AZ COUNTIES LOBBIED HARD, GOT LITTLE FOR IT

posted by Michael Chihak

Arizona counties are grappling with reduced property tax revenues, driven down by lower property values, and other reduced revenues. Now, they are dealing with cuts and pass-along costs from the state.

Initially, the state Senate proposed cutting and passing along $150 million in costs to the counties as one of myriad ways they sought to balance the state budget.

The final budged had cuts and pass alongs to the counties at $93 million, still a formidable amount. That includes $8 million in Pima County and $1.2 million in Navajo County, to name just two.

And the cuts to all 15 counties are on top of such cuts previously and other pass-along costs to come. The future pass-alongs will include counties taking on more responsibility and expense for state prisoners.

How are they dealing with all these issues going forward? We will explore the issues fully on Friday's episode of Arizona Week, 8:30 p.m. MST on PBS-HD-6 in Tucson and 11 p.m. MST on 8-World in Phoenix.

For the program, we will interview David Tenney, president of the County Supervisors Association of Arizona and a Navajo County supervisor, and Andy Kunasek, a Maricopa County supervisor.