Yuma council eyes budget, tax levy and ballot questions for 2027

A $570.8 million budget, a proposed $30 million spending-cap adjustment and two ballot questions put Yuma’s 2027 fiscal decisions on the same table as neighborhood amenities and election rules. City leaders were set to take up the package at a June 17 hearing at Yuma City Hall, One City Plaza, where residents could weigh in before the council moved toward adoption.

The proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget covers the city’s day-to-day operations, maintenance improvement districts and capital projects for the fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30. The city describes the plan as structurally balanced, with revenues exceeding operational expenditures, and has tied it to the theme Celebrating Our Past. Investing in Our Future. in recognition of America’s 250th anniversary. Council was also scheduled to consider the five-year Fiscal Year 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Program, the blueprint that guides funding and construction of major improvements and maintenance based on available resources and city needs.

One of the ballot questions, Proposition 436, would ask voters to approve a $30 million permanent base adjustment to the city’s 1979-80 expenditure base, which is used to calculate Yuma’s state-established annual expenditure limitation. The city says the change would not increase taxes, create new fees or generate new revenue, but would update the calculation used for the cap while preserving the balanced-budget requirement. Arizona’s Constitution requires the Economic Estimates Commission to determine and publish annual expenditure limits for cities and towns.

The second ballot question, Proposition 437, would change how nomination-petition signatures are calculated for city elected office. Under the proposal, the benchmark would shift from the preceding general municipal election to the preceding primary municipal election, while keeping the required range at 3% to 5% of ballots cast. City materials say 2026 candidates need between 998 and 1,664 signatures for the primary ballot, compared with 675 signatures for council and municipal judge candidates in 2024, a difference that shows how access to the ballot can move with the calculation method.

The council was also being asked to ratify the purchase of new playground equipment for Carver Park and Clymer Park, a smaller item that still affects families who use those spaces. The June 17 public hearing was scheduled for 5:30 p.m., and the city said the meeting could also be watched online or through Microsoft Teams, giving residents one more chance to see how budget pressure, charter questions, tax rules and neighborhood projects are being lined up for the next year.