Policy Session · 5 May 2026

1. 0:00:38Councilwoman Guardado.
2. 0:00:40Councilwoman Hernandez.
3. 0:00:41Here.
4. 0:00:42Councilwoman O'Brien.
5. 0:00:44Here.
6. 0:00:44Councilwoman Pastor.
7. 0:00:47Here.
8. 0:00:49Sorry.
9. 0:00:51Councilman Robinson.
10. 0:00:53Here.
11. 0:00:53Councilwoman Stark.

1. 0:00:55Councilman Waring.
2. 0:00:57Here.
3. 0:00:57Vice Mayor Hodge Washington.
4. 0:00:58Here.

1. 0:00:58Mayor Gallego.

1. 0:08:21All right, thank you, Ed.
2. 0:08:22Good afternoon, Mayor, members of council.
3. 0:08:25Thank you for the opportunity to present the 26-27 City Manager's proposed budget.

1. 0:08:34Let's see if we can get this going.

1. 0:08:37All right, in this presentation, I'll begin by providing a brief overview of the general fund and citywide operating budgets.
2. 0:08:45I'll then provide a recap and update on our general fund status.
3. 0:08:49I'll also discuss community feedback on the budget before discussing a summary of the additions that are in the proposed budget.
4. 0:08:56I'll then specifically highlight recommended changes from the trial budget.
5. 0:09:01and then I'll discuss position conversions and non-general fund additions before reviewing the next steps in the budget process.
6. 0:09:09First, just a brief reminder of where the general funds revenues come from.
7. 0:09:13The local sales taxes make up the largest share of our revenues at about 42%.
8. 0:09:19State shared revenues are also significant at 35%.
9. 0:09:23Those include our state shared income taxes, state shared sales taxes and vehicle license taxes as well.
10. 0:09:30Primary property tax revenue makes up 12% of the total and then user fees and other revenues make up the remaining 11%.
11. 0:09:36This slide shows where general funds are spent in the 26-27 budget at $2.3 million.
12. 0:09:44The largest share is in public safety, which includes police and fire.
13. 0:09:48Community enrichment is the second largest share and that includes our parks, our libraries, our human services, and our arts and culture department.
14. 0:09:56General government is the next largest share at 11%.
15. 0:09:59And then criminal justice, community development, environmental services, and transportation make up 7% of the general fund budget combined.
16. 0:10:08What I would note is that many of these categories have larger budgets overall, but their main funding sources are either enterprise or special revenue funds rather than the general fund.
17. 0:10:18I'll touch on that in just a moment.
18. 0:10:20Finally, our contingency and other items such as set asides make up 7% of the budget.
19. 0:10:27While the general fund is the focus of this presentation, it's actually only about a third of the city's operating budget.
20. 0:10:33Our enterprise funds such as water, aviation, solid waste, and convention center are the largest part of the operating budget.
21. 0:10:41And then our special revenue funds, which include restricted funds such as grants or voter approved dedicated sales taxes like the Parks and Preserves Initiative, also make up a significant part of the budget.
22. 0:10:53The citywide operating budget covers the wide range of services the city provides, as this pie chart demonstrates.
23. 0:11:00Public safety is still the largest slice of the pie, but at a significantly smaller percentage, just 34%, and you can see the other large areas that make up this chart, including transportation, environmental services, which includes water and wastewater,
24. 0:11:14Community Enrichment and Community Development.
25. 0:11:17Looking at the citywide budget is important because some of the areas we see here again may not be as large pieces of the general fund but still do have significant funding and really reflect the the wide depth of service that is provided to residents.
26. 0:11:32Moving on to the general fund status, as a reminder, the trial budget reflected a surplus of $163.3 million.
27. 0:11:39The city manager's proposed budget updates that number slightly to $162.5 million, and this is based on staff's continued work to revise and refine expenditure estimates.
28. 0:11:52The chart below shows how we determine the surplus, comparing our total anticipated resources versus our total forecasted expenditures, which leaves a surplus of $162.5 million.
29. 0:12:03And you can see here the breakdown between ongoing and one-time funds, including just over $100 million in one-time funds and about $62 million in ongoing funds.
30. 0:12:14Now we took the trial budget out to the community as we always do through 12 budget hearings in late March and mid-April.
31. 0:12:21We also solicited feedback via phone and email.
32. 0:12:24We advertised significantly in this effort, including both television and Spanish radio ads, as well as social media efforts and advertising in the city's Phoenix At Your Service newsletter.
33. 0:12:34These efforts were fruitful, yielding over 400 comments on the budget.
34. 0:12:39Major themes included flexible financial assistance, refugee support, shade, libraries, and eviction legal assistance.
35. 0:12:48A summary of these comments as well as information about the ways the city is already addressing many of these areas is included in today's council report.
36. 0:12:56So I encourage residents to check out attachment D. Again, a ton of really great information in the packet.
37. 0:13:02Both city charter and state law require us to have a balanced budget.
38. 0:13:06Again, that means our resources must equal our expenditures.
39. 0:13:10And so the city manager's proposed budget recommends allocating our surplus in a number of ways.
40. 0:13:15This includes investments in a variety of key council priority areas, as you see here, addressing employee compensation and setting aside funds to ensure we remain balanced in fiscal year 27-28.
41. 0:13:27You can see these categories here, and I'll walk through each of them in just a moment.
42. 0:13:31First, however, I want to highlight the changes that have been made from the trial budget.
43. 0:13:36Again, the feedback we receive on the budget is important and I believe you'll see how it is reflected in these changes.
44. 0:13:41So first, this includes an updated amount needed next year for employee compensation, which is $50 million.
45. 0:13:48That amount was $53.2 million in the trial budget and was based on assumptions about what the final agreements with labor groups would look like because at the time of the trial budget, we were still in the middle of negotiations.
46. 0:14:00So those agreements are now finalized and the specific amount needed for the first year of the agreement
47. 0:14:05has been determined and so it's been slightly reduced and actually moved to the second year of the agreement.
48. 0:14:10Because of this, additional resources are able to be invested in several areas, starting with the Flexible Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which was included in the trial budget.
49. 0:14:20An additional $1.65 million is recommended to be added to this new program, bringing its total allocation to $3.15 million in one-time funds.
50. 0:14:30Teen Services Programming was also included in the trial budget, and it too is being recommended for additional funding in the amount of $437,000, bringing its total allocation to $937,000 in ongoing funds.
51. 0:14:45While this funding is new, the Parks budget already funds approximately $1.9 million in teen-related programming, and additional programs also occur through Phoenix Public Libraries, which includes roughly $2.6 million annually on teen programming,
52. 0:15:00as well as funding in the Youth and Education Office.
53. 0:15:03The next item is the Park Services Permit Staffing Support and Service Connectors.
54. 0:15:07This is a new item in the City Manager's proposed budget and includes ongoing funding of $379,000 and three positions.
55. 0:15:15This includes one position in Parks and Recreation to administer the permitting program,
56. 0:15:19and two positions in the Office of Homeless Solutions to work alongside medical treatment and food distribution providers to connect homeless individuals with services.
57. 0:15:29Now, this item is contingent on council's passage at tomorrow's formal meeting of the Park Services Permit Program.
58. 0:15:35If the item does not pass, this funding would be recommended for reallocation in the revised city manager's budget in two weeks' time.
59. 0:15:43Finally, the city manager's budget proposes or recommends a portion of the childcare affordability set aside that was included in the trial budget to be used next year for SNAP navigation services.
60. 0:15:55So this would take a portion of those funds just in 26-27 and use them for SNAP navigation.
61. 0:16:02The full $5 million would still be anticipated to be used for childcare affordability initiatives in 27-28.
62. 0:16:10I'll now briefly review each of the council priority areas and specific funding allocations.
63. 0:16:15This starts with community health and safety, which includes $1.6 million and 11.5 FTEs.
64. 0:16:21This area includes $500,000 in one-time funds for community safety plan enhancements along 27th Avenue to enhance lighting and continue the progress that has been made in this area.
65. 0:16:33It also includes $500,000 in one-time funding for playground and perimeter lighting enhancements at several city parks.
66. 0:16:40There's also $266,000 and 8.5 FTEs and ongoing funds to support the 2023 GeoBond funded Esteban Park Recreation Center and Lone Mountain Park, both of which are coming online next year.
67. 0:16:53And then finally, as previously discussed, the Park Services Permit Program is included in this category and again includes three positions and $379,000 in ongoing funds.
68. 0:17:05The next priority area is children, youth, and families, which includes $9.4 million and .5 FTEs.
69. 0:17:11This area includes the $5 million ongoing set aside to improve childcare affordability for Phoenix families.
70. 0:17:18As I mentioned previously, this item has been adjusted slightly to reflect that a portion of the funding will be used in 26-27 for SNAP navigation.
71. 0:17:28This is intended to assist residents impacted by federal legislation changes
72. 0:17:32and state changes to the administration of this program which have impacted many of our residents.
73. 0:17:38Next, the Flexible Emergency Financial Assistance Program's total funding, again, is now $3.15 million in one-time funds, up from its trial budget amount of $1.5 million.
74. 0:17:49This includes both targeted one-time crisis assistance for households impacted by federal legislative changes to programs such as SNAP and Medicaid.
75. 0:17:57It also includes stability assistance, which includes a variety of types of financial assistance alongside case management and coaching to help residents become more financially stable.
76. 0:18:08Next, we have teen services programming, which increases again to $937,000 from $437,000 in the trial budget.
77. 0:18:17This item uses ongoing funding and expands teen programming, including structured tutoring opportunities, increased program affordability, and enhanced recreation programming.
78. 0:18:28Finally, this priority area includes $322,000 in ongoing funding to secure a parking lease for Cholla Branch Library, whose parking situation has been impacted by the redevelopment of the former Metro Center Mall.
79. 0:18:41The next priority area is homeless service continuity.
80. 0:18:43This includes $18.4 million in ongoing funds.
81. 0:18:47As a reminder, this funding is replacing expiring American Rescue Plan Act funding and will allow the city to continue the vital range of homelessness services that it has been providing.
82. 0:18:57This includes $12.9 million in ongoing funding for shelter operations, which includes both our city-owned shelters, such as the Phoenix Navigation Center and the Safe Outdoor Space, as well as nonprofit-operated shelters, such as Rio Fresco and the North Mountain Healing Center.
83. 0:19:12also includes 1.5 million dollars to continue heat relief efforts which includes our 24 7 heat respite center as well as multiple extended hours cooling sites also includes 1.5 million dollars to support the keys to change key campus operations as well as 2.5 million dollars for the master lease program again that program will establish master leases that the city will sublease to individuals exiting shelters
84. 0:19:37And so it serves as an important transitional step for those individuals but also has the benefit of increasing shelter bed availability.
85. 0:19:45The next area is housing affordability at $6.6 million and zero FTEs.
86. 0:19:51This item is focused on the housing trust fund.
87. 0:19:54By allocating $6.6 million in one-time funds to the trust, it will reach $15 million in total funding.
88. 0:20:02Within this funding, there's $2 million specifically allocated for affordable housing fee waivers to help support affordable housing development and $1 million for pre-approved housing plans to help expedite affordable housing creation.
89. 0:20:17The next priority area is planning and development customer service enhancements.
90. 0:20:20At $1.5 million and zero FTEs, this one-time allocation will be used in part to make improvements at Phoenix City Hall, improving the customer experience through improved customer check-in processes and overall customer flow.
91. 0:20:34The funding will also be used to support continued customer service and process improvement initiatives, helping to ensure that customers are aware of and can utilize the wide range of services provided by our planning and development department.
92. 0:20:47The city manager's proposed budget also includes funding for employee compensation, helping to keep the city competitive in the labor market.
93. 0:20:55As discussed previously, $50 million is needed for the first year of the new labor agreements.
94. 0:21:00And then the budget also sets aside $75 million to help ensure fiscal year 27-28 remains balanced, reflecting the mayor and council's continued concern for wise financial planning.
95. 0:21:12The proposed budget also includes position conversions and non-general fund additions, 69.9 FTEs in conversions that use existing department resources and therefore require no additional funds, which allows critical positions to become ongoing.
96. 0:21:26They include positions in the Fire Special Hazards Unit,
97. 0:21:28which will be paid for by the recently updated special hazmat and fire prevention fees.
98. 0:21:33Similarly, several positions are being created in the law department to bring litigation in-house that was previously outsourced for the city's self-insurance reserve fund.
99. 0:21:43Finally, $1.2 million and eight FTEs at aviation to address needs in several areas including capital planning, international airline support, and water quality monitoring.
100. 0:21:55The next steps in the budget process begin two weeks from now with the city council budget decision on May 19th.
101. 0:22:00This is the first of three votes the council will make on the budget.
102. 0:22:04After the council budget decision on May 19th comes the tentative adoption on June 3rd, and then final adoption is scheduled for June 17th.
103. 0:22:12And after final adoption, one final vote is needed.
104. 0:22:15That comes on July 1st with the property tax levy adoption.
105. 0:22:20And with that, I'll conclude my presentation and would be happy to answer any questions.

