Phoenix budget plan raises police funding, some councilors aren’t in favor
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The Phoenix City Council is set to vote on a budget, but it won’t be easy. The city manager’s budget proposal includes more funding for police, which some aren’t in favor of.
The city initially had a $39 million deficit and is trying to trim where it could. Now, it has a $17 million surplus.
However, the police budget is still up in the air. City manager Jeff Barton proposes increasing it by $46 million to accommodate salaries, pensions, insurance, and more patrol vehicles. If council members approve, it would be the first time the police budget breaks $1 billion.
But some council members, like Anna Hernandez, say they aren’t sure it is necessary and that the money could be better spent elsewhere.
“I look at a budget as a moral document of where we are prioritizing investments. Over the past decade, Phoenix police’s budget has steadily increased,” said Hernandez. “Meanwhile, we are seeing many community services that address root causes of harm such as affordable housing such as affordable housing programs, environmental justice, public health, violence prevention remain underfunded.”
Others feel police department funding drastically improves public safety and should be a top priority. Councilmember Jim Waring said there are programs the community did without 10 to 15 years ago that he thinks aren’t a necessity. He would rather see that money spent on policing. “I don’t think we are better off with fewer police officers. I think that has been a bad mistake,” Waring said.
Several residents spoke during public comment about the response times of the fire or police. According to the budget proposal, increasing those departments’ funding could improve response times.
A vote is expected on May 21.
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