Yuma City Council discusses Fiscal Year 2026 budget
Eduardo Morales
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Yuma City Council discussed and set a maximum number for the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
The maximum number the budget can be is $547,121,059, which is around $26 million more than the previous year.
The proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 includes all departments within the city such as government, parks and recreation, and police.
“The budget is the document that makes everything else possible throughout the year, so if you want to get something done as a citizen, you have an idea that you think the city needs to do, then it needs to somehow find itself into the budget,” Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls says.
Almost half of the proposed budget will be going towards the capital improvement program.
This includes includes new construction, improving assets, and equipment purchasing.
Deputy Mayor Carol Smith shares her thoughts on how budget discussions have taken place.
“There’s only a certain amount of money that can be spent, until that changes I think we have it lined out pretty well, I think that the discussion that we’ve had over the last two nights sounds good to me,” Smith said.
Mayor Nicholls shares one project he is looking forward to being developed.
“I do appreciate the fact that we’ve put some money aside for the Spaceport Initiative, so that’s when that permit comes through from the FAA. If we don’t have a partner yet for the infrastructure build, we can get started on that,” Mayor Nicholls says.
The council and city will have to come to a final budget number in June before the new fiscal year begins on July 1.