Phoenix closed the books on its 2025-26 budget year with more money than expected, and that result sets the table for everything else the city decides over the next year. The year-end report put resources for the city's main operating account at $2,208.4 million — $17.7 million above the estimate — and spending at $1,942.0 million, leaving a $266.4 million balance. Council members also adopted the calendar for the 2027-28 budget, which brings the city manager's proposed budget forward in May 2027.

Land-use decisions did the heavy lifting the rest of the week. In Mesa, the Planning and Zoning Board took up a 44-acre rezone of state land at Hawes Crossing, at the northwest corner of the South Hawes Road alignment and East Warner Road, where staff recommended approval with conditions to trade commercial and apartment zoning for small-lot single-family homes. The same board weighed a 2.4-acre switch to light industrial for an 18,000-square-foot Waffle Flower Crafts warehouse near Thomas Road and 54th Street, again with staff recommending approval with conditions. Tempe held its second and final hearing on a mixed-use rezoning for the Emerald Center at 8550 South Priest Drive, where the Widewaters Group and Trammell Crow Companies want to remake the aging commercial center.

Tempe also held second and final hearings on a new ordinance governing police license plate readers — the cameras that log plate numbers — and on its federal Community Development Block Grant action plan, which sets how the city spends money aimed at lower-income neighborhoods. In Flagstaff, council members opened a discussion about zoning rules for resource-intensive industry, a category the agenda says was previously labeled data centers, while the city's housing authority took up a resolution backing a plan to redevelop its whole public housing portfolio through a federal program.

Next week shifts to the county and to Phoenix's growth map. Maricopa County supervisors take up up to $74.8 million in housing bonds for the District at Laveen Apartments, a plan change to heavy industrial on land west of Alma School Road around the Loop 202, and the impact statement for a proposed fire district on county islands inside Peoria. Phoenix, meanwhile, votes on the 4,364-acre Rio Salado District Policy Plan and holds a hearing on a roughly 28-acre Laveen annexation where R-3 zoning could allow up to 489 homes.

Elsewhere, Scottsdale votes on joining four PFAS drinking-water settlements worth at least $149 million combined, Chandler's planners take up the Hamstra Crossing gas station, car wash and RV storage plan, Avondale weighs text changes adding about 12 acres of light industry to The BLVD, and Flagstaff votes on a 23.89-acre heavy industrial rezone while hearing a petition to cancel and pause AI policing contracts.

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Flagstaff City Council — October 13, 2026

  • Discussion regarding Resource Intensive Industrial land use (previously Data Centers) zoning requirements and zoning code regulations.: Flagstaff council members talked through how the zoning code should treat resource-intensive industrial land use, a category the agenda says was previously labeled data centers. The item was framed as a discussion, with no ordinance or vote attached to the listing. View item

Phoenix City Council — October 13, 2026

  • 2025-26 Year-End General Fund Budget Results and Adoption of the 2027-28 Budget Calendar - Citywide: Phoenix's main operating account took in $2,208.4 million in 2025-26 — $17.7 million more than expected — and spent $1,942.0 million, leaving a year-end balance of $266.4 million, or $7.2 million above the estimate. Council also adopted the 2027-28 budget calendar, which puts the city manager's proposed budget on May 4, 2027 and final adoption in June 2027. View item

