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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
AACo Bulletin Advancing Arizona's Counties since 1968
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Services Announced for Mohave Recorder Carol Meier |
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Carol Meier, the Recorder for Mohave County passed away suddenly last week. She took office in 2009 with a force. Carol was very community oriented and belonged to a variety of organizations within Mohave County. She dedicated herself to help our Veterans and was a member of the Jerry Ambrose Veterans Committee and an active participant in the Tri-State Veterans Stand Down that is held once a year in Bullhead City.
Carol was not afraid to be involved, and her giving fun spirit inspired those around her to join in also. She may not have always known or  understood what she was getting into but her enthusiasm and bubbling personality gave her the strength to complete her commitments. In one way or another Carol impacted many lives throughout her career and she will be greatly missed.
Carol loved a party so a Celebration of Life will be held on February 20th at 4:00 at Lee Williams High School, 400 Grandview Ave, Kingman Arizona.
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2016 Legislative Session Update |
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AACo enjoyed a busy week of defensive advocacy. Staff testified opposed to SB1141 Legal Tender; Taxation; Regulation, a bill creating precious metal coins as legal tender. The AACo LPC voted to oppose the bill due to problematic and paradoxical provisions allowing political subdivisions to refuse accepting it for payment of public debts and taxes but at the same time stating it is legal tender. Staff is working with the sponsor to draft an amendment that would remove references to taxes and public debt, thereby removing the concern.
AACo also testified in opposition to HB2403 Tax Lien Deeds; Aggregate Fee in House Higher Government & Education. County treasurers from Cochise, Coconino, Pinal, and Yuma Counties attended and testified at the hearing. The bill passed the Committee 6-2, with Rep. Chris Ackerley, R-Sahuarita, voting present.
Also this week, AACo spoke against HB2055: Class Six Property; Elderly Homeowners in House Ways and Means Committee. This bill moves those seniors who currently qualify for the Senior Valuation Freeze program from Class 3 to Class 6, resulting in a 50% reduction in their net assessed value and shifting that burden on to other taxpayers. The bill passed committee, 7 to 2 with Rep. Kern (R-LD20) and Rep. Wheeler (D-LD10) voting no.
The companion bills to fully fund the Presidential Preference Election, HB2567 and SB1486, made progress this week. The House version passed that chamber 37-22 and while the Senate version was held this week in committee, the bill is scheduled for the Senate Appropriation committee and Senate Government Committee next week.
The 3-bill massive overhaul of the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System spearheaded by Senator Debbie Lesko, passed the House this week. Two of the bills have to go back to the Senate for agreement on the House amendments. However, the bill to add this issue to the May ballot is on its way to the Governor.
A key item in the County Government Platform, SB1511 County Elected Officers; Salary Increase unfortunately failed the Senate Government Committee 2-5 after testimony from Maricopa Superior Court Clerk Michael Jeanes and Pima Superior Court Clerk Toni Hellon. A special thanks to all who signed in and sent correspondences to the Committee.
2016 County Government Platform Progress
Get Involved!
AACo encourages members to get involved. Contact committee members and/or login to the Legislature's
Request to Speak (RTS) system to register your opinion on legislation. Please contact staff for help finding committee members or using the RTS system.
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Weekly Legislative Review Webinars - Members Only |
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Each week AACo will present members with the opportunity to attend a virtual legislative review webinar. For members only, the webinars will take place every Friday at 2:00 p.m. and last between 15-30 minutes. Attendees will receive updates on the policy discussion occurring at the State Capitol as well as information on specific bills impacting counties.
All webinars will be archived for later viewing in case you cannot attend live on Fridays. Click here to access past webinars. To access the archive you must be a member of AACo with a profile on our website. To create your profile click the "Sign In" button in the upper right corner of the AACo homepage.
Click HERE to register for next week's webinar on Friday February 19, 2016.
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Financial Snapshot: Highway User Revenue Funds |
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 The Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF) consists of monies collected from taxes on motor fuels, as well as fees and charges related to registering and operating motor vehicles. Revenues are collected by the state and distributed to cities, towns, the State Highway fund, and counties. Generally, 19% of HURF monies collected go to counties. Pursuant to
A.R.S. ยง 28-6540, the amount distributed to each county is "based on the proportion that all reported sales of motor vehicle fuel... and the estimated consumption of use fuel in the county," as well as "the proportion that the population of the unincorporated area of each county bears to the population of the unincorporated areas of all counties in this state."
In
January 2016, Arizona counties received a total of approximately $19.1 million in shared revenue from HURF monies. Total FY 2016 distributions to date are $135.5 million. This amount is $7 million more than FY 2015 YTD, a growth of 5.5%.
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Grant Opportunity for Drug Education & Prevention |
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The Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family (GOYFF) has announced a competitive Request for Grant Application (RFGA) for the Arizona Parents Commission on Drug Education and Prevention Grant Program. This grant will fund evidence-based and evidence-informed programs that increase and/or enhance parental involvement, and increase education about the serious risks and public health problems caused by the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
The Arizona Parents Commission awards grants through a competitive application and review process. The groups eligible for this funding are Arizona school districts and institutions of higher education; Arizona non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations; local, county or state government entities in Arizona; Arizona Tribal Nations; Tribal Coalitions and Tribal Communities; and any partnership of the above listed organizations (an Arizona fiscal agent must be designated).
