AZ COUNTIES WORK TO ABSORB $93M IN STATE CUTS

posted by Michael Chihak

Arizona Week on Friday will look at the fiscal situations with the state's 15 county governments as they work toward their legal deadlines for passing state budgets.

Financial issues abound among the counties.

In Maricopa, the supervisors held budget hearings today and are trying to determine what to do about up to $100 million of misspent money in the Sheriff's Department's jail budget, as detailed in the Arizona Republic.

In Pima County, the supervisors passed a tentative budget last week, including an increase in the sales tax rate, although Democrat Sharon Bronson told Arizona Public Media's Christopher Conover in an interview last week that most homeowners will see smaller tax bills because of reduced property values.

In Pinal County, the supervisors last week cut $2.1 million, including 20 layoffs, as reported in the Casa Grande Dispatch.

Other counties face their own difficulties.

We will interview officials of the associations that help lobby on behalf of Arizona's counties and supervisors from two or more counties, for Friday's Arizona Week.