other areas.
The proposal would increase the budget 9.8 percent, or $46 million, from the 2005-06 fiscal year, according to city documents. The next fiscal year starts July 1.
"It never has everything you want," said Councilman Hut Hutson of the budget. "It's got everything we can afford right now."
The Tempe City Council has reviewed the budget at several meetings since March. The City Council will formally approve its final version June 15.
The budget includes money for the following projects:
$58.4 million for continued planning, design and construction of the Valley light rail system
$13.1 million for continued funding of the Tempe Transportation Center, a downtown Tempe bus and light rail depot now under construction
$2.5 million for a police station now under construction along Apache Boulevard
$4.6 million for police radio equipment and data management software systems
$1.6 million toward renovations for the Tempe Public Library and Historical Museum
The City Council also agreed at a May 18 budget meeting on a $552 million five-year plan for city improvements.
This would appropriate $5.2 million for a fire station and $8.5 million for restoration and renovation of city parks, according to city budget documents.
But certain projects remain unfunded because the city currently doesn't have the money to pay for them, said Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman.
"We can't build [them] because we didn't ask our voters to authorize the bonds to pay for [them]," Hallman said.
Some unfunded projects include bike, blade and skate park development, renovation of the downtown police and courts building, a boat house along Tempe Town Lake and upgrades and replacements of city water lines, according to city budget documents
City voters overwhelmingly approved $210 million in bonds funding city improvements in a May 16 election.
Bonds are repaid through the city's secondary property tax.
The City Council also agreed to maintain the current property tax rate at $1.40 per $100 of assessed value at the May 18 meeting. This rate affects property taxes for both businesses and residences.
The Council will formally approve the next fiscal year's property tax rate later this summer.
Hallman said he wanted to decrease the rate to $1.35 because the Council hiked it last year to pay for the bonds approved this month.
But Councilwoman Pam Goronkin said the current rate was necessary to pay for critical, yet unfunded city projects.
"We have a lot of unmet needs," Goronkin added.
Reach the reporter at grayson.steinberg@asu.edu.
