By Parker Leavitt, The Republic | azcentral.com
A history of conservative budgeting has kept Gilbert on relatively solid financial footing during difficult economic times, but the frugal approach sometimes stirs criticism from residents who want the town to spend more on public amenities such as parks.
Town officials employ tools such as zero-base budgeting and funding partnerships to stay efficient, even as millions of dollars in surplus revenue pours into its reserve fund.
Such resourcefulness helped Gilbert survive the Great Recession without resorting to large-scale layoffs or major service reductions. It also can leave some residents feeling cut off from town services when projects in their area aren’t funded.
