By Scott Shumaker | East Valley Tribune
On May 16, Mesa City Council adopted a tentative budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, and it is a whopper – a record-breaking $2.3 billion in available resources, compared with $2.1 billion for the current year, which was the previous record-holder.
The budget includes the equivalent of 4,400 full-time city employees for next year, an increase of 160 employees from the current budget.
The council will hold a budget hearing and potentially approve a final budget at its June 6 meeting.
The adoption of the tentative budget capped a roughly month-long process involving what city officials call “April Madness,” when every city department gives a presentation to city council to go over proposals for the next budget year and give a recap of the current year.