Local News

Tusayan To Hold Budget Override Election In May

November 19, 2019

 

 Voters will get another chance to decide Tusayan Town Hall can be trusted to spend responsibly.

The Tusayan Town Council has decided to call a budget override special election in May as the town deals with the constraints of state spending limits.

Administrative errors negated a ‘home rule’ election and voters later rejected a budget override earlier this year. As a result Tusayan can only spend about $1.4 million a year.

The override rejection may have been a reaction to past budget decisions.

The Town has spent millions on the Ten-X affordable housing project which remains in limbo because the prior town manager failed to follow county flood control rules.

The Town had also made other major expenditures on various other projects and services prompting Councilman Robb Baldosky to comment, “Back in 2019 we had $17 million in the bank and right now we have $8 million and we don’t have a whole lot to show for it.”

With a new Town Manager in place Mayor Craig Sanderson hopes to regain the public’s trust, “We have done our part in tightening our belt and getting a new Town Manager and having a council that understands fiscal responsibility.”

The Town Council is also in the process of evaluating spending on building inspection and engineering services. Three outside contractors provide that service and Vice Mayor Brady Harris suggested the town hire its own engineer, “If we hire our own engineer for $150,000 we would be getting a heck of a deal because between all of them we are paying over half a million.”