Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tolleson public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
7 issues with high priority
Fiscal Year 2027 Final Budget
Before the next city budget is drafted, the council is stepping back to figure out what it actually wants to prioritize. The outcomes of this discussion will steer how Tolleson funds services like public safety, parks, and infrastructure in the coming year.
Owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program
The city wants another $500,000 in federal CDBG money to keep fixing roofs, ACs and unsafe electrical for low-income homeowners — about ten homes a year, with 16 people on the waitlist and a few hundred more homes needing repairs.
Roughly $2 million in federal grants for multimodal path and regional wastewater
Congresswomen Ansari and Grijalva presented Tolleson with over $2 million in federal grant checks — one for a multi-modal path promoting healthy living, the other toward a regional wastewater plant benefiting Tolleson and partner cities.
2026 Community Grant Program funding
Third Friday events are back and drawing crowds — the next one is February 20 with Black History Month celebrations.
Expanded Lyft microtransit funding
Paratransit trips cost about $84 each versus about $30 for Ride Choice, and the gap can strain the budget. New one-call routing and Prop 479 rules should steer riders to the right service. The city has leftover Prop 400 equity funds to cover non-ADA trips next year.
First responder suicide prevention
Teen Lifeline, marking 40 years, runs a teen-to-teen crisis hotline taking over 30,000 calls and texts a year, with one in three callers reporting thoughts of suicide. The city funds the organization, which is active in local schools.
91st Avenue Pedestrian Bridge Construction
The city locked in the guaranteed maximum price to actually build the pedestrian bridge over the ag channel. This is a real infrastructure project moving from design to construction.