Phoenix council members are scheduled to give tentative approval to a new budget this week. Between general, enterprise and special revenue funds, the city’s proposed budget for 2017-18 tops $4 billion.
More than $1 million is slated for 16 police assistants. The new civilian positions would handle traffic control, civil traffic collisions and some misdemeanor crimes so officers could focus on higher priority service calls.
The budget calls includes hiring more than 250 officers to reach Phoenix’s hiring target of 3,125 officers by June 2018.
The Aviation Departments wants to add staff for a new airport command center while the planning and development department, which reports it’s down 300 employees since before the recession, wants to add nearly 30 workers.
If the budget is approved, the parks department will use the Phoenix Park and Preserve Initiative Funds to add 22 rangers and five other positions.
The rangers would focus on major trail heads and to enforce rules at flatland parks.
