NE Valley Times

The proposed budget for Scottsdale's Fiscal Year 2022/23 reflects a cautiously optimistic outlook on the city's financial situation. City revenues have surged over the past year due to unique pandemic-related circumstances, including stimulus funds and increased sales tax collections from higher goods prices. There was also a rise in revenue from travel, entertainment, and dining out as public demand grew.

However, the budget takes into account ongoing effects of the pandemic on consumer spending, healthcare costs, financial markets, and construction materials availability. The positive revenue impacts were somewhat offset by a population decrease per the 2020 census, which reduced state-shared revenues based on population.

Despite these challenges, General Fund revenues are expected to rise in FY 2022/23. City analysts predict that additional stimulus funding will move through the economy, leading to decreased revenues in FY 2023/24 before stabilizing over a five-year forecast.

The Scottsdale City Council will soon review and consider adopting this proposed budget. Interested parties can read more about it on the city’s Budget and Finance page.

Additionally, Scottsdale is seeking further input on updates to the Old Town Scottsdale Character Area Plan and Zoning Ordinance. Residents can participate in an online tour to provide feedback on various topics related to Old Town development by visiting ScottsdaleAZ.gov.

Mayor David D. Ortega has declared April 17-23 as Volunteer Appreciation Week in Scottsdale. Over 2,300 volunteers contributed more than 63,000 hours last fiscal year, saving taxpayers $1.7 million.

In other community activities, the Scottsdale Mayor’s Youth Council is hosting an event focusing on sustainability at Scottsdale Stadium on April 14 with keynote speaker Dr. Scott Cloutier from ASU’s School of Sustainability.

Scottsdale also offers Earth Week activities from April 22-29 and hosts ongoing events such as ArtWalk and Old Town Farmers Market.

For seniors aged 50+, an expo offering resources and services will be held at Scottsdale Stadium on April 14.

A road closure will affect southbound traffic on Scottsdale Road at Camelback from April 17-22 for maintenance work. Detours will be in place during this period.

Residents are encouraged to provide feedback for a new Parks and Recreation strategic plan via an online survey or community meetings.

Finally, Maricopa County continues tracking COVID-19 cases since January 2020 with updated numbers available for review.