1. 0:24:41Good afternoon, members of the Council.
2. 0:24:44My name is Maria Mora and I am here to ask you to please vote for those $5 million as a relief fund in crisis for our community, since we are suffering with this administration and the abuses of ICE.
3. 0:25:00With so many deportations that have happened, and many separated families, which are suffering because they can't pay their rent, their bills, and it's difficult for them to go to work because they don't have anyone to leave their children with.
4. 0:25:18Thank you very much.
5. 0:25:33There are many young people who have seen their frustrated studies because they feel that they are now the support of their family, because they have to work part-time to help their mother, since their father has been deported.
6. 0:25:48And now they feel that commitment to help, and their studies come to be second priority.
7. 0:25:55Good afternoon, council members.

1. 0:27:52Good afternoon, Mayor Gallego and city council members.
2. 0:27:55Thank you for the opportunity to speak here today.
3. 0:27:58My name is Kirsten Pollitt, and I am a Children's Action Alliance.
4. 0:28:01We are based in Phoenix, but we are a statewide advocacy organization that promotes policy solutions for the wellbeing of children and families here in Arizona.
5. 0:28:11In addition to my work at CAA, I'm also a mother to a three-year-old, and I am welcoming my second child in October.
6. 0:28:20And through both my professional and my personal work, I've seen firsthand how many families are struggling
7. 0:28:27The new report shows that the cost of raising a young child has surged 28% in the last three years.
8. 0:28:39The number one expense in that report was child care.
9. 0:28:43which in Arizona right now for one child is upwards of sixteen thousand dollars a year.
10. 0:28:50I'm here today to express strong support for the City of Phoenix's proposed five million dollar investment to improve child care affordability.
11. 0:28:59At the state and the federal level we are experiencing less and less financial support for families with more and more wait lists for support.
12. 0:29:08When families cannot find or afford child care, the impacts ripple throughout the entire community.
13. 0:29:15Many children do not have access to early learning opportunities that help them enter kindergarten ready to thrive.
14. 0:29:23Parents are forced to cut back their work hours, leave jobs, or turn down better opportunities.
15. 0:29:30Businesses struggle to hire and keep workers, and the state loses billions of dollars each year in lost productivity and tax revenue.
16. 0:29:36This proposed investment is a meaningful signal that the City of Phoenix recognizes how critical childcare is to families, the workforce, and the local economy.
17. 0:29:44I respectfully urge you to maintain this funding in the final budget and continue prioritizing Polly's for uplift children and families.
18. 0:29:51Thank you.

1. 0:30:02Good afternoon, Mayor and Council.
2. 0:30:04My name is Brent Stockwell.
3. 0:30:06I'm a registered lobbyist representing the Phoenix Community Alliance, which is the business leadership organization that has worked side by side with the city for more than four decades to create a stronger downtown for a better Phoenix.
4. 0:30:20Hands Park is one of Phoenix's most treasured public spaces.
5. 0:30:24unique among Phoenix's parks as the home to major cultural institutions and host to visitors from around the world for major events.
6. 0:30:35But persistent criminal activity, drug use, and encampments continue to prevent our community from fully and safely enjoying it.
7. 0:30:43Today we ask the City Council to set aside dedicated partnership funding for Hance Park Safety modeled directly on the successful arrangement already in place at Civic Space Park to support dedicated park rangers at Hance Park.
8. 0:31:01The model works.
9. 0:31:02We've seen it work downtown.
10. 0:31:04We're simply asking for it to be extended to Hance Park.
11. 0:31:08As the city continues to invest capital dollars in revitalizing the park and as Phoenix Community Alliance fund raises on its behalf, a daily enforcement presence is essential to building and protecting that investment.
12. 0:31:24A safe park is an accessible park for everyone.
13. 0:31:27That's only possible when the park's code of conduct is consistently enforced.
14. 0:31:33We appreciate the dedicated efforts of staff from Parks, OHS, and the Phoenix Police Department working on this challenge, and more dedicated resources would be helpful.
15. 0:31:43To build the public-private partnership this park deserves, we need dedicated funding set aside in the budget for this purpose.
16. 0:31:50Thank you.

