Tucson Budget: See What's Included In 2022

TUCSON, AZ — Members of the Tucson City Council unanimously voted to approve the $1.9 billion budget for fiscal year 2021-22 on Tuesday.

The package includes funding for a number of programs, such as a minimum wage hike for all city employees and the start of Tucson's Community Safety Program, which will hire 14 positions that deal with housing, employment, physical and mental health and other resources.

Additionally, the budget creates the Office of Equity, which will be tasked with advancing equity across all aspects of the city's government and meeting city resident's needs, including Tucson's most vulnerable populations, the city said.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero commended the council for moving forward on the budget, calling the package a step forward for the city as a whole.

“The pandemic tested our limits – but we have proven our resilience, and are prepared to springboard into our economic recovery,” said Romero in a statement. “The approved budget represents a significant step forward in improving core services and quality of life for Tucsonans by supporting our economic recovery, investing in new strategies to promote community safety, and doubling the amount we are investing in local road repairs.”

Tucson City Manager Michael J. Ortega summed up the budget as a strong step for the city's future.

“Mayor and Council’s leadership on this budget demonstrates their commitment to putting the City of Tucson in a strong financial position for the upcoming fiscal year and well into the future,” Ortega said in a statement.

Here are some of the items included in the city of Tucson's newest budget:

• Funding for Tucson roads: The budget allocates $14 million for Tucson's "Budget Updates and Neighborhood Roads Program," which aims at improving the Old Pueblo's city-maintained roadways.
• Minimum Wage Increase For City Employees: A total of $33.5 million is allocated to bring the city's minimum wage for its employees to market value.
• Community Safety Program: A total of $5.1 million is allocated to create 14 positions to launch the CSP, with eight positions dedicated to social workers and others to connect Tucson residents with housing, employment, physical and mental health and other resources.
• Additional Small Business Navigators: The budget allocates $816,000 to promote trade relations, small business engagement and small business legacies in the Tucson area, in addition to bolstering Visit Tucson's "Ignite Tucson" local business marketing campaign.
• Staff the Newly Established Office of Equity: $500,000 is allocated to create the new department, which will help the city's departments meet the needs of Tucson's most vulnerable populations.