Mesa Council last week looked at an update on the proposed spending in the General Governmental fund for next fiscal year that showed the deficit increased to $36 million from the projected $16.8 million in February. The deficit would be covered with reserves.
“Contributors to that process was transit costs due to Prop. 479,” explained Brian Ritschel, Management and Budget director at the April 30 study session. “Now that Prop. 479 has been approved, some costs that used to be reimbursed by Prop. 400 are no longer being reimbursed and now the city is taking on some of those costs.”
Voters in 2024 approved Proposition 479, which took effect Jan. 1, to continue Proposition 400, a half-cent sales tax that funded transportation projects. Key under Proposition 479 is the prohibition of using the funds to expand the Valley Metro Rail network, which runs through Mesa…