Yavapai County receives more than $3.5 million

Happy sine die to all who celebrate the end of the Arizona legislative session that ended at 4:45 a.m. on June 13.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs [D] signed Senate Bill 1847, the $18.3 billion fiscal year 2027 budget, into law, as state lawmakers return to their districts and gear up for the midterm elections on Tuesday, July 21, and Tuesday, Nov. 3.

“I’m thrilled to sign the bipartisan Arizona First budget into law,” Hobbs wrote in a press release. “We’re stopping the data center tax credit for three years, investing in border security, education and water security, and delivering a $1.4 billion tax cut for middle-class Arizonans. Starting on [Wednesday], July 1, Arizonans will have no taxes on tips and overtime, a higher standard deduction, a deduction for seniors, and next year, an expanded child tax credit.”

Both sides of the political aisle have been touting the budget as a win since it incorporates the Trump administration’s tax cuts at the state level, and ensures residents do not have to refile their tax returns.

“Despite delivering historic tax relief, the budget fully funds core government responsibilities and critical services,” Senate Republicans wrote in a June 9, press release. “The package includes $112 million for corrections operations, including a 4% correctional officer stipend, $23 million for victims of crime assistance, $58 million for child safety operations — including foster care coaching and guardian contract costs, $25.5 million for county support programs, probation services, coordinated reentry efforts, and sheriff assistance, $10 million for wildfire suppression efforts, and $4.3 million to help rural hospitals draw down additional federal funding.”

Yavapai County

Some of the major appropriations for Yavapai County include $2 million to the county for its prisoner reentry program, $684,000 to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office for public safety training simulators; $1,988,600 in rural aid and $762,500 for STEM and workforce programs, both directed to Yavapai College District, and $81,000 to YCSO for records management software.

Sedona Legislative Update

The Sedona City Council held its last legislative update during the June 9 meeting and briefly discussed Arizona Sen. Warren Petersen’s [R-District 14] Senate Bill 1566, which the governor signed on May 29. That law will effect all cities and counties but does not require any changes to be made by Sedona, and the legislation will prohibit a municipality from “maliciously” delaying licensing for single-family residential construction.

“The property owner themselves have to put it in writing to the Attorney General’s Office,” Assistant City Attorney Monique Coady said. “The Attorney General’s Office does an investigation. If they determine it was indeed [a] malicious delay, that city, town, or county gets … a one-time civil penalty of $5,000 the city can appeal that expedited hearing at the court. So, it’s a unique bill that I saw some press after the mayor alerted me to it, but it doesn’t require any action by the city, and I’m certainly unaware of any malicious delays that have ever occurred with our Community Development” department.

Following the city’s update, council decided to schedule a discussion to designate the Anna’s Hummingbird as Sedona’s official bird during its Wednesday, July 15, meeting and to discuss the process for giving official designations.