by Matthew Holloway | May 29, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
On Tuesday, Cochise County Superior Court Visiting Judge Michael Latham dismissed a lawsuit challenging the county’s plans for a new jail district election. He also denied a motion from Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who sought to intervene in the election.
According to the county, Judge Latham ruled that the upcoming election is “the most effective and efficient way to correct the issue” presented in the case and that it falls within “the Cochise County Board of Supervisors’ primary authority.”
Timothy La Sota, