At the May 13 Winslow City Council meeting, City Manager David Coolidge presented a comprehensive status report focused largely on the upcoming city budget, financial uncertainties at the state level and several capital improvement projects now underway. The discussion emphasized caution amid statewide fiscal turbulence and introduced a slate of fee adjustments aimed at maintaining core services without adding new staffing burdens.
Coolidge began by noting that this marks the 17th week of the 2025 Arizona legislative session. Of the more than 1,800 bills submitted this year, about 200 had reached the governor’s desk at the time of the meeting. Of those, 152 had been signed into law and 88 had been vetoed. “I know that she’s about seven short of her record from a couple of years ago at this point,” Coolidge said of Governor Katie Hobbs’ veto count. However, his larger concern was the direction of the state budget.
Coolidge explained that Arizona’s projected budget surplus had shrunk dramatically over the last several months, creating ripple effects for cities and towns. “The surplus dropped from $600 million to roughly in the $200 million range, and now they’re anticipating there may be a deficit,” Coolidge warned. He noted that the city is preparing for that possibility by building its own budget around conservative revenue projections and minimizing growth in staffing and operational spending.
“It’s all over the place,” he said of the economic signals coming out of the statehouse. “It’s hard to really get a grasp of what’s going on. We are just being ultra conservative at this point to make sure that we’re not affected by that as much as possible.” That fiscal restraint includes preserving current staffing levels, avoiding major new commitments, and revisiting service fees that have remained flat for years.
Also, as part of the budget discussion was how the City of Winslow is introducing several new fees and fee increases as part of the upcoming budget year, with notable changes across fire department services, parks and recreation, utility services and cemetery costs.
Among the most extensive updates are new fire department charges. Plan reviews and inspections for fire alarm detection systems will now cost $350 for properties under 5,000 square feet and $400 plus $0.05 per square foot for larger spaces. Fire sprinkler plan reviews and inspections are $150 for systems with one to six sprinklers in residential properties, with commercial buildings receiving a rate of $100 for one to 50 sprinklers and $150 for 51 or more. New residential sprinkler installations will cost $200, with an additional $100 for each added system. Other installation fees include $300 for foam, CO₂, or chemical systems, $250 for a commercial cooking hood, and $450 for new fire pub systems. Spray booth and dipping operations will cost $175 for pre-manufactured booths and $350 otherwise. Liquid petroleum gas system plan reviews range from $100 to $150 depending on tank size and high piled combustible storage plan reviews are $100. Failing to install pre-approved plans or pre-test fire protection systems could cost $150 and $250 respectively.
Citywide, various fee increases are also on the horizon. Pool admission is increasing from $1.50 to $2.50 for adults and from $0.75 to $1 for seniors, with seasonal pool passes increasing from $25 to $36. A new “frequency float” program will carry a $6 per-person charge.
Facility rental costs are increasing as well, with the Girl Scout House now costing $100 per day, up from $80, and the Route 66 Park rental doubling from $50 to $100 per day.
Cemetery costs for resident adult perpetual care plots are increasing from $450 to $550 for in-county residents and from $900 to $1,800 for those out-of-county.
Bulk water rates are rising sharply from $3.50 to $8.25 per 1,000 gallons. The city is also implementing an $11 per square foot fee for right-of-way asphalt repair, replacing the previous flat fee of $400. Solid waste collection fees are going up modestly from $31.95 to $33.55 per month, with the cost for an additional toter rising from $11 to $11.55.
Additionally, a new transfer station fee will be imposed for refrigerant-bearing devices—$25 for residential and $50 for commercial units.
Utility-related equipment fees are also being introduced, including an operator charge in public works with a minimum charge of $200 per hour for equipment and $70 per hour for labor, along with a $250 hydrant repair break-off kit fee and $60 per hour for associated labor. The utility fees are for the vactor truck for the sewer in case the city has to do emergency repairs to a private line. The hydrant repair is so the city can charge people who crash their vehicles into hydrants.
