Yuma City Council approves $473M tentative budget unanimously

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma City Council has approved a budget of almost $473 million for the next fiscal year.

The approval came last night with a sweeping unanimous vote.

Included in the budget is the Capital Improvement Program for 2024-2028 totaling $216 million.

Acting City Administrator Jay Simonton explained how road taxes would also aid the future multi-modal transportation center located in the old Del Sol Hotel in Downtown Yuma.

Simonton said, “there is a transportation component so we justified the road tax for that purpose that is just as indicated just for the match money for the design grants…we are proposing to use other funds for the match for federal grants during the construction process.”

The tentative budget has a ceiling cap of almost $473 million monies can be shifted and moved around but cannot exceed that amount.

One concern that echoed the chambers from City Council member Ema Lea Shoop was roads, “don’t neglect the streets.”

The capital improvement program should address those concerns.

Public Works Department has 92 projects.

Several of them include various road improvements throughout the city.

The final budget should be adopted in the next city council meeting June 21.

The city's fiscal year begins July 1.