1. 0:32:00Mayor and Council.
2. 0:32:02Under the Trump administration, working class folks in Phoenix are struggling for a myriad of reasons.
3. 0:32:08Funding cuts on housing programs, increased restrictions on access to healthcare, widespread defunding and dismantling of safety net programs.
4. 0:32:16Many community organizations that have been serving as bridges to support and safety have been defunded, causing even more precarity and isolation at a time that our communities are also experiencing visibly increased violence through immigration enforcement.
5. 0:32:30The City of Phoenix has the opportunity to help defend their residents by investing more intentionally in the quality of the programs that improve the quality of life for our residents, such as housing, financial assistance, refugee crisis support, childcare, food, access to healthcare.
6. 0:32:48Nothing on the budget could be more important than preventing our neighbors from falling through the cracks.
7. 0:32:53Client services must be funded as a higher priority by raising the relief funds available by an additional $5 million than is allocated in the proposed budget.
8. 0:33:03Client services programs must be low barrier, even no barrier when possible.
9. 0:33:08The only qualifier should be that somebody lives here in Phoenix, whether they are housed, documented, or sober, should not and cannot be a barrier.
10. 0:33:17There are many deeply rooted community organizations present today in the chambers, as well as those who couldn't be present because of the important work they're doing.
11. 0:33:25These orgs maintain trust relationships with the community and are the ideal partners to assist the city with outreach and implementation of expanded support.
12. 0:33:34The need is great, the time is now, and you have both the capacity and the obligation to act.

1. 0:33:52Good afternoon, Mayor and members of the Council.
2. 0:33:55My name is Leah Fregulia.
3. 0:33:57I'm here on behalf of the Hans Park Conservancy, a nonprofit founded in 2010 to advance the vision of Margaret T. Hans Park.
4. 0:34:06It is an organization composed of over 20 cultural organizations,
5. 0:34:11neighborhood associations, business leaders, and individuals supporting the vision of the park.
6. 0:34:17I'm a resident of District 7 and also a member of the Roosevelt Historic District.
7. 0:34:24Hans Park is the home to major cultural institutions and a destination for visitors from our own city, but also from around the nation attending major events.
8. 0:34:34Hans Park serves as a vibrant cultural hub and a vital connector across downtown.
9. 0:34:41However, the persistent criminal activity, drug use encampments, and the residual trash and paraphernalia left throughout the park contribute to conditions that make our park less safe and accessible to our public.
10. 0:34:56Today, we're asking the council to take a practical, proven step and set aside dedicated partnership funding for Hance Park safety, modeled on the successful approach already in place at Civic Center at Civic Space Park, specifically funding for dedicated park rangers to provide consistent daily presence and enforcement of the park's code of conduct.
11. 0:35:20We've seen this model work downtown.
12. 0:35:22We are just asking you to extend the model to Hands Park in partnership with the Conservancy, given our 15-year proven history supporting the park.
13. 0:35:32We deeply appreciate our partnership with the park staff, the Office of Homeless Solutions, and the Phoenix Police Department.
14. 0:35:39Additional dedicated resources will allow that work to be more effective and more sustainable.
15. 0:35:45As a city continues to invest capital dollars and as partners like Phoenix Community Alliance raise private support, consistent safety present is essential in protecting that investment.
16. 0:35:55Thank you.
17. 0:35:56Thank you.

1. 0:36:05Hi, good afternoon, everybody.
2. 0:36:07My name is Adriana Garcia-Maximiliano.
3. 0:36:09I'm here on behalf of Organized Power Numbers, an organization dedicated to serving and advocating alongside working class families.
4. 0:36:17We'd like to thank the budget team for putting together this budget.
5. 0:36:20We are happy to see the city make so many great investments in programs like child care, the master lease program, flexible financial assistance, refugee crisis support, the housing trust fund, and other programs that expand affordable housing.
6. 0:36:34We appreciate you taking community feedback during the budget process to add funds to the flexible financial assistance programs.
7. 0:36:41But we are asking that you make that fund go up to $5 million.
8. 0:36:47The Trump administration's cuts to programs and attacks on immigrant and refugee communities are being deeply felt by Phoenix families.
9. 0:36:55And there is room for more in the current allocation.
10. 0:36:59Our organization asks that the city lowers barriers for Phoenix residents to access these programs and funds, specifically the Flexible Financial Assistance Program.
11. 0:37:10It is our understanding that the Human Services Department will be managing these particular funds.
12. 0:37:17The feedback our members have shared with us is that the city's application processes, bureaucracy, and lack of cultural competency become barriers to accessibility to the people who need it most.
13. 0:37:30In the future, we'd like to see partnership with and re-granting to community-based organizations that already serve the diverse constituencies you represent.
14. 0:37:39Thank you for your time.

1. 0:37:53Good afternoon, mayor, council members, and all those present in the chamber.
2. 0:37:56I'm Jay Eberle with Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest.
3. 0:38:01And I'm here to talk to you today about refugees.
4. 0:38:05Resettlement organizations like LSS are here to represent the thousands of Phoenix residents who came to the community as refugees.
5. 0:38:15Refugees were invited into the country and came through an international refugee resettlement program specifically because they are fleeing violence and persecution.
6. 0:38:27They are vetted outside of the United States before they're ever allowed to come into our country, and they go through extensive vetting.
7. 0:38:34They are vetted through eight government agencies.
8. 0:38:37They go through many, many interviews, the iris scans, and they get all their vaccinations before they come into the country.
9. 0:38:43When they get here, they are assigned a social service organization like LSS that help them as they integrate into the community.
10. 0:38:52They are approved to work from day one.
11. 0:38:55The goal of the program is self-sufficiency and more than 85% reach that goal within six months.
12. 0:39:04Years of research has proven that refugees pay back in taxes more than they ever receive in benefits.
13. 0:39:13The changes that have occurred during this presidential administration have impacted Phoenix residents who came as refugees within the past three years or longer.
14. 0:39:22HR1 has made it so that refugees that have not obtained their green card are no longer eligible for SNAP during the most vulnerable time when they first come into the country.
15. 0:39:37Their employment has also been impacted because employers are beginning to be hesitant to employ them because of all the rhetoric and misunderstanding.
16. 0:39:44So we are here to ask that you support the additional funding in the children, youth, and families portion of the budget, to support the working families in the community, and to support community education and outreach.
17. 0:39:56The support is needed to bridge the gap.
18. 0:39:58Thank you.
19. 0:39:59Thank you so much.
20. 0:40:00It is a wise investment for the city.
21. 0:40:02Thank you.

1. 0:40:14Hi.
2. 0:40:15So the federal administration has attacked Arizona residents and the city of Phoenix residents in a multitude of ways and increasingly so in a short span of time, which has and will continue to create a domino effect of suffering, whether that's through increased ice attacks,
3. 0:40:34through loss of health insurance and also through cut of SNAP benefits.
4. 0:40:41So the state of Arizona has seen the most amount of SNAP benefits cut in the entire country where we represent about a 50% drop.
5. 0:40:49When I lost my job years ago, my friends told me about SNAP, how it was actually a big support to them when they had lost their jobs as well and they guided me through that process.
6. 0:40:58I felt more secure knowing that it was something I had access to instead of just focusing on paying rent.
7. 0:41:05This was something that just made me feel a huge sense of security, but this is no longer the case, and for some, like immigrants, it was never an option.
8. 0:41:14Our sense of security as Phoenix residents is diminishing fast, and the city of Phoenix can help combat the threats that we are facing from Trump and the administration by increasing the client services line item for crisis relief funds to $5 million.
9. 0:41:28It's also important to note that these funds need to be accessible to all Phoenix residents, including immigrants who already have to endure endless amounts of barriers to basic necessities.
10. 0:41:38Having this accessible and available to immigrants means that they can focus less on survival so that they can use that energy, time to defend themselves in court or in detention.
11. 0:41:47Thank you.

1. 0:42:06I want to say thank you for letting us speak, City Council.
2. 0:42:11Every year we come together for a purpose to talk about how we can make our communities better by the increase the client service line team for crisis relief by $5 million and expand access to all Phoenix residents.
3. 0:42:25In 2024, I lived in an apartment with my daughter.
4. 0:42:29What the Trump administration has been doing and the increase in housing has led me to lose my apartment and I had to move in with my mom.
5. 0:42:37By obtaining the $5 million, it would give us the resources to lower housing costs and get people off the streets.
6. 0:42:46I have talked to people that are on the streets that say they could
7. 0:42:49Thank you.
8. 0:42:57Thank you.

