County officials, lobbyists talk priorities
Road funds, lotto revenue, juvenile justice among top issues statewide
Yuma County officials met Monday afternoon with lobbyists and representatives from state government to speak about their priorities for the upcoming legislative session, as lobbyists from the two statewide county advocacy associations talked about their lists, made with statewide input.
One actual state legislator, Rep. Charlene Fernandez, R-Yuma, was there for the two-hour discussion, along with staff members standing in for other Yuma County districts.
District 5 Supervisor- elect Lynne Pancrazi, who is wrapping up her final term in the state Senate, was there, as were the other two incoming supervisors, Martin Porchas of District 1 and Darren Simmons of District 3.
All current board members were there except for Supervisor Greg Ferguson of District 5, one of three who will not be coming back to start another term at the next meeting Jan. 3.
Most Arizona county leaders share the same priorities for the kind of legislation they want to see passed once the session starts in January, according to the Arizona Association of Counties’ Trey Williams.
• Eliminating the recent requirement for counties to fund the Arizona Department of Juvenile Justice
• Eliminating shifts of Highway User Revenue Fund monies away from the counties
• Expanding counties’ share of lottery revenue to previous levels
• Continued approval of “flexibility language” to help counties meet their financial obligations
But both lobbyists said money will be tight this session, as the legislators
are expected to have just $24 million in new revenue to play around with and Gov. Doug Ducey is still wary of taxes or anything resembling them.
Ducey’s office was very cool to the concept of the state seeking voter approval to a 10-cent gas tax increase to help pay for road repairs, said Daniel Romm of the County Supervisors Association.
“Their position was to defer to some of the package items being pushed forward, and this was not a real long-term solution, it was really just a band-aid, and they felt there were more innovative ways to go about this and a tax increase was certainly not one they wanted to get behind,” he said.
“Well, it’s just easier to sweep the county money,” Sheriff Leon Wilmot said. “So they don’t look bad.”
“And we’re the ones that have to raise taxes,” said Pancrazi, who opposed HURF and other funding shifts while in the Legislature.
That bill would have to go through the Appropriations committees in both the Senate and House. “If any of you have seen the Appropriation committee makeup it’s going to be a little difficult, in both chambers, especially the Senate, they’re not too favorable committees.”
Romm said the CSA is also backing two measures that could have a particular effect on Yuma and other rural counties: Decreasing the prima facie, or presumed, speed limit on unpaved roads from 65 to 45 mph, and expanding the “universe” of roads a county can declare “primitive” to include those not constructed to county standards and not opened prior to June 13, 1990.
Yuma County has already put “primitive road” signs up in several areas of the Foothills.
Romm said the CSA has tried to get the speed limit reduced on unpaved roads in the past, citing an engineering study which said the ideal speed limit would be 45 to 50, considering safety and road conditions. He’s been getting some positive feedback on it this time, he said, but “one thing we do keep getting is rather than making it 45, consider making it 50. The study did come back saying 45 to 50. Apparently 50 sounds better to some people.”