On Aug. 17, the Camp Verde Town Council approved its Proposed Final 2022-23 Fiscal Year Budget at just under $58.5 million.
Prior to approving the budget, council held a discussion with Camp Verde Finance Director Mike Showers, regarding modifications to the final budget, which is currently incomplete.
Some of the items that are yet to be added to the budget include statistics on narratives, a summary of revenues, debt schedules and other information.
Showers stated that once the budget document is finalized, it will be available online.
“When we pass this budget, we pass for things that we might spend money on, for example we have asks for grants and we don’t know if we’re going to get them, but we have to budget as if we did get them,” Councilwoman Cris McPhail said. “The budget may look large, but we don’t spend the money unless it’s available.”
Some of the asks include a $22 million ADOT grant with three specific requests:
- Widen and enhance Finnie Flat Road.
- Widen and enhance Montezuma Castle Highway from Main Street to the Camp Verde Community Library.
- Restructure the old Circle K intersection at the north end of Main Street.
“This grant alone amounts to 38% of the town’s total budget for FY23,” the town’s proposed budget packet states.
Other “significant events” included in the packet include continued work on the town’s sports complex, pending the acquisition of an additional $2.5 million federal grant.
“This will be a multi-phase project creating two baseball fields, two all-purpose fields and the complete infrastructure [parking, drainage, water, roads, etc.] for the completed park,” the packet states. “Construction is expected to finish in 2023.”
Other events include a variety of improvements to broadband and communications, wastewater and several smaller projects via the use of American Rescue Plan Act funds, which the town has budgeted at $3.3 million for FY23.
For capital projects, the town has budgeted $5.5 million, including $3.5 million which will go toward wastewater improvements.
Additionally, the town has budgeted $943,000 to cover the costs of hiring 14 new employees.
“The town has continued to experience significant growth which has put a strain on numerous departments to keep up with expected services,” the packet states. “To compensate for this pressure, 14 new employees are planned for in FY23 with onboarding at various times throughout the year.”
More information about the budget is available at campverde.az.gov