1. 0:43:12Well, good afternoon, Mayor Gallego, council members.
2. 0:43:17My name is Myesha Fish.
3. 0:43:19I'm a disabled resident over the age of 40 and currently living in District 3.
4. 0:43:28I'm here with organized power and numbers and today I am struggling.
5. 0:43:34Every day and every year I am forced to make the impossible choices.
6. 0:43:41I have to decide whether to pay rent or buy food.
7. 0:43:45I have to determine if I can afford gas to pick up the one of two food boxes I have to feed me for the month.
8. 0:43:55I have to choose whether to get my prescriptions filled or go to a doctor's appointment and pay the copay.
9. 0:44:04I am grateful for my permanent housing voucher and having a roof over my head, even though this takes 30% of my social security income.
10. 0:44:16I would not be able to afford housing at today's rental prices at all.
11. 0:44:23I am so grateful for the $10 of food stamps and SNAP benefit after recent revisions and cuts, but it isn't enough.
12. 0:44:35My life, like so many others in similar circumstances, is hanging by a delicate thread.
13. 0:44:43One unexpected expense,
14. 0:44:45can undo everything and push me back onto the streets I fought so hard to get out of.
15. 0:44:53I am asking you provide a greater transparency to the resources available for residents like me.
16. 0:45:01We appreciate the addition of flexible emergency financial assistance, but we need to see more.
17. 0:45:09We need real support that reflects the reality we are living in every single day.
18. 0:45:15Thank you very much for your time.

1. 0:45:26Good afternoon, my name is Melina and I'm a resident of District 8.
2. 0:45:30My parents live in District 7, an area that we all know has been heavily policed and has been targeted by immigration enforcement, especially since the start of this administration.
3. 0:45:40There's no day that goes by where I don't worry about the safety of my parents and whether they're gonna make it home that day.
4. 0:45:47Every time I speak with my mom on the phone, she shares about someone, whether it's a relative or someone that, you know, we buy goods from down the street that has decided to move back to their home place due to the constant fear that they live in or to the lack of work or to the lack of cuts that the programs that provided them these resources.
5. 0:46:08Day by day, my community, the community that you all serve, is deciding to leave the homes that they worked hard to purchase, leave the businesses that they worked hard to build, and you all can help build protections for these people that will inevitably face immigration enforcement by increasing the client services line item for crisis relief funds by $5 million.
6. 0:46:32Thank you.

1. 0:46:41Good afternoon.
2. 0:46:43Currently in cities and towns all over the country, working class folks and families are under attack.
3. 0:46:47The Trump administration has gleefully engaged in immigration and economic policies that are directly harming people.
4. 0:46:54To combat these intentionally harmful policies and protect residents of the city of Phoenix, the city needs to add an additional $5 million to the client services line item for crisis relief funds.
5. 0:47:04These funds will be utilized by folks impacted by the regime to pay for childcare, housing, and food, while also providing refugee crisis support and access to funds for flexible financial assistance.
6. 0:47:15Eligibility for this funding must be sub-granted and entrusted to culturally competent providers already embedded in the community.
7. 0:47:24Additionally, an implementation committee consisting of providers and community members must be established to ensure effective distribution of these funds.
8. 0:47:33Eligibility for these funds must be expanded and the barrier to entry sufficiently accessible by making these funds available to all Phoenix residents regardless of status.
9. 0:47:42Adding these funds and managing who distributes them and how they are distributed is meaningless if the funds are inaccessible to those who need them most.
10. 0:47:52Trump's big beautiful bill caused cuts in SNAP benefits to over 420,000 Arizona residents, including more than 181,000 children.
11. 0:48:00That number accounts for 47% of the people who previously received these benefits.
12. 0:48:05These cuts come at a time of increased inflation and cost of living while wages remain stagnant and unemployment increases in the state of Arizona.
13. 0:48:14According to the president and CEO of St. Mary's Food Bank, the demand for food from the bank's 700 partners is up by 15% in the last year, with a significant loss of SNAP benefits being a likely driver of the additional needs.
14. 0:48:27The city must step up and buy, excuse me,
15. 0:48:32It's essential that an additional $5 million be added to the client services line item for crisis relief funds while expanding access to all Phoenix residents.
16. 0:48:39In doing so, you allow for those folks negatively impacted by these intentionally exclusionary and harmful policies access to funds for flexible financial assistance.

1. 0:48:57Good afternoon, city council members.
2. 0:49:00My name is Yolanda Landeros and I live in Buckeye, Arizona.
3. 0:49:05Since the Trump administration's ICE actions targeting innocent Americans, many families in our state have been severely affected.
4. 0:49:15I've witnessed the impact firsthand through volunteering with a local community organization that delivers food and basic necessities to households where a primary provider has been taken.
5. 0:49:30These families are facing extreme financial hardship, emotional distress, and ongoing fear.
6. 0:49:37It's heartbreaking to see innocent people suffer and be mistreated.
7. 0:49:44No human being should ever be harmed by anything or anyone.
8. 0:49:49Some households include newborns, small children and pets, and many are struggling to make ends meet.
9. 0:49:57The rising cost of essentials like food and diapers has only made their situation more difficult.
10. 0:50:05Living under constant fear has taken a visible toll on their well-being.
11. 0:50:11I respectfully ask that you consider the human impact on members of our community who are currently suffering.
12. 0:50:18Please increase the client services line item for crisis relief funds by $5 million and expand access to all Phoenix residents.
13. 0:50:29This support would provide flexible financial assistance for urgent needs such as childcare, housing, food, and refugee crisis support.
14. 0:50:39Thank you for your time and consideration.

1. 0:50:53My name is Ben, and I'm a resident of District 4.
2. 0:50:55I'm here today with mixed emotions about this budget.
3. 0:50:58I'm really excited to see investments in services for unsheltered folks, in housing access, and in childcare.
4. 0:51:04And I'm happy to see the city is taking folks' concerns a little more seriously about the impacts of the Trump administration, from people having their SNAP benefits stolen, to their healthcare being cut, to the increased violence by ICE.
5. 0:51:13People all across Phoenix are being put in harm's way.
6. 0:51:16But we both know that the $3 million in client services isn't going to go far enough.
7. 0:51:21So we're asking for you to add $5 million to that line item, bringing it to at least $6.5 million today.
8. 0:51:27It's a bad look when the police budget is increasing by 59 million, even though they were estimated to be 13 million under budget last year, 16 million under budget the year before that, and 49 million under budget the year before that.
9. 0:51:39But you can't seem to find 3 million more to make sure more folks are staying in their homes.
10. 0:51:44You keep telling us it's because you need to be fiscally responsible, but I know y'all know how this works.
11. 0:51:49When people become unhoused, there are increased costs to the city in terms of emergency services and homeless services, and more money is wasted on policing and incarceration.
12. 0:51:58Not to mention the long-term impacts physically and mentally on youth who become unhoused, which includes but is not limited to cycles of poverty, mental illness, substance use, and shorter life expectancy.
13. 0:52:08If this is actually about money, why would we knowingly choose the more expensive route?
14. 0:52:12Policing as a strategy for public safety does not work.
15. 0:52:15Keeping people in their homes does.
16. 0:52:17Whether you want to be or not, the city of Phoenix has become a key line of defense to protect Phoenix residents from the threats that are coming from the Trump administration and the threats that are already here.
17. 0:52:25So please add 5 million more for client services to make sure more of us stay housed, stay fed, and stay with our families and communities.
18. 0:52:32Thank you.

1. 0:52:44Good afternoon, Mayor and Council Members.
2. 0:52:47My name is Andrea Llanos-Advantes, and I'm a resident of District 8, and I'm here because too many families in Phoenix are being pushed to the brink.
3. 0:52:55Under the Trump administration, we've seen people lose SNAP benefits, lose health care, and live in constant fear of ICE raids that tear their families apart.
4. 0:53:03We're grateful to see the funding for the master lease program, housing trust fund, and flexible financial assistance, but we need to see more.
5. 0:53:10That's why we're calling for an additional $5 million in crisis relief funds that are accessible to all Phoenix residents.
6. 0:53:18Our campaign is led by people directly impacted by these issues.
7. 0:53:23Our committee members are working families who are shaping this work through their lived experiences.
8. 0:53:28Right now, they are the ones facing these cuts.
9. 0:53:30As you heard from our members today, people are losing access to food assistance, people are losing access to healthcare, and the basic resources that they need to survive.
10. 0:53:40The city of Phoenix has the power to act as a first line of defense.
11. 0:53:43That means investing in our people right now.
12. 0:53:46I'm urging you to increase the client services line item for crisis relief funds, a mouthful, $5 million and expand access so all Phoenix residents can receive support.
13. 0:53:57These funds should be flexible, accessible, and we're wanting to engage in the conversation of what this looks like.
14. 0:54:03This is about safety, stability, and dignity.
15. 0:54:05Phoenix can and must do more to protect working families.
16. 0:54:09Thank you.

