Gilbert begins to reopen
GPS seniors get unique send-off
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An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS................................. 7 Parade gives isolated seniors some smiles
COMMUNITY......... 18 Gilbert artist pens book on beloved pet.
BUSINESS................20 Two Gilbert companies sanitize to give back.
COMMUNITY....................................... 16
BUSINESS.............................................20 SPORTS....................................... 22
CLASSIFIED..........................................24
FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF GILBERT) | GilbertSunNews.com
Sunday, May 10, 2020
Gilbert eyes 82 new positions in 2020-21 BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
W
hile other Valley municipalities are slashing spending for next fiscal year to reflect the economic fallout from the pandemic, Gilbert has adopted a preliminary budget that includes 82 new employees. The proposed $993 million spending plan is 5.3 percent lower than the $1 billion budget currently in effect. Most of the drop is for capital improvement projects. “We know there has been an impact because of COVID-19, an economic decline,” Budget Director Kelly Pfost said in last week’s special council meeting. “What we don’t know is how will the
recovery be, will it be fast, will it be slow,” she said. “Because we don’t know that makes it difficult for us to project what our budget should be next year in order to balance the revenues and expenses. So, our theme is be ready for anything, everything next year.” According to Town Manager Patrick Banger, there is a freeze on hiring and non-essential spending through the end of this fiscal year on June 30. Before delving into her 10-minute presentation, Pfost noted Gilbert was recognized for its best overall ranking of 100 largest cities in the country that recovered from the Great Recession with the lowest signs of economic distress. She said her hope is that the town would match that record post-COVID-19.
The Economic Innovation Group, a policy and advocacy organization, in 2018 released the study that looked at how the Great Recession and subsequent recovery affected American communities. Pfost talked in length about the town’s General Fund – which pays for services like police, fire and parks – because it is the most volatile. The town is on good footing so far with the monies that feed into that fund – such as sales tax and state-shared income tax –because the town under-budgets its anticipated revenue, according to Pfost. For instance, the lion’s share of the general fund comes from sales tax. The town budgeted
see BUDGET page 8
Virus casts Mother’s Day in a sobering light BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor
A
t work, Carly Ahern is a life-saver to patients who come through the emergency room doors at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa. At her Gilbert home, she’s mom to Finley, 5, Harper, 2, and Nolan, 11 months. At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed new challenges on healthcare workers, Mother’s Day puts a special spotlight on women like Ahern. “I definitely couldn’t do it without the support of my husband,” said the 30-yearold emergency-room nurse, who also works at Banner’s Cardon Children’s Medical Center. “He watches the kids while I’m at work. He also works. It’s chaos but we kind
Mother’s Day has taken on a new meaning for Gilbert nurse Carly Ahern. (Special to GSN)
of carefully have to plan our schedules around each other. We have lots of support from family and friends who also help us.” That support especially from her husband, Jordan, has been a big help for Ahern, who is caring for COVID-19 patients. “Early on when all of this started, one of my biggest fear and kind of anxiety is that I was going to bring the scary virus to my family,” she said. “My husband is asthmatic so he is susceptible as well. “I’ve been taking every precaution possible to hopefully prevent me from bringing it home.” Ahern follows a protocol that has her changing out of her scrubs at the hospital before driving home.
see MOM page 3