TUCSON, Ariz. — Tucson is asking their constituents what they want to see in next year's city budget.
City of Tucson leaders are in the process of creating the 2026 fiscal year budget. Similar to prior years, these town hall meetings will start with a short presentation by city officials before opening the floor up for community questions or comments.
They're hosting three in-person and one virtual meeting:
- Tuesday, April 1, 6-7 p.m. – Randolph Recreation Center, 200 S. Alvernon Way (Building 2)
- Wednesday, April 2, 6-7 p.m. – El Pueblo Senior Center, 101 W. Irvington Road (Building 13)
- Thursday, April 3, 6-7 p.m. – Morris K. Udall Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road
After those meetings, there's a virtual option on April 10, which you can join at this link.
There's also an option to fill out an online Budget Engagement Survey by the end of April 11.
The city's total budget for FY2026 is $2.4 billion. Unlike the Federal budget, which can be overspent, state law requires Arizona cities to balance their budget's revenues and expenses.
However, only $750 million of that goes into the General Fund, which is the city's main operating budget, funding core services like public safety, parks and roads while also paying for the other city departments. Public safety takes up over half of the general fund.
The city's funding is declining since the flat income tax implemented in 2023 brought fewer dollars to the state of Arizona.
Tucson Mayor and Council votes to adopt the budget in early June. It goes into effect July 1.
