By Jessica Boehm | Arizona Republic
The Phoenix City Council nearly unanimously approved its $4.4 billion budget Wednesday, three days before the budget is scheduled to take effect and seven days after rejecting the exact same budget.
Last week’s budget vote was expected to be largely procedural — the council had already approved it multiple times.
But in an unexpected move, Councilman Michael Nowakowski, who had previously voted for the budget, voted against it, joining council members Laura Pastor and Sal DiCiccio and Vice Mayor Jim Waring, who had consistently voted against it.
The vote was 4-4 and the budget failed.
“I have no idea what we do now,” Mayor Thelda Williams said.
Pastor wanted funds for witnesses
It’s unclear exactly what has changed in the past week, but the council agreed to reconsider the budget Wednesday and both Nowakowski and Pastor switched their votes to “yes,” passing it 6-1.
Waring maintained his “no” vote and DiCiccio was absent.
Pastor had voted against the budget previously because it did not include funding for people who witness traumatic events, particularly surrounding police incidents — something a neighborhood group had requested during the budget process.