Coolidge also explained a substantial change in how the city will handle septic disposal billing. Rather than charging based on how much waste is actually in a tank, the city will now charge based on the full capacity of the tank.
“Even if they only have 100 gallons in there, they have to pay the 500-gallon tank price,” he said. This policy, he said, is meant to protect the wastewater treatment plant’s fragile biological systems. “The septage oftentimes—because of the chemicals in it—will kill those bugs,” Coolidge told the council, referring to the microbial agents that break down waste. The treatment plant must constantly replenish those agents, which drives up costs.
He acknowledged that many municipalities in northern Arizona have stopped accepting septic waste altogether for this reason, but Winslow intends to continue offering the service with new rate structures to offset the damage and labor involved.
In addition to the fee schedule, Coolidge updated the council on several capital projects. The long-awaited water tower replacement has moved forward after a successful meeting with federal agencies during the National League of Cities conference. “We actually received that agreement for the water tank,” Coolidge said referring to the Project Participation Agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers. It was on the council’s consent agenda for formal approval later that evening. Once signed, construction planning will begin.
Elsewhere in the city, new Ramada structures in the park are now complete, with picnic tables installed and barbecues being added. City crews are working on lighting and irrigation in the area. Coolidge noted that the turf has suffered during construction but will be reseeded and restored in phases. “It’s taking a toll on the turf over there,” he said. However, another large construction project, the upcoming all access playground, is expected to begin soon in the same general area, so some landscaping will be delayed, avoiding rework.
The 9/11 Memorial Park is also getting major upgrades, including a new gazebo, sidewalks, lighting, and pavement resurfacing on both the parking lot and drive-through area. Coolidge explained that the eastern portion of the park is currently not being irrigated due to this construction, but once complete, restoration efforts will begin there as well.
Coolidge concluded his report with an update on the timeline for finalizing the city’s budget. The tentative budget will be presented to the council for adoption on May 27. He thanked the council for their feedback during the recent work session and said their suggestions were being incorporated. He also reminded the public that a housing authority meeting would take place that same evening.
During the call to the public earlier in the meeting, local resident and business owner Michelle Pennington raised multiple concerns regarding recent city water bills. Pennington explained that two separate bills were issued within the same billing cycle and showed different totals. “The new bill is $35.56 more than the original bill, which we had already paid,” she told the council. She added that in her case, which involves both personal and business accounts, the discrepancy wasn’t financially devastating but could be for other residents. “I guarantee you there were people in this city that it did,” she said. Pennington also challenged how sewer charges are calculated, citing the city’s policy of averaging December, January, and February water usage to determine monthly sewer rates. “If that was the case, then the sewer amount should be the same every month, because it’s an average. But it’s not,” she said. Mayor Birdie Cano responded by asking staff to follow up with Pennington directly and to place the issue on a future agenda.
Another resident, Raymond Lucero, expressed concern about water levels and their adequacy for upcoming housing developments. He also noted the lack of irrigation at the city’s dog park and memorial area but that was due to construction as Coolidge clarified later in the meeting.
Also during the meeting, the council approved proclamations celebrating Building Safety Month, Teacher Appreciation Week, National Nurses Week, Police Week, EMS Week, and Public Works Week.
In other business, the council:
* Approved a recommendation to the Arizona Department of Liquor for a liquor license for Clarion Pointe Winslow located at 1701 N. Park Drive.
* Approved intergovernmental agreement with the City of Eloy to transfer two motorcycles to the City of Winslow at no cost.
* Approved cooperation in purchasing agreement with Leasing Servicing Center for Police Department Mobile Data Terminals at a cost of $172,457.
* Approved a resolution authorizing the city clerk to make recommendations to the Arizona Department of Liquor for special event liquor licenses rather than go to a council vote.
The next meeting of the Winslow City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, in the meeting room located at 523 W. Second St.