Applications
shall be received on or before 3:00 p.m. (Arizona time) on March 17, 2016 by the Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family, 1700 W. Washington, Suite 230, Phoenix, AZ 85007. You can access the application
online. TELEFAXED, ELECTRONIC OR LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
This grant will be a twelve month contract that may be renewable for up to two additional twelve-month periods, contingent upon the availability of funds and in the sole discretion of the GOYFF. It is anticipated, but not guaranteed, that the total funds available will be approximately $4,000,000 for the first initial contract year. The number of awards will depend on the number and quality of applications received. It is anticipated that qualifying applicants will be awarded between $100,000 and $200,000 for the first term. The funds awarded under this RFGA are state of Arizona funds.
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Federal Issues Impacting Counties
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FAST Act -
Since the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act passed in December, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has taken steps to implement the new "law of the land." Last month, DOT issued the formal apportionment notice and other documents that let states begin using funds allocated to their highway programs under the FAST Act. Additionally, the Department has started to post guidance, fact sheets and other information on its website.
Also of note, the Secretary has announced that the Department will publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity this month requesting applications of the new Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects (NSFHP) program. The NSFHP program was established under the FAST Act and is authorized a total of $4.5 billion for FYs 2016-2020, including $800 million for FY 2016. Specifically, DOT will be seeking transformative, nationally and regionally specific highway, rail, port and intermodal freight projects that have an estimated total project cost in excess of $100 million. Ten percent of authorized funding for this program will be reserved for small projects.
Here you will find DOT's NSFHP fact sheet.
Operation Streamline - On Wednesday a McCain/Flake resolution aimed at reducing recidivism among illegal border crossers passed the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. S. Res. 104 also calls on the administration to immediately remove any directives or policies that would bar the prosecutions of first-time border crossers under this program.
Operation Streamline is a joint initiative administered by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice (DOJ). In place since 2005, the program has been associated with a zero-tolerance approach, including criminally prosecuting illegal border crossers. It has been effective in the U.S. Border Patrol's Yuma, Ariz. sector, with apprehensions dropping from 140,000 in 2005 to less than 6,000 in 2014. By comparison, the Tucson sector, experienced more than 87,000 illegal crossings in 2014.
Despite Operation Streamline's demonstrated success, the United States Attorney's Office for the district of Arizona will reportedly no longer be prosecuting first-time illegal border crossers. This threatens the program's established effectiveness as a constraint on illegal-immigration.
"The administration's rollback of prosecutions under Operation Streamline threatens to eliminate the progress that has already been made in deterring illegal border crossings," said the senators. "With the committee's approval secured, it's imperative that the Senate move quickly to pass this resolution in support of this program that has played a vital role in reducing the number of illegal border crossings in Arizona."
P
resident's Budget
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Earlier this week President Obama released his 2017 budget proposal. It is a $4.1 trillion package but according Congress neither the House or Senate budget committees will give the proposal a formal hearing.
FAA Drone Regulations -
The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) new fact sheet on state and local regulation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) provides information for states and municipalities considering laws or regulations addressing UAS use. The document outlines FAA's safety reasons for federal oversight of aviation and airspace, and explains federal responsibility in this area. The fact sheet provides examples of state and local laws affecting UAS for which consultation with the FAA is recommended, such as restrictions on flight altitude or flight paths, regulation of the navigable airspace, and mandating UAS-specific equipment or training. The fact sheet also gives examples of UAS laws likely to fall within state and local government authority, such as requirements for police to obtain a warrant prior to using UAS for surveillance; prohibitions on the use of UAS for voyeurism; exclusions on using UAS for hunting or fishing, or harassing individuals engaged in those activities; and prohibitions on attaching firearms or other weapons to a UAS. The details can be accessed here.
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Save Your Office/County Money:
Free Strategic Sourcing Summit |
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 U.S Communities is hosting a
FREE Strategic Sourcing Summit in Tucson to provide a fast and easy way to learn how to maximize your time and budget through the U.S. Communities program.
Participation in a Strategic Sourcing Summit is a great way to network with your peers from other public agencies and non-profits. These events provide a complete overview on how to make the most of the U.S. Communities Program:
- Learn how to save time and money using competitively solicited contracts and online purchasing tools
- Complete your free U.S. Communities registration if you are new to the program
- Meet your local U.S. Communities Program Manager and learn how they can help you
- Get an update on new and existing contracts from suppliers focusing on the value they provide through their unique product and service solutions
- Learn how to connect with U.S. Communities suppliers to address your organization's product and services needs while receiving their lowest overall government pricing
Join U.S. Communities for the COMPLIMENTARY event to learn how to save time and money with competitively solicited contracts.
March 30, 2016 - 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
(lunch provided)
Double Tree by Hilton - Tucson Airport
7051 S. Tucson Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85756
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Featured Program: Nationwide |
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