Glendale’s Community Newspaper
www.glendalestar.com
Vol. 77 No. 20
May 13, 2021
Glendale ready to vote on $1.2B budget
INSIDE
This Week
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Glendale Star Executive Editor
The Glendale City Council will consider final budget adoption at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 8, after voting on a tentative budget May 11. The May 11 vote was after the Glendale Star’s deadline. The FY 2021-22 proposed budget tentative budget is set at $1.244 billion and includes an operating budget of $731 million, a capital improvement budget of $281 million, a debt service budget of $93 million and a contingency appropriation of $139 million, according to City Manager Kevin R. Phelps. “The budget does not include an in-
NEWS............ 10 Abrazo Arrowhead campus earns top grade
crease to the primary property tax rate,” Phelps said in a memo. “The FY 21-22 budget represents a transition from my previous five years, which included few new staff positions or expansions of programs and services. This is due in large part to the council’s prioritization to build the city’s unrestricted fund balance to its targeted level. It took sacrifice and discipline to achieve this goal.” The proposed FY 2021-22 budget continues to maintain the city’s sustainable financial position while also increasing staffing in strategic areas. “These critical positions will ensure that we can continue to deliver services and projects in a manner our customers and
citizens have come to expect from the city of Glendale,” he said. This budget emphasizes improving public safety, building on economic development momentum, enhancing neighborhoods and addressing critical infrastructure needs. The budget ensures service delivery and resource allocation are aligned throughout the entire organization. Development of the budget centered around the following key priorities: Sustainability • Maintains targeted unrestricted fund balance (25% of ongoing revenue). • Investments in information technology security and reliability.
the Husband & Wife Law Team, Rosenbluth Family Charitable Foundation and Michelle Arndt/Arizona Community Foundation. Ray Croghan and Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers were also honored. The Law Tigers’ Warren Levenbaum, founder and chief executive officer, and Ari Levenbaum, chief marketing and operations officer, were given the award. Warren started the company and created the Arizona Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Foundation 20 years ago. The Levenbaums are committed to assisting injured rides, or those needing legal assistance or looking for community support. Law Tigers has given back to the community through charitable contributions, insurance education and safety and
awareness initiatives. Ari is president of AMSAF. Chandler Regional Medical Center of Dignity Health and Otten, Trauma Services and Emergency Preparedness director, were honored. Dignity Health is one of the nation’s largest health care systems and operates more than 400 care centers, including hospitals, urgent and occupational care, imaging and surgery centers, and home health and primary care clinics through a network of more than 10,000 physicians and 60,000 employees. Otten and her organization have worked closely with AMSAF and the distracted driving effort for several years due to the
SEE BUDGET PAGE 4
Glendale mayor wins motorcycle award BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Glendale Star Executive Editor
The Peoria-based Arizona Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Foundation handed out its Visionary Awards to community partners at its Share the Road/Riding for the Long Haul event in May. Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Director Alberto Gutier was given the 2020 award for supporting the foundation with multiple grants for motorcycle training and helmet assistance. Gutier has also been instrumental in reducing crashes and fatalities in Arizona. He took the lead in helping to reduce or eliminate distracted driving, too. The 2021 prizes went to Law Tigers, Dignity Health and nurse Wendy Otten,
FEATURES .... 21 Shallow Water shares its niche at Murphy Park
OPINION..................... 14 BUSINESS.................. 17 SPORTS ...................... 18 FEATURES.................. 20 RELIGION ................... 24 YOUTH........................ 26 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 29
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SEE AWARDS PAGE 6
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