Avondale public money
← Avondale community hubA plain-language look at Avondale's adopted budget for July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.
Budget at a glance
Avondale's FY2024 budget covered the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2024. The final budget was adopted through Resolution 1034-0623.
Avondale's adopted budget includes current-year revenue, accumulated fund balances, transfers, capital carryover, financing sources and other available resources.
A budget is spending authority. It does not mean every authorized dollar was actually spent during FY2024.
What changed from FY2023?
FY2023 adopted/adjusted budgeted expenditures were $457.1066 million. FY2024 adopted expenditures were $464.8966 million, an increase of approximately $7.79 million, or 1.7%.
| Measure | FY2023 | FY2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adopted / adjusted budget | $457.1M | $464.9M | +$7.79M (+1.7%) |
The City's budget documents describe FY2024 as emphasizing organizational stability, employee compensation and utility improvements while continuing major public-safety, parks, transportation and water projects.
Searches of the adopted, final, Budget in Brief, recommended and tentative FY2024 budget documents did not identify explicit Police license-plate-reader, LPR or ALPR terminology.
That changes in FY2025, when the Police budget explicitly identifies an objective to test cameras acting as license plate readers at specific intersections.
This does not prove plate-reading technology could not have existed before FY2025. It means the FY2024 budget documents reviewed do not establish such a Police program.
Where the money goes
Avondale's final budget describes the adopted budget as approximately 45% operating, 47% capital projects, 2% debt service and 6% contingency.
The final budget reports approximately $224.35 million in capital outlay, while the adopted Capital Improvement Plan totals $220.941 million. The City explains that some vehicles are treated as capital purchases but are purchased from operating funds.
Budget by fund
| Fund group | FY2024 budget |
|---|---|
| General Fund | $181,412,700 |
| Enterprise Funds | $117,845,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds | $104,102,200 |
| Capital Projects Fund | $30,227,000 |
| Trust & Agency Fund | $12,050,500 |
| Internal Service Funds | $10,964,200 |
| Debt Service Fund | $8,295,000 |
| Total | $464,896,600 |
Enterprise Funds include utility operations supported by dedicated charges and fees rather than relying solely on the General Fund.
Where the money comes from
The adopted State budget schedule identifies $251.354 million in estimated revenue other than property taxes.
Estimated across City funds.
Avondale also budgeted beginning fund balances and other financial resources. Revenue figures should therefore not be treated as a direct one-to-one match with the $464.9 million spending budget.
Property taxes
The adopted budget schedules identify the exact primary and secondary City property-tax levy amounts shown below.
| City property tax | FY2024 |
|---|---|
| Primary levy | $3,736,624 |
| Secondary levy | $4,811,641 |
| Total City levy | $8,548,265 |
The property-tax rate is not displayed here because it was not part of the locked FY2024 dataset used for this page. The levy amounts above are taken directly from the adopted budget schedules.
Capital projects
Avondale's adopted Capital Improvement Plan identifies $220.941 million in FY2024 capital appropriations.
A project appearing in FY2024 can include funding authorized earlier and carried forward while the project remains underway.
These are selected projects from the adopted Capital Improvement Plan. The City's complete plan contains additional projects.
Water & sewer
Parks & recreation
Public safety
General government
A project appearing in the FY2024 Capital Improvement Plan means funding was budgeted or carried forward. It does not establish that every dollar was spent, every contract was awarded or every project was completed during FY2024.
Police technology & security spending
The FY2024 budget contains several Police and security-related projects, but the reviewed budget documents do not identify an explicit Police ALPR/LPR deployment objective.
| Documented item | FY2024 amount | What the budget shows |
|---|---|---|
| Police Asset Replacement Program FY2024 | $75,000 | SWAT rifles, K9 Rico and lidar units. |
| Security Cameras and Equipment | $25,000 | Public-safety Capital Improvement Plan item. |
| Facility security improvements | $65,000 | Cameras and related security improvements at City facilities. |
| Police Communications Bureau Remodel | $2.116M | Public-safety capital project. |
Security cameras
FY2024 includes a $25,000 Security Cameras and Equipment capital item and separate facility-security improvements that included cameras at City facilities.
These camera items should not automatically be treated as ALPRs. The FY2024 budget documents reviewed do not identify them as license plate readers.
Automated license plate readers
Searches of the five FY2024 budget documents did not identify explicit Police license-plate-reader, LPR or ALPR terminology.
Absence from these budget documents is not proof that no plate-reading technology existed elsewhere.
View Avondale surveillance research →Budget versus deployment
An appropriation does not by itself prove that equipment was purchased, installed, activated or used.
How to read this page
An adopted budget authorizes spending. It does not necessarily mean the entire amount was ultimately spent.
A budget entry also does not prove that equipment was purchased, a vendor contract was signed, or a project was completed.
Contracts, purchase orders, invoices and audited actual expenditures provide additional evidence about what happened after funding was approved.
Verify it yourself
Five City of Avondale FY2024 budget documents were reviewed for this page.