El Mirage election will determine city spending

El Mirage voters are being asked to decide whether the city should be allowed to lift a state-imposed spending limit and stave off millions of dollars in budget cuts.

Approval of the ballot measure would allow "the city to spend the funds that it already has right now, or else a lot of services might be lost," said Larry Price, finance director for El Mirage.

If the measure doesn't pass, the city's budget might be cut by 36 percent, from $86 million to $27 million, until another election takes place in November 2009. All ballots were mailed to voters and must be returned to the city by May 20.

Price said the measure is generally a formality for all cities.

Vice Mayor Michele Kern said voters should recognize that approval of the ballot question will not result in new taxes.

"It's important that it's approved, or we'll be forced to drop our budget, which could have a severe impact to provide adequate services for us," she said. "This merely allows us to spend the money residents have let us spend. It's not a new tax."