1. 0:54:21So as a first generation immigrant from a working class family, I'm here to ask that the city of Phoenix increase the client services line item for crisis relief funds by $5 million and expand access to all Phoenix residents to access flexible financial assistance, refugee crisis support, housing and food.
2. 0:54:38This is deeply needed right now as Phoenix residents have had their snap cuts benefit
3. 0:54:41Their SNAP benefits cut have lost access to healthcare and are facing violence from ICE.
4. 0:54:46This funding must be self-granted to trusted and culturally competent providers already embedded in the community.
5. 0:54:52And an implementation committee made up of providers and community members must be created to ensure effective distribution of these funds.
6. 0:55:00On another note, I also see that the trial budget has designated funds for teen prevention.
7. 0:55:04I support this investment and want to ask that we please ensure that it stays in future drafts of the budget and that some of those funds go to the Jacob Harris Foundation.
8. 0:55:11Adding more funds for teen prevention is possible and should also be prioritized.
9. 0:55:15Lastly, I also ask that you support right to counsel.
10. 0:55:17The city needs to pass an ordinance to guarantee the right to an attorney for people facing eviction.
11. 0:55:22This has been a community demand for the past three years and now more than ever is incredibly crucial.
12. 0:55:26If we truly want to lower the amount of people on the streets, we need to invest and look at other solutions to help stop people from ending up on the street to begin with, like right to counsel and adding $5 million to the client services line item for crisis relief funds.
13. 0:55:38It is the responsibility of the city and our council members to provide for their constituents.
14. 0:55:43Our tax dollars are meant for us.
15. 0:55:45Put them back in the community.
16. 0:55:46Thank you.

1. 0:55:57Good afternoon, Mayor and members of council.
2. 0:55:59My name is Nancy Lam.
3. 0:56:00I live in District 4 and work in District 5.
4. 0:56:02Thank you for expanding the client services line item for flexible emergency financial assistance to 3.15 million and for increasing teen services programming to 937,000.
5. 0:56:13If a budget is our moral document, then we as a city are saying with these increases that we value the health and well-being of children, youth, and families.
6. 0:56:20However, there's an opportunity right now as the Trump administration has canceled SNAP benefits, loss of health care, and constant violence from ICE to do more for our community.
7. 0:56:30The City of Phoenix must increase a client services line item for crisis relief by $5 million.
8. 0:56:34In our conversations with you all and city staff, many of the concerns about increasing the funding for client services were about fiscal responsibility to ensure we have a balanced budget.
9. 0:56:43And I do understand that, so I did some research.
10. 0:56:46Studies from the National Alliance to End Homelessness show a 49.5% reduction in public costs when individuals are placed in supportive housing.
11. 0:56:54It costs the city much less to keep folks housed and to meet their basic necessities and prevent homelessness than to address it after folks become unhoused.
12. 0:57:02This is what adding $5 million to the client services budget would help do.
13. 0:57:06But beyond the stats, I want to make sure we're grounded in why we're here today.
14. 0:57:10Two weeks ago, a father to two high school students in our community was detained by ICE.
15. 0:57:14On top of the emotional hardship and the loss of their father's presence in their lives, this family has had to resort to starting a GoFundMe to cover unexpected costs, legal expenses, and to keep the family afloat because the father was the main provider for the household.
16. 0:57:27As of right now, they're about 78% of the way to their $10,000 goal because of the generosity of our community.
17. 0:57:35but they shouldn't have to rely on this GoFundMe to get by.
18. 0:57:38And I know they are not the only ones.
19. 0:57:40The city has the opportunity and responsibility to do more to alleviate the immense burden, stress and difficulty that these families are facing.
20. 0:57:47Please increase the client services budget by $5 million.
21. 0:57:49Thank you.

1. 0:58:04Mayor Gallego and co-counsel thank you for this time my comment is two parts and I'll save the second half for item two I want to use this first space to talk about systematic abuse as it correlates to budgeting and from direct lived experience you may conceptualize the term systematic abuse as the inevitable symptomatic effects of deploying protocols regulations and laws that protect and benefit a greater number of people than they do harm to
2. 0:58:30and that these side effects absolve the system's individual proponents from accountability to harm.
3. 0:58:36But when an individual uses rules and their backing in the creation of those rules to cause direct individual and ongoing harm, I'd say that individual has weaponized the system in order to enact depressive abuse and it remains self-validated and unseen.
4. 0:58:53There consistently has been disproportionate funding to the cities of Phoenix's capacity to police and ongoing expansion into more and more blatantly distorted criminalization of people caring for each other's survival while we are actively faced with neighbors who are suffering at the hands of systematic abuse.
5. 0:59:13It remains as true at the city level as it does at the federal level.
6. 0:59:18The budget expansions for human services conjunct with the failure to directly communicate with and spotlight the voices of survivors of all forms of violence is a disproportionately negligible growth in capacity to restore and uplift survivors and is not congruent at all with the expansion of PPD's capacity to continue enacting harm violence.

1. 0:59:53Good afternoon, mayor and council members.
2. 0:59:55My name is Evelyn Castillo.
3. 0:59:57I'm the Phoenix field organizer with Organized Power Numbers.
4. 1:00:01I'm happy to see more investment in the housing trust fund and in childcare.
5. 1:00:05Thank you for that.
6. 1:00:07And I'm also here to urge you to increase the client services line item for crisis relief funds by $5 million in the city budget and expand access to all Phoenix residents.

1. 1:00:18Right now, working families in our city are carrying the weight of economic instability.

1. 1:00:23I want to acknowledge that there are so many people that couldn't join us and stories you won't get to hear.
2. 1:00:27So I wanted to uplift the experience of community member Carmen Terrell, who wasn't allowed to sign up to speak today.
3. 1:00:36She shared the challenges she's faced trying to access rental assistance through the city.
4. 1:00:41While funding going to social services is important and appreciated, she highlighted that the way these programs are structured creates real barriers for the people who need them most.
5. 1:00:52For example, current guidelines exclude individuals living in subsidized housing, even though many of these residents are still struggling to make ends meet.
6. 1:01:00She also described the difficult and frustrating process required just to apply for help.
7. 1:01:06Residents are expected to call every Monday to try to secure an appointment only to still be denied assistance after completing extensive verification steps.
8. 1:01:15This kind of system is not serving our community, it's discouraging people from seeking help and leaving many without the support they need.
9. 1:01:23Carmen also emphasized the need for more direct communication
10. 1:01:28constant communication and accountability.
11. 1:01:31While city council members are often the face of these issues, she urged that the city manager and department directors create opportunities such as regular signup forums, community meetings, where constituents can directly share their experiences and concerns with those responsible for implementing these programs.
12. 1:01:47These are the individuals who are most closely connected to how policies are actually playing out on the ground.
13. 1:01:53I just wanted to end with, please increase the client services crisis relief fund by $5 million to make it accessible to all Phoenix residents.
14. 1:02:01Thank you.

1. 1:02:12Hello, my name is Jason and I would like to start this off by just asking the question as to what is the purpose of the city budget?
2. 1:02:20Because I believe it is to serve all the residents of the city through their own tax dollars allow for the continued existence for the government.
3. 1:02:32Now there are multiple levels of government that working families are under and currently the federal administration is failing them.
4. 1:02:40They have their SNAP benefits cuts,
5. 1:02:43Their health care has been denied and they have been harassed and assaulted by ICE officers.
6. 1:02:48So it is now up to the city government to step up and provide relief for them.
7. 1:02:54And my demand is simple.
8. 1:02:56The client services line item for crisis relief funds must be expanded by $5 million.
9. 1:03:05This funding must be provided to all of the working families regardless of immigration status and if you are worried about this not being properly utilized the solution is simple as well.
10. 1:03:20Subgrant the funding to local community to culturally competent providers already doing this work as well as established committee of both these providers and the community members and they will ensure that this funding gets properly utilized.
11. 1:03:36I've seen families have to decide whether or not they will have to pay their rent, their their their storage or
12. 1:03:46or to get treatment for their own daughters for an infection.
13. 1:03:51And I would want to emphasize that this has to be accessible to all regardless of immigration status.
14. 1:03:59We cannot say that it is equal and then say some are more equal than others.
15. 1:04:06This city should not have a hierarchy of which it serves its residents.
16. 1:04:11Thank you.