Mesa Planning & Zoning Board — October 14, 2026

  • ZON26-00162. "Hawes Crossing Village 6 Remainder," 44± acres located at the northwest corner of the South Hawes Road alignment and East Warner Road. Rezone from Multiple Residence-5 with a Planned Area Development Overlay (RM-5-PAD), Office Commercial with a Planned Area Development Overlay (OC-PAD), and Limited Commercial with a Planned Area Development Overlay (LC-PAD) to Residential Small Lot-2.5 with a Planned Area Development Overlay (RSL-2.5-PAD). This request will allow for future development of State Land. (District 6). Staff Planner: Joshua Grandlienard Staff Recommendation: Approval with Conditions: Mesa planners heard a staff-recommended approval, with conditions, of a 44± acre rezone of state land at the northwest corner of the South Hawes Road alignment and East Warner Road, moving apartment and commercial zoning to small-lot single-family homes. The applicant, Sean Lake of Pew & Lake PLC for developer Blandford Homes, would cap density at about 4.1 homes per acre as part of the larger 1,131-acre Hawes Crossing plan; two residents attended the April 28 online neighborhood meeting. View item
  • ZON25-00943. "Waffle Flower Warehouse Rezone," 2.4± acres located at the northwest corner of East Thomas Road and North 54th Street. Rezone from Single Residence-90 (RS-90) to Light Industrial (LI), Site Plan Review, and Special Use Permit. This request will allow for an approximately 18,000± square foot Industrial development. (District 5). Staff Planner: Tulili Tuiteleleapaga-Howard Staff Recommendation: Approval with Conditions: Mesa planners reviewed a staff-recommended approval, with conditions, of a 2.4± acre rezone from single-family (RS-90) to light industrial at the northwest corner of East Thomas Road and North 54th Street, plus site plan review and a permit cutting required parking. The applicant, Erwin Architecture and Development for owner ZEE Properties, wants an 18,000-square-foot building for Waffle Flower Crafts with 19 parking spaces instead of 34; no neighbors came to either outreach meeting. View item

Tempe City Council — October 15, 2026

  • PUBLIC HEARING ITEM PURSUANT TO A.R.S. § 9-462.04: Hold the second and final public hearing to adopt an ordinance for a Zoning Map Amendment from GID to MU-4 and a Planned Area Development Overlay for EMERALD CENTER MIXED-USE, located at 8550 South Priest: Tempe held the second and final public hearing on Ordinance No. O2026.44, which changes the zoning on the Emerald Center site at 8550 South Priest Drive from GID to MU-4 with a planned area development overlay. The project team, led by the Widewaters Group with Trammell Crow Companies, wants to turn the aging commercial center into a mixed-use destination. View item
  • PUBLIC HEARING ITEM: Hold the second and final public hearing to adopt an ordinance addressing public health, safety, and welfare by amending Chapter 26 of the Tempe City Code relating to police and adding a new Article VI related to the use of automated: Tempe held its second and final hearing on Ordinance No. O2026.46, which adds a new article to the city code covering police use of automated license plate readers — the cameras that log plate numbers. The packet carried the sixth draft of the ordinance and a September 2026 summary of public input on the policy. View item
  • PUBLIC HEARING ITEM: Approve and authorize a resolution to introduce and hold the second and final public hearing to receive public comment and authorize the activities and proposed funding within the Community Development Block Grant Action Plan Substant: Tempe held the second and final hearing on Resolution No. R2026.127, which authorizes submitting the city's Community Development Block Grant action plan for fiscal year 2026-27. The federal block grant funds housing and neighborhood programs aimed at lower-income residents; the FY2026-27 action plan document is in the meeting packet. View item

Flagstaff Flagstaff Housing Authority — October 15, 2026

  • Consideration and Adoption of Resolution 2026-06: A resolution of the City of Flagstaff Housing Authority Board of Commissioners recommending the submittal of an application to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program and the implementation of the redevelopment of the Flagstaff public housing portfolio with the City of Flagstaff Housing Authority as developer/co-developer; recommending City Council direct the City Manager or their designee to take all action necessary to implement and operate all phases of the redevelopment and disburse public housing and/or affordable housing funds for related projects.: The Flagstaff Housing Authority board took up Resolution 2026-06, which recommends applying to HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration program and redeveloping the city's entire public housing portfolio, with the Housing Authority as developer or co-developer. It also asks the City Council to direct the city manager to run every phase of the work and to release public housing and affordable housing money for related projects. View item

Flagstaff City Council — October 20, 2026

  • Consideration and Adoption of Ordinance No. 2026-23:: Flagstaff will vote on Ordinance No. 2026-23, rezoning about 23.89 acres at 2661 N El Paso Flagstaff Road (APN 113-37-010) from Highway Commercial with a resource protection overlay to Heavy Industrial-Open, keeping the overlay. The applicant wants to run a construction storage and supply yard plus heavy manufacturing and processing on the site. View item
  • Future Agenda Item Request (F.A.I.R.): A Citizen Petition titled "Cancelation of existing and moratorium on future AI policing contracts": Flagstaff council members will consider a citizen petition, filed as a future agenda item request, titled "Cancelation of existing and moratorium on future AI policing contracts." Staff report not yet available — the agenda lists the request without an attached analysis. View item

