How they voted

11

Maricopa City Council

May 5, 2015

BACKGROUND: To balance its budget after losing $2 million to cuts, the city of Maricopa suspended its nonprofit funding program, which would have cost more than $280,000, but decided to go ahead with funding two scholarships to be matched by the Friends of the Maricopa Library and the Maricopa Rotary Club.

MOTION: Approve the allocation of up to $5,000 in available matching funds to the applicants of the Maricopa Academic Scholarship Match Program from the General Fund.

VOTE: 6-1
AYES: Christian Price, Marvin Brown, Peggy Chapados, Bridger Kimball, Vincent Manfredi, Nancy Smith
NAYS: Henry Wade

RATIONALE OF AYE VOTES: Manfredi said he did not think $5,000 was enough and wished the city could give more. He said it was important to invest in youth going on to college. Price said it was left in the budget after talks and no one seemed to “balk at it.”

RATIONALE OF NAY VOTES: Wade said it struck him the wrong way that the scholarship program was fully funded while the other programs like the nonprofit funding were cut.

GET ENGAGED: Maricopa City Council typically meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Its meets can be viewed at the city website.

MOUSE ICON: Maricopa-AZ.gov
Pinal County Board of Supervisors
June 3, 2015

BACKGROUND: Facing $4.6 million in cuts from the state, the board approved a tentative fiscal year 2015-16 budget of $421.5 million, which included a primary tax rate increase of 20 cents. The new rate of $3.999 per $100 of net assessed value is the second highest in the state behind Pima County. The increase is expected to bring in $4 million.

MOTION: Approve the Pinal County tentative budget for fiscal year 2015-16 in the amount of $421,507,779.

VOTE: 3-2
AYES: Cheryl Chase, Pete Rios, Todd House
NAYS: Anthony Smith, Stephen Miller

RATIONALE OF AYE VOTES: Chase said the staff is down to the bare minimum. “Our staff is exceptional, and even though things are not maybe the way we want them to be, I don’t know what more we could ask of them,” she said. Rios said the state is “hiding” or “sitting on” money and forcing the county to raise taxes.

RATIONALE OF NAY VOTES: Smith and Miller said the county budget could have been managed without raising the tax rate.

GET ENGAGED: Pinal County Board of Supervisors meets at 9:30 a.m. on select Wednesdays in Florence. Meetings are broadcast live on the county website.

MOUSE ICON PinalCountyAZ.gov
Central Arizona College Board of Governors
May 19 and June 9, 2015

BACKGROUND: Since 2006, CAC has experienced a reduction of 80 percent in state funding and received no capital funding since 2008. The board voted May 19 to raise its primary tax rate from $1.91 to $2.76 per $100 of net assessed value before approving a 4 percent raise for employees. After a public outcry, they approved an adopted budget that set the primary tax rate at $2.30.

ORIGINAL MOTION: Accept the proposed property tax levy fiscal year 2015-16 (sets rate at $2.76)
ORIGINAL VOTE: 4-1
AYES: Rita Nader, Rick Gibson, Gladys Christensen, Jack Yarrington
NAYS: Debra Banks
FOLLOW-UP MOTION: Accept the proposed property tax levy fiscal year 2015-16 (sets rate at $2.30)
FOLLOW-UP VOTE: 3-0
AYES: Rita Nader, Gladys Christensen, Jack Yarrington
ABSTAIN: Debra Banks
ABSENT: Rick Gibson

RATIONALE OF AYE VOTES: The board has consistently said it needs more money for operating expenses at its five campuses, saying it faces at least $43 million in deferred maintenance for facilities.

RATIONALE OF NAY VOTES: Banks said she was worried about the impact a tax hike would have on county businesses.

GET ENGAGED: The Central Arizona College Board of Governors meets the third Tuesday of the month at 2 p.m. on the Signal Peak Campus in Coolidge.

MOUSE ICON: CentralAz.edu