1. 1:04:23Hello, my name is Lexeri Coronado.
2. 1:04:26I am an organizer with Organized Power and Numbers.
3. 1:04:29Right now, in this current political moment, there are too many working families in Phoenix that are dealing with the economic instability, such as higher gas prices, cuts to basic benefits, such as SNAP, which has set families back for many months, and the constant threat of detention and family separation.
4. 1:04:50When attacks happen on our people, the city cannot just simply stand by.
5. 1:04:55The city has to step up and protect the people of our city.
6. 1:04:59That's why Phoenix must expand the client services line item for crisis relief funds by $5 million in the 2026-27 budget.
7. 1:05:11This funding would provide real flexible support help with housing, food, childcare, and emergency relief that families in Phoenix desperately need.
8. 1:05:21It would also ensure support for refugees and immigrant families navigating detention or fighting their cases in court, who often lose income and stability overnight.
9. 1:05:32This funding needs to be available to all Phoenix residents who need it, and it should be distributed through organizations that already have the trust of our community and know how to reach people effectively.
10. 1:05:45At the end of the day, this is about priorities.
11. 1:05:48A city budget is a moral document.
12. 1:05:50Investing in crisis relief means choosing to protect working families, to support refugees, and to make sure no one in our city faces hardship alone.
13. 1:06:00I've seen firsthand how during certain political crisis, such as cuts in social services and billions of dollars invested in immigration enforcement, can destabilize entire families
14. 1:06:12such as losing jobs, homes, and security all at once.
15. 1:06:15That kind of fear shouldn't define life in our city.
16. 1:06:18Phoenix has the resources.
17. 1:06:20What we need now is the political will to use them to take care of our people.
18. 1:06:24Thank you.

1. 1:06:36Hi, good afternoon, council.
2. 1:06:37My name is Sebastian del Portillo.
3. 1:06:39I'm with Organized Power and Numbers.
4. 1:06:42And I'm here today to also advocate that the city should increase the client services line item for crisis relief funds up to the tune of $5 million.
5. 1:06:50I think there's a lot of good stuff in this year's budget.
6. 1:06:54And so I want to appreciate the staff and the city council for making improvements.
7. 1:06:59It's definitely a better budget than last year.
8. 1:07:02You know, the child care, the master lease program, the flexible financial assistance, the refugee crisis support, the housing trust fund, and some other things that I keep hearing about are really good additions this year.
9. 1:07:13Unfortunately, we're just in a context and a situation that is just not enough.
10. 1:07:18We need to continue funding all of these streams, but we need to fund them to a higher degree.
11. 1:07:25And as LSS pointed out, stabilizing families is just so incredibly important.
12. 1:07:31I mean, we, the working people of the city, are the economic backbone
13. 1:07:36of our nation or country or city.
14. 1:07:39And we're always being kicked behind the knees to make things work.
15. 1:07:44I know we all know what that feels like here in this room.
16. 1:07:47I'm sure every single one of us is stressed about a bill or making rent.
17. 1:07:51And it's very unfortunate that we're in this context where 17% of children in Arizona are living in poverty.
18. 1:07:58That's just so sad that 50% of our households here in Arizona are rent burdened.
19. 1:08:04and I think I really want to land the points that we need to sub-grant these funds to organizations that have the cultural competency necessary to even be approached by a lot of the community members.
20. 1:08:15The community doesn't want to come to the city.
21. 1:08:18They can't in a lot of ways trust the government.
22. 1:08:20so they rely on these community organizations for help so sub-granting an oversight committee made of community members and providers so there's a real conversation that's active happening to shape these funds and so we went from 1.5 to 3 million and we're almost there at the 5 million that these organizations consider we need so I hope we can find some room in the budget to do that thank you

1. 1:09:14All right, Dr. Sprut, go ahead.
2. 1:09:16Thank you, Mayor and members of the council for the opportunity to comment today.
3. 1:09:20My name is Dr. Katie Sprutty, and I serve as vice chair of the Phoenix North Council of First Things First, Arizona's early childhood agency, and an early childhood professor at Grand Canyon University.
4. 1:09:32I'm here to share what early childhood looks like for families across Phoenix and why it matters to all of us.
5. 1:09:38The first five years of life are the most critical period of brain development.
6. 1:09:42These years shape school readiness, reading success, long-term health, workforce participation, and ultimately the strength of our economy.
7. 1:09:52Investing in early childhood is not charity, it is essential infrastructure.
8. 1:09:57And right now, Phoenix is facing a childcare crisis.
9. 1:10:00More than 72,000 children have working parents, but there are only 47,000 licensed childcare slots, leaving roughly 25,000 children without access.
10. 1:10:11In some areas, there are eight infants for every one available slot, and more than 3,000 children remain on waitlists for assistance.
11. 1:10:20Families are not opting out.
12. 1:10:21They're being shut out, often forced to reduce work hours or leave their jobs entirely.
13. 1:10:27Cost is another major barrier.
14. 1:10:29Infant care in Maricopa County exceeds $1,100 per month, which is up to 17% of a family's income.
15. 1:10:37I experienced this personally when childcare costs nearly matched my mortgage.
16. 1:10:41For many families, it is simply unaffordable.
17. 1:10:44That is why it's not just a family issue, it's an economic issue impacting employers and workforce stability.
18. 1:10:51Research shows every dollar invested in early childhood returns up to $16 through better outcomes,
19. 1:10:58and Stronger Productivity.
20. 1:10:59That's why I support the Phoenix Trial budget allocation of $5 million for childcare.
21. 1:11:05It is a meaningful investment in families, our workforce and our shared future.
22. 1:11:10Thank you for your time.

1. 1:11:20Good afternoon, Mayor and Council Members.
2. 1:11:22My name is Robert Wollenzane and I represent the Christown YMCA.
3. 1:11:26I want to start by sharing that as a community-serving organization, the importance of child care and early learning access is at the forefront of our work.
4. 1:11:34We see it firsthand in the families who walk through our doors every single day.
5. 1:11:38Parents come to our YMCA looking for help.
6. 1:11:41They are trying to grow, to improve their lives, and to do right by their children.
7. 1:11:46Many are working incredibly hard, yet feel stuck and unsure in how to move forward.
8. 1:11:51Quality child care makes an enormous difference.
9. 1:11:54Early childhood education is critical for children's success in school and beyond, but is also critical for family stability.
10. 1:12:01So many parents are caught in the middle, earning too much to qualify for assistance, but nowhere near enough to afford child care.
11. 1:12:09The YMCA does everything we can through scholarships and support, but the need is far greater than we can meet alone.
12. 1:12:17We see families want to work.
13. 1:12:21They want consistent employment and financial stability.
14. 1:12:25Childcare is the gap standing in their way.
15. 1:12:28I have seen a real sense of hopelessness change once a parent gets reliable childcare support.
16. 1:12:34Suddenly they can show up to work consistently, they can plan, they can breathe, and they can begin to move forward.
17. 1:12:42We also see the pressure on providers.
18. 1:12:44Childcare providers want to serve families and to keep quality staff, but without sustainable funding,
19. 1:12:51It remains a constant struggle.
20. 1:12:54And this is why we strongly support allocating $5 million to childcare funding.
21. 1:12:58This investment supports families, children and early learning, and providers who make it all happen.
22. 1:13:04Thank you for listening and recognizing how essential childcare is to Phoenix families and our community.

1. 1:13:33Thank you so much for that testimony.
2. 1:13:35And then for our virtual speakers, as these last two do it, if you could just start by saying your name and make sure that's the right person.
3. 1:13:42And then you can speak to the person in front of y'all.
4. 1:13:44So again, we have Elmer from Kaplan's, followed by Angela Russell, followed by Serena Garcia.
5. 1:13:52Thank you so much for that testimony.
6. 1:13:56And then for our virtual speakers, as these last two do it, if you could just start by saying your name and make sure
7. 1:14:01Alberto?

1. 1:14:13Okay, so I am here today at the City Council virtually to express this support.

1. 1:14:23Alberto.

1. 1:14:33Okay.
2. 1:14:33I am Alberto.
3. 1:14:34I am here today in support so that we receive the $5 million in support.
4. 1:14:42This is Alberto.
5. 1:14:43I'm here in support regarding the $5 million increase so that we can receive the support that our communities much need as we're facing attacks for the communities regarding ICE attacks to undocumented families, migrant families, the working class.
6. 1:15:02We are hoping that we can receive all this support from the councils, but we are expressing that push
7. 1:15:09in regards to this measure.

1. 1:15:36Okay, Angelina.

