Capital Improvement Program plan for the future

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The City of Yuma presented the 2025 through 2029 Capital Improvement Program on Tuesday evening.

This plan of action is something the city uses for big purchases and also helps us take a look at what projects the City of Yuma is investing in in the long term.

“Capital expenses are the kind of thing that doesn’t go in the budget every year so the CIP is important becuase you have to have a plan for when you’re putting these big giant sometimes multi-million dollar projects together,” said Public Affairs Coordinator Dave Nash.

The program falls under four categories: new construction, improvement of an existing asset, equipment purchase, and something that costs a minimum of $25,000.

The proposed annual budget for the CIP is just over $220 million.

“The rest of that budget is for the operating, the pay, the employees, to replace police cars and fire trucks, and floor roads, and all of that is all encompassed in that $521 million budget,” said Jay Simonton, the active city administrator.

Some future projects discussed are the courthouse expansion and the Desert Hills Golf Course irrigation improvement.

Simonton explained how they have to plan for these projects years in advance.

“It’s a couple years out but it’s in there that shows you how long and how far in advance we have to plan some of these projects until we can get them under construction,” stated Simonton.

The proposed plan will be for the next five years and there will be a public hearing regarding the program on May 15.