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The Queen Creek Town Council recently approved the FY 2026-27 Corporate Strategic Plan, establishing the priorities and goals that will help guide Town operations, services and future planning efforts.

The Corporate Strategic Plan is updated annually alongside the Town’s budget process and serves as a roadmap for organizational priorities, resource allocation and long-term planning. The plan reflects Council’s vision and helps align departments in supporting Queen Creek residents, businesses and the future.

The FY 2026-27 plan is centered around five Strategic Priorities:

• Effective Government
• Safe Community
• Secure Futre
• Superior Infrastructure
• Quality Lifestyle

Several updates were incorporated into this year’s plan, including refined Key Result Areas and updated departmental goals that reflect the Town’s evolving priorities and future needs.

The updated plan also introduces a new public-facing community dashboard that will allow residents to view performance measures and progress tied to the Town’s strategic priorities. The interactive dashboard provides greater visibility and makes it easier for community members to stay informed about Town initiatives and organizational performance.

View the Town’s Corporate Strategic Plan on the new community dashboard.

To stay updated on Town happenings and events, visit the Town of Queen Creek website or follow the Town’s Facebook page and the Town’s X account. Report non-emergency issues on QC’s SeeClickFix webpage.

The Town of Queen Creek broke ground on the new Queen Creek Police Department Headquarters, which will be located off Ellsworth Road, north of Crewse Lane. Crewse Lane from Summers Place to Ellsworth Road will close on Wednesday, June 10 and remain closed until construction is complete, which is currently anticipated in 2028.

“Today is a very exciting day for Queen Creek,” stated Mayor Julia Wheatley. “This groundbreaking signifies our commitment to, and investment in, public safety. The new QCPD Headquarters supports all of our strategic priorities, and the ultimate goal of keeping our families safe. We look forward to celebrating the ribbon cutting with our community - milestones like this reinforce why people choose to make Queen Creek home.”

Moving forward with construction now allows the Town to meet current and future public safety needs through the headquarters, supplemented by the recently opened Public Safety Support Facility, while eliminating the need for additional police substations.

Upon completion, the building will:

• Consolidate police operations into a modern and efficient headquarters, complementing the recently completed Gail A. Barney Public Safety Support Facility.

• Support current staffing levels while providing capacity for future growth and operational needs.

• Eliminate the need for a separate police substation.

• Enhance fleet and equipment capacity.

• Eliminate the need for future expansion of the Municipal Services Building for police-related functions.

“I want to thank the Town Council, Town Manager, and Town staff who helped make this project possible,” stated Chief Randy Brice. The new headquarters will provide the space, technology, and resources needed to support our officers and professional staff as they continue serving our community now and into the future.”

The QCPD Headquarters is a major public safety investment that was identified as a priority in the Town’s Police Department Master Plan and aligns with the Town Council’s strategic priorities for public safety, infrastructure, and planning for future growth.

With a total cost of $96 million, the funding of the building is structured with growth paying for its proportionate share. The growth-related portion is $21 million, funded with police impact fees and dedicated construction sales tax, both paid by new development. The non-growth portion, $75 million, is being paid primarily through the Town’s pay-as-you-go reserve funding, a policy direction of the Council to have available cash to pay for large, one-time projects.

For additional information about the Town of Queen Creek, please visit QueenCreekAZ.gov. To stay updated on Town news, follow Facebook.com/QueenCreek and X.com/TownofQC. For more information, please visit www.QueenCreekAZ.gov/QCPD and follow Facebook.com/QueenCreekPolice, Instagram.com/queencreekpolice/ or X.com/QCPolice.

The Town of Queen Creek’s fiscal year (FY) 2026/27 budget was approved by Council at the May 20 meeting. The $840.6 million budget goes into effect on July 1, 2026, and continues to prioritize water resources, public safety, and transportation, with 56% dedicated to infrastructure projects. Arizona law requires that all municipalities adopt an annual, balanced budget. Arizona budgeting practices also require the full cost of projects are included up-front in the budget, even when the projects occur over multiple years.

“This budget includes two major projects – both strategic investments that will be multi-year projects, our police headquarters and the final payment for water from Harquahala Valley,” stated Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley. “Both of these projects are fully funded in the approved budget, and remaining projects costs will carry-forward each year until they are complete. These projects, along with our $71.1 million slated for transportation, reflect our continued commitment to infrastructure while maintaining a high quality of life.”

Town of Queen Creek FY 2026-27 Budget infographic

The budget aligns with the Town’s Corporate Strategic Plan to prioritize its allocation of resources. Highlights include:

• Safe Community

  •  The budget includes 10 new positions for public safety: six for the Police Department and four for the Fire & Medical Department
  • The budget includes $106.1 million for critical facilities identified in the adopted Police Master Plan, as well as $4.5 million for Fire & Medical facilities and equipment, including design of a new fire station to service the southern area of Town
  • The QCPD HQ, one of the Town’s larger investments, solves multiple needs with one structure – the new building will include space for future buildout and eliminates the need for an expansion at the Municipal Services Building (MSB)
  • The Town adopted a pay-as-you-go funding source for large, one-time projects, which will be used to cover a portion of the QCPD HQ

• Secure Future

  •  Queen Creek continues to take a proactive approach to water self-sufficiency, with strategic investment in a drought-proof water supply. The budget includes $177.5 million for water resources including:
    • The final payment to purchase Harquahala water, and funding towards related infrastructure
    • Funding for the Meridian water recharge site

• Superior Infrastructure

  • Transportation investments continue with $71.1 million allocated for improvement projects like:
    • Power: Chandler Heights to Riggs
    • Hawes: Rittenhouse to Jude
    • Sossaman: Sonoqui Wash to Chander Heights
    • Chandler Heights: Sossaman to Hawes
    • Hawes: Chandler Heights to Ocotillo

• Qualify Lifestyle

  • The budget includes $4.9 million for wash trails, one of QC’s unique assets, including design and construction of the Queen Creek Wash Trail east of Rittenhouse to Meridian, under UPRR

• Effective Government

  • The Town prioritized new positions beyond public safety to those that support the Town’s transportation and utility investments (four in Public Works and four in Utilities)
  • The budget includes a one-time $50 million payment to pay off a short-term loan that is due June 2027 using reimbursements from a state infrastructure program and other dedicated resources that were set aside in the General Fund last year to pay off the loan

The budget assumes a lower primary property tax rate, from $1.55 to $1.46 per $100 of assessed value. In November 2022, Town Council approved a policy that freezes the primary property tax for existing taxpayers for five years, which means the tax rate will go down as property values go up. The primary property tax rate will be adopted by Town Council at the June 3 Town Council meeting. The Town’s primary property tax was approved by voters in 2007 at a rate not to exceed $1.95 per $100 of assessed value and is dedicated solely for public safety.

To view the full budget, visit QueenCreekAZ.gov/Budget. To stay updated on activities, follow the Town on Facebook.com/QueenCreek and X.com/TownofQC.