1. 1:15:39Good afternoon, members of the Council.
2. 1:15:40I am here to ask that $5 million be approved for our working families.
3. 1:15:49Angelina.
4. 1:15:50Thank you.
5. 1:15:51My name is Angelina.
6. 1:15:53We are asking for these $5 million as a relief fund for residents of Phoenix, Arizona, who are affected by the policies of this Trump administration.
7. 1:16:05Because the majority are working people who support the greatest burden of immigration economic policies.
8. 1:16:12and other members of this administration.
9. 1:16:15We want this fund to be for situations in crisis.
10. 1:16:18We want the city to increase the amount of services to the client to $5 million.
11. 1:16:25Because under this administration, residents have lost their SNAP benefits, their medical coverage, the doctors are very expensive, they are raising their gasoline prices.
12. 1:16:35Y aparte han tenido que enfrentar la violencia de ICE.
13. 1:16:39Queremos una financiera flexible de apoyo en crisis para refugiados, cuidados infantiles, viviendas, alimentos y que sea accesible y de bajo umbral.
14. 1:16:49Disponible para todos los residentes de Phoenix sin importar su estatus social.
15. 1:16:54We want to establish an implementation committee composed of providers and community members to guarantee the transparent distribution of these funds.
16. 1:17:05Immigrant families in particular need this fund for food, housing and other basic needs, while their families are fighting in a immigration court for detention.
17. 1:17:17That is why we are asking for this $5 million fund
18. 1:17:21My name is Angelina.

Spoken in Spanish, transcribed as said

Some lines may be an automatic translation of Spanish speech, not the speaker's own words

1. 1:19:29Soraya is not present.

1. 1:19:40Yeah, she's not available, but we do have the next person.

1. 1:19:46Okay, she's going to say her name.
2. 1:19:47Go ahead.

1. 1:19:48Buenas tardes, señores concejales.
2. 1:19:51Soy Leonor Garcia, residente de Phoenix.
3. 1:19:54Estoy pidiendo...
4. 1:19:57We ask that you accept our request for the purchase of customer services for relief funds in a crisis of $5 million and expand access to all Finney residents, allowing those affected by these policies
5. 1:20:15Thank you very much.
6. 1:20:31Thank you.

Spoken in Spanish, transcribed as said

Some lines may be an automatic translation of Spanish speech, not the speaker's own words

1. 1:22:12Hola, buenas tardes.
2. 1:22:15Mi nombre es Brianda Garciano.
3. 1:22:18Estoy aquí para pedirles apoyo al servicio al cliente con el aumento de 5 millones de dólares para soporte para familias trabajadoras que han sido afectadas por esta administración.
4. 1:22:29Gracias.

Spoken in Spanish, transcribed as said

Some lines may be an automatic translation of Spanish speech, not the speaker's own words

1. 1:23:02Hola, buenas tardes.
2. 1:23:03Mi nombre es Irma Hernandez.
3. 1:23:06Gracias a todos los miembros del concilio por este valioso tiempo de escucharnos.
4. 1:23:13Soy residente de Phoenix desde hace 35 años y es la primera vez que experimento la situación tan drástica de ataques directos para todos.
5. 1:23:23Por eso pido que incluyan 5 millones de dólares en servicio al cliente para familias trabajadoras afectadas.
6. 1:23:31Thank you for letting me express my concern.

Spoken in Spanish, transcribed as said

Some lines may be an automatic translation of Spanish speech, not the speaker's own words

1. 1:24:20Buenas tardes, mi nombre es Maria Hernandez.
2. 1:24:23Estamos pidiendo que amplíen el servicio al cliente.
3. 1:24:26Pedimos 5 millones de dólares en fondo para las familias que han sido afectadas para esta nueva administración.
4. 1:24:34Muchas gracias por su tiempo.

Spoken in Spanish, transcribed as said

1. 1:25:11Hola, buenas tardes.
2. 1:25:13Yo soy Rosalía.
3. 1:25:14Yo estoy aquí porque estoy exigiendo servicio al cliente para fondos de alivio en crisis y que agreguen 5 millones de dólares para las familias trabajadoras que soportan la mayor carga de las políticas económicas de la migración violentas y de la administración de Trump.
4. 1:25:34Thank you.

Spoken in Spanish, transcribed as said

Some lines may be an automatic translation of Spanish speech, not the speaker's own words

1. 1:27:01Elizabeth Jara Elizabeth Jara
2. 1:27:16As you know and have seen, under the Trump administration, we are suffering this wave of massive violence on the part of ICE.
3. 1:27:25We know that many people have been married by ICE and uncovered, since this has become a human hunt without a criminal record.
4. 1:27:34Mucha gente está siendo afectada, perdiendo sus beneficios como la cobertura médica para sus hijos o ellos propios.
5. 1:27:41Beneficios de estampillas para comida.
6. 1:27:43Las rentas cada vez son más caras y hoy en día nos cuesta más dinero ir a nuestros trabajos ya que la gasolina también está muy cara gracias a esta nueva administración.
7. 1:27:53That's why I ask you to vote to add $5 million to the customer service for crisis relief funds.
8. 1:28:00This fund will allow those affected by these policies to access assistance funds, but it will be flexible for the most vulnerable community and will not require a social status.
9. 1:28:12I think we deserve to feel safe, healthy and hopeful because we all pay taxes even if we don't have a status.
10. 1:28:20Thank you very much.
11. 1:28:35Thank you.

Spoken in Spanish, transcribed as said

Some lines may be an automatic translation of Spanish speech, not the speaker's own words

1. 1:31:39Maria Hart.
2. 1:31:42Hola, buenas tardes a todos los concejales.
3. 1:31:46Yo estoy aquí hoy alzando mi voz porque muchas familias... María Jara.

Spoken in Spanish, transcribed as said

1. 1:31:52Gracias.

1. 1:31:54Thank you very much.
2. 1:32:13Thank you and I hope you listen to us.

1. 1:33:42My name is Karen Olson and I'm here to echo so many of my community members that are supporting a community initiative to increase the client services line item for crisis relief funds by five million dollars and open it to all Phoenix residents to pass a right to council ordinance for tenants facing eviction and to increase teen prevention funding to 1.5 million dollars
2. 1:34:07I hope all council members will take the time to listen to your community members who show up again and again and again.
3. 1:34:12I know for you all this feels like a regular day but for all of us this is life or death.
4. 1:34:18This all means a lot.
5. 1:34:20It really does.
6. 1:34:21Every single one of us makes a difference only by showing up and doing differently because what we have been doing is not enough.
7. 1:34:29It will never be enough and therefore we have to keep showing up.
8. 1:34:32Please listen to community that shows up time and time again, whether that be organizations that have been showing up for decades plus, people like myself who show up even though I honestly, every time I'm on these kind of mics, I get nervous.
9. 1:34:52and I'm going to keep breathing and I'm going to keep showing up because we deserve better.
10. 1:34:56We deserve funding that goes to us, your constituents, not the continued policing of us.
11. 1:35:06Whether it be Phoenix PD or it be the current ICE ongoing raids, we need
12. 1:35:16people in these seats of power that you nine sit in to listen to us, to take action where you can, and to be brave, to know that it is important that you know that what you do isn't enough, but today maybe it can be.
13. 1:35:30Thank you so much.

1. 1:39:45Yeah, thanks, Mayor, members of Council, Vice Mayor.
2. 1:39:47Yeah, there is extensive information in the packet on share, but I know that Dr. David Hondla, who leads our heat, Office of Heat Response, is here as well, and he can talk about the wide variety of programs that we're already doing in that area, because there is a really significant investment there.

1. 1:40:16Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor and Council Members for the question.
2. 1:40:19Yes, Vice Mayor, you're absolutely correct.
3. 1:40:21There's no reduction in any of the investment in the programs and activities in the Shade Phoenix plan that's reflected in this budget.

1. 1:40:40Mayor, Vice Mayor, our team and many colleagues across many departments are pushing as hard as we can every day toward those goals.

1. 1:41:28Thanks, Mayor, members of council, Vice Mayor.
2. 1:41:31Yeah, the eviction legal services program is funded through ARPA interest.
3. 1:41:34And as you mentioned, it's funded through June of 27.
4. 1:41:37There's been good interaction with that program so far.
5. 1:41:40And we have some specific, you know, data here in the report on that, but it is continuing through June of 27.

