Facing almost certain bankruptcy in two, the Tucson City Council will hold a public hearing today on the Recommended Fiscal Year 2016 Budget during the Regular Meeting at 5:30 p.m.
Earlier in the day at the Study Session, Mayor and Council are expected to continue to make excuses for their poor performance while reviewing the spending plan submitted by the City Manager on April 21. Tentative adoption of the $1.368 billion budget is set for May 19, and then another public hearing and final adoption will take place on June 9.
Under the proposal, the City would spend $600,000 for swimming pools, $1.6 million for graffiti removal, and will not increase transit fares. One Tucson staff member described the plan as “garbage.”
Speaking of garbage, the City of Tucson’s pilot commercial composting program will expand to become a regular service, involving more grocery stores, restaurants, food service businesses, and other commercial customers throughout the City. The announcement comes in conjunction with International Compost Awareness Week (celebrated May 3-9), one of the composting industry’s largest and most comprehensive education initiatives about recycling food scraps and yard waste.
The City of Tucson’s Environmental Services (ES) department estimates that 80 percent of what is disposed of in landfills is compostable or recyclable, and that about 50 percent of food thrown away is compostable. The City of Tucson’s pilot composting program began last June as part of a collaboration with the University of Arizona and 16 restaurants, grocery stores and hotels. The program has grown incrementally since then. Businesses interested in compost collection service are invited to call 520-791-3171 to speak with an ES representative.