Scottsdale City Council — October 20, 2026

  • Participation in Proposed Class Action Settlements: Scottsdale will vote on Resolution No. 13813 to join four proposed class settlements over PFAS contamination of drinking water, filed against Amerex ($4 million), Archroma U.S. ($14 million), Carrier Global (at least $129.2 million, plus up to $85 million more from insurance) and Nation Ford Chemical ($1.875 million). The city's actual share depends on how many public water systems stay in the classes, and the deadline to opt out is Dec. 22, 2026. View item

Board of Supervisors — October 21, 2026

  • ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS FOR THE BENEFIT OF DIST. AT LAVEEN APARTMENTS, LLC.: Maricopa County supervisors will vote on issuing up to $74,800,000 in multifamily housing revenue bonds for the District at Laveen Apartments project in Supervisorial District 5. The resolution covers four bond series, labeled 2026A through 2026D, issued through the county Industrial Development Authority. View item
  • JOHNSON STEWART MATERIAL: Supervisors will hear CPA250010, a comprehensive plan amendment that changes land west of Alma School Road and on both sides of the Loop 202 in the Mesa area from Rural Development Area to Heavy Industrial. The county Planning Commission voted 7-0 on Sept. 24 to recommend approval; the applicant is Jessica Sarkissian of Upfront Planning & Entitlements for Johnson Stewart Materials, in Supervisorial District 2. View item
  • IMPACT STATEMENT HEARING FOR THE PROPOSED PEORIA COUNTY ISLAND FIRE DISTRICT: Supervisors will hold the impact-statement hearing for the proposed Peoria County Island Fire District, which would cover only unincorporated county land inside Peoria's municipal planning area, in Supervisorial District 4. If the board finds the district promotes public health, comfort, convenience, necessity or welfare, it approves the impact statement, sets a $2,000 bond and lets proponents start circulating petitions. View item

Phoenix City Council — October 21, 2026

  • Public Hearing and Resolution Adoption - General Plan Amendment GPA-CC-SM-1-26-7-8 (Rio Salado District Policy Plan) - Area Generally Bounded by Interstate 17 on the North, 32nd Street on the East, Broadway Road on the South, and 19th Avenue on the West (Resolution 22400) - Districts 7 and 8: Phoenix will hold a public hearing and vote on Resolution 22400, adopting the Rio Salado District Policy Plan for about 4,364 acres bounded by Interstate 17, 32nd Street, Broadway Road and 19th Avenue in Districts 7 and 8. The plan adds height bonuses for affordable housing and new anti-displacement actions; the Planning Commission recommended approval 8-0 on Oct. 1 and the South Mountain Village Planning Committee voted 11-1 in favor. View item
  • Proposed 32nd Avenue and Dobbins Road Annexation - Public Hearing - District 8: Phoenix will hold a public hearing on Annexation No. 566, about 28.1173 acres in Laveen roughly 400 feet west of the southwest corner of 30th Avenue and Dobbins Road. City staff recommended approval, noting the existing R-3 zoning could allow up to 489 apartments, condominiums or townhomes; the closest fire station, No. 57 at 1660 West Dobbins Road, has a current response time of about 2 minutes 45 seconds. View item

Chandler Planning & Zoning Commission — October 21, 2026

  • Area Plan Amendment, Rezoning and Preliminary Development Plan, Hamstra Crossing: Chandler's Planning and Zoning Commission will take up Hamstra Crossing — an area plan amendment, amended planned area development zoning and a preliminary development plan for a gas station and convenience store, car wash and RV storage at the northwest corner of McQueen Road and Germann Road. The Chandler Airport Commission voted 5-0 that the project does not conflict with existing or planned airport operations. View item

Avondale Planning & Zoning Commission — October 21, 2026

  • PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS: Avondale's Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on two text amendments requested by Carolyn Oberholtzer of BFSO Law for Pederson Group that rework the Village District of The BLVD. The changes add about 12 acres of light manufacturing, warehousing and wholesaling uses and adjust where drive-throughs are allowed; the commission will forward a recommendation to City Council. View item