Creatures of Statute

Join us as we explore Arizona’s economic outlook with Jim Rounds, President and CEO of Rounds Consulting Group. We discuss whether Arizona may already be experiencing an economic downturn, what current economic trends could mean for the state’s budget, and how workforce shortages, population growth, housing affordability, and water constraints could shape Arizona’s future. We also examine the role of economic development and infrastructure investment in supporting long-term growth, along with what state policymakers should consider as they navigate an uncertain fiscal environment.To learn more about counties and CSA, visit our website at https://www.countysupervisors.org/

In this episode, we break down Arizona’s fiscal outlook following the October meeting of the Finance Advisory Committee (FAC). We discuss updated revenue and spending projections, emerging budget pressures, and what the latest numbers could mean as lawmakers prepare for the upcoming legislative session.We also explore key state agency budget requests and their potential implications for counties, including county ALTCS contributions, probation funding, and child care funding.View the FAC meeting materials hereTo learn more about counties and CSA, visit our website at https://www.countysupervisors.org/

This week, the CSA team recaps the County Supervisors Association’s 22nd Annual Policy Summit, held in Coconino County. Each year, the Summit brings together county supervisors and leaders to discuss shared challenges, exchange ideas, and establish the policy priorities that will guide CSA’s advocacy during the upcoming legislative session.A special thank you to Coconino County for hosting this year’s Summit, as well as our legislative panelists, county supervisors, and all of the attendees who helped make it such a productive gathering.Learn more about CSA’s 2027 legislative priorities and advocacy:2027 Policy Outcome Report: 2026 CSA Summit - Outcome Report.pdfCSA Advocacy Page: https://www.countysupervisors.org/advocacy

This week, we're joined by Dane Binder, Director of Government Affairs at Community Bridges, Inc. (CBI), to explore Arizona's behavioral health system and CBI's role in delivering critical mental health and crisis services across the state. Tune in as we discuss Arizona's crisis response system, CBI's Treatment Response Centers for juveniles, and the organization's partnership in Pima County's innovative SAFR program.Learn more about Community Bridges here.

This week, we sit down with Sarah Porter, Director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at ASU's Morrison Institute for Public Policy, to unpack the federal government's newly released framework for managing the Colorado River over the next decade.Tune in as we discuss what the Final EIS says, the potential for major reductions in Arizona's river allocation, and what counties need to be watching for as the Record of Decision remains pending.Learn more about the Kyl Center and check out the Water Blueprint here

We sit down with Rene Guillen, Executive Director of the League of Cities and Towns, to discuss some of the key issues emerging from the last legislative session and the League’s policy development process as it looks ahead to 2027.Tune in as we discuss the importance of stewarding political capital, the challenges facing local governments, and the League’s efforts to advocate for local control over short-term rental regulations.

Arizona's 5Cs helped build the state's economy. Join us as we examine how Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus, and Climate have influenced county revenues and what the data reveals about their changing impact over the last 20 years.Explore our data tools here: https://www.countysupervisors.org/data

This week on Creatures of Statute, we're bringing you another episode of our series Off the Charts.The 2018 Wayfair decision is often cited as a major revenue boost for local governments. But what do the numbers actually show? We take a data-driven look at remote retail collections across Arizona counties, examine how online sales taxation changed after Wayfair, and compare those revenues to rising county costs, including mandatory ALTCS contributions.Explore the data featured in this episode at https://www.countysupervisors.org/data.

This week, we learn about how Mohave County is leveraging stormwater mitigation projects to promote groundwater recharge, strengthening long-term water resilience in the Kingman area. In this episode, Mohave County Development Services Director Scott Holtry discusses how the county partnered with local and state agencies, including WIFA, USGS, and ADWR, to protect communities and support future growth.Learn more about Mohave County Water Information hereView a presentation on Kingman Area Stormwater Mitigation and Recharge Projects here

We break down the FY 2027 state budget package introduced by the Arizona Legislature this week after months of negotiations between legislative leaders and the Governor's Office. We discuss the state's fiscal outlook, review several of the major tax and spending provisions included in the proposal, and take a closer look at where key county priorities landed in the final agreement.To view our full analysis of the budget as introduced, view our document here