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Legislature Takes on a Mountain of Bills
The pace is picking up at the State Legislature, with introduction of hundreds of bills this week. Committees are holding hearings and working hard to sort through all of the proposed legislation. Not every measure that is introduced will get a hearing -- legislative leaders and committee chairman must prioritize to make the most of the short time that is allowed for hearing bills. You can take a look at the bills and committee agendas on the Legislature's website, at www.azleg.gov/CommitteeAgendas.aspCity Revenue Diverted to Pay For State Buildings?
Among the bills introduced this week is one we hope doesn't make the list. Senate Bill 1221: Urban Revenue Sharing; Distribution Freeze (Sen. Steve Pierce, R-Prescott), puts a cap on the amount of revenue sharing from state income tax at fiscal year 2010 levels for the next 20 years. Future annual tax collections over the 2010 amount would be kept by the State and used to pay some of the State's financial obligations, including the debt service for the state buildings that were sold with a lease buyback agreement last year.
Shared revenues are a voter-approved system in which the state shares a small percentage of its income, sales and vehicle license taxes with Arizona’s 91 cities and towns. In return, cities are prohibited from having their own local income taxes.
Senate Bill 1221 not only violates the will of the voters, but shifts monies that are used to help pay for police, fire, parks and library services to the state for them to buy back the buildings they sold in 2010.
Feel free to contact your state legislators with your opinion of SB 1221.
Source: P.L.A.N.
Please take time to review the public hearing draft for the Phoenix General Plan Update- http://phoenix.gov/citygovernment/planres/cityplan/planphx/whatsnew/index.html
To date the following Village Planning Committees (within the Phoenix Central Neighborhood boundaries) have taken action -
Encanto (1/10/11) - continued discussion to 2/7/2011
Additional opportunities to share your comments:
Planning Commission Hearings - 2/9 and 2/23/2011
City Council Hearing - 3/2/2011
Comments may be emailed to planphx@phoenix.gov
or mailed to
Carol Johnson, Planning Manager
City of Phoenix
Planning & Development Services Department
200 W. Washington Street, 3rd Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85003
602-261-8289
Source: Carol Johnson, Planning Manager
At noon on Monday, January 10, 2011, Governor Jan Brewer will deliver her State of the State address in the House of Representatives at the State Capitol in downtown Phoenix. Although access is limited only to the invitees of the Governor and legislative members, you can still watch her speech live on cable television (Cox or Comcast Cable channels 123) or the Internet (www.azleg.gov). So, make sure to tune in for your “front row” seat.
State Board or Commission
The Governor's Office provides an online application for residents to participate on a state board or commission. Currently there are 266 active boards and commissions in Arizona with gubernatorial appointees. These boards cover a wide variety of topics from education to the environment. More information about how to become a member of a state board or commission is available at http://azgovernor.gov/bc/BCinfo.asp.
Phoenix Board or Commission
If service at the local level is more appealing, Phoenix currently has 65 Boards and Commissions, found at http://phoenix.gov/phxd/bdcomm/index.jsp, whose members are appointed by the Mayor and city council members. Learn how to apply to serve on a board or commission at http://phoenix.gov/CITYGOV/bdcomm.html#HOW. An online application is available at http://phoenix.gov/EMAIL/appbdcom.html.
Source: P.L.A.N.
The Arizona Republic has submitted a public records request asking for all e-mails that come into the Mayor and City Council offices through the council district e-mail address and www.phoenix.gov council district website.
Please be aware that currently all e-mails coming into these e-mail boxes now will be forwarded to the Arizona Republic, as well. If you have confidential information you would like to discuss with me and do not want the information to become a public record, please call my office at 602-262-7447.
Thank you for your understanding.
Source: Tom Simplot, Phoenix City Councilman, District 4