1. 1:54:30Mayor, members of the Council, Councilwoman Hernandez, thank you so much for your question and for your advocacy of teen programs.
2. 1:54:36We are really excited about the additional $937,000 to improve youth and teen programming.
3. 1:54:43Specifically to your question, the enhanced youth and teen recreation programming that we're planning to provide at 16 sites is really designed to increase youth and teen engagement through a variety of programming opportunities.
4. 1:54:56we will be working with residents as well as our teen participants and their families to help us identify where what programs they're interested in and where those areas of needs are and please do if there are specific community organizations that you're interested in us connecting with we are happy to hear about that

1. 1:55:29Mayor, members of the Council, Council Member Hernandez, thank you for that question.
2. 1:55:33During my tenure, again, this was probably about 20 years ago, we really focused on providing fun, structured activities as they do now, as really to
3. 1:55:46bring them into the center and then connect them to and ground them with you development programs specifically when it comes to interventional strategies and prevention.
4. 1:55:56The goal is always twofold really is to welcome them in these spaces, but then connect them to meaningful resources and supports.
5. 1:56:04At that particular time we had a wide range of programs offered including juvenile diversion and juvenile rights and responsibilities, violence awareness education which still exists in parks today, truancy reduction initiatives, life skills development, employment skills, nutritional education, teen programs and conferences which exist, and cultural competency programs that really target the teens and youth of Phoenix.
6. 1:56:32each program was designed to address real challenges facing young people like substance abuse, family instability, school disengagement, bullying, and other risk factors where sometimes they just make unhealthy choices.
7. 1:56:46And we're really focused on partnering with community-based organizations who could refer youth to us that maybe we don't necessarily reach.
8. 1:56:55And so not only will we be serving the youth
9. 1:57:00Thank you so much, Tim.
10. 1:57:05And then I have a next question for you.

1. 1:57:25Yes, our community literacy hubs have demonstrated some success when it comes to some evidence-based practices and also working with community organizations and even city programs who have those programs that meet the needs of our families.
2. 1:57:41When we coordinate early learning and literacy supports like tutoring, family literacy programming, access to books, digital learning, these hubs really counteract the early grade level declines that we're seeing currently specifically with third grade reading and create more consistent support system for our families.
3. 1:57:59We're seeing some great success when it comes to those students who are receiving tutoring compared to their peers.
4. 1:58:05They're outpacing, especially with their growth.
5. 1:58:08and we're also seeing a small reduction in chronic absenteeism at those hubs, at those schools located that have those hubs
6. 1:58:20Now, one thing to keep in mind is when we engage families at a unified hub, this definitely can work at a community center, but most importantly, I think it's, we just have to be intentional and coordinated when we provide those services, which that means is tapping into community resources, those high quality programs,
7. 1:58:39at Southwest Human Development, Make Way for Books, Condellin, even our own libraries, kindergarten bootcamp is really, those are the experts.
8. 1:58:48And that's what a literacy hubs is bring those community resources in and then provide those services to families and youth and students in the community.

1. 2:00:03Sure, Mayor, members of the City Council, Councilwoman Hernandez.
2. 2:00:06So a portion of that is for one administrative assistant position that would work in the Parks Department and be responsible for overseeing the permitting process for the new ordinance should the City Council approve that tomorrow.
3. 2:00:19Right now we have existing staff who are working on that permitting process, but again, this would be a dedicated person to oversee that, to work with our partner agencies throughout that process, and really just be a point of contact.
4. 2:00:33There are two additional positions in that package that would actually live with the Office of Homeless Solutions, and I will ask Gina if she can speak to the work that those positions will carry out.
5. 2:00:44Thank you.

1. 2:00:46Thank you, Mayor, Councilman Hernandez, and Rachel can be on standby if you want any additional detail.
2. 2:00:55The positions that are planned or proposed for the Office of Health Solutions would be caseworker positions, and they would be responsible for connecting outreach and attending events related to, that are permitted events in the parks, and also connecting particularly with the medical providers
3. 2:01:15and making sure that we have connections so that they can do outreach together and also connect folks that the medical providers are seeing to our services in OHS and also connecting folks to the medical services, treatment beds.
4. 2:01:31They have a whole array of services that are available that we would be able to more meaningfully connect them to.

1. 2:01:59I'm sorry, Mayor, members of the council, Councilwoman Hernandez, if that's specific to looking into how the ordinance itself will impact.

1. 2:02:40Sure, Mayor, members of the council, Councilman Hernandez, I think the best way I can answer that is we've certainly, in terms of the Parks Department, evaluated what we think the impact will be in terms of managing the permitting process and looking at field staff that will be able to go out and be on site and meet with the providers and check to make sure that they're in compliance and understanding of what that ordinance is, should it go into effect
2. 2:03:03So we feel like we with this additional position will have the capacity to manage that.
3. 2:03:08Also, that being said, you know, we're uncertain about the volume that will come in through that permitting application.
4. 2:03:13So that's something that we will monitor and keep an eye on and see if we think that the volume is greater than we expected or lower than we expected so we can adjust accordingly.

1. 2:04:54Thank you, Ed.
2. 2:04:56Mayor, council members, and Councilman Hernandez, thank you for the question.
3. 2:05:00Yes, as Ed alluded to, it would be a coordinated effort among several city departments, and our team would certainly be happy and privileged to be a part of that conversation about how to increase shade for pedestrians.
4. 2:05:12And the Shade Phoenix plan does guide us to think about these critical impact areas like schools.
5. 2:05:17Several of the structures that we were able to build with
6. 2:05:20Your ARPA investment are located in the vicinity of schools, but of course there are many more children in schools that could be served with additional shade.

1. 2:07:54Yeah, Mayor, members of council, Councilwoman Hernandez.
2. 2:07:57Yeah, the way to answer that is that the total general fund budget is really just about the total cost to fund the programs and services that are provided by the general fund, right?
3. 2:08:09So you can almost kind of think about it as like the equivalent of your household budget.
4. 2:08:14The surplus, on the other hand, going back to that slide in the presentation, is saying, okay, based on the cost to provide that suite of programs and services, do we have enough resources to cover it?
5. 2:08:24And if we have more resources, we have a surplus, we have some extra resources, then that's what the proposed budget is about.
6. 2:08:31Deciding how to allocate so this again similar to an individual's home budget if your take-home paycheck right covers all your expenses and you have a little more than you have a surplus and you have decisions to make about whether to save it or to use it on needs you have so that that's the difference between the two.

1. 2:08:57Yeah, that's a good question, Mayor, members of council, Councilwoman Hernandez.
2. 2:09:02I think that part of the answer to that question is one of the terms we used to use, I don't know that we've used it in a while, is we have what we call a modified zero-based budget, and the fancy term that basically means
3. 2:09:12Council has approved again this this range of services over the years and our starting point is to say what is it going to cost to continue to provide those services the residents know and rely on right and that's what so many of those budget processes that we go through throughout the year are three plus nines and seven plus fives is about zeroing in on your what's the what's the true cost and can we find savings
4. 2:09:33We're going to compare that to our resources then and determine what the surplus is.
5. 2:09:37So I think the concept is let's continue doing all the things that residents are used to.
6. 2:09:42And then if there's money left over, right, and there's a surplus, let's take that out into the community and get feedback on, you know, what else would the community like to see us doing?
7. 2:09:51I think that's the idea behind the process.

1. 2:10:19Yeah, members of council, Councilwoman Hernandez.
2. 2:10:22Sure, I had a little bit of help on this one, I'll admit.
3. 2:10:25But, you know, suppose that you need to go out and buy a pair of shoes, right?
4. 2:10:30And suppose you're not like me and you're not shopping the sale rack, you're getting the cool looking stuff and it's costing you $100.
5. 2:10:36We'll make it nice and easy, right?
6. 2:10:37of $100 purchase, about $1.84 goes to the city's general fund, right?
7. 2:10:43Because we have the city's general fund sales tax.
8. 2:10:46We also get a little slice of state shared revenue as well out of the state shared sales taxes.
9. 2:10:50So with each purchase, right, a little bit goes into the general fund that then funds those programs and services that we've been talking about today.

1. 2:11:02Don't I know it.

1. 2:11:16Yeah, Mayor, members of council, Councilwoman Hernandez, it's about 38% of the general fund that's going to police.

1. 2:11:27Mayor, members of council, Councilwoman Hernandez.
2. 2:11:31I think that it probably depends on what you're gonna include in the social services category.
3. 2:11:35One way that I might think about that are our community enrichment and community development categories of the budget.
4. 2:11:42I think in some of our budget schedules in the back of the packet, you can see those.
5. 2:11:45So again, I think I mentioned a few of them are our human services, our libraries.
6. 2:11:49If you look at those two categories combined, they make up about between 14 and 15% of the general fund budget.

1. 2:17:40Mayor, members, Councilman Waring, it's just police and fire that is in the public safety category.

1. 2:17:46Yeah, it's about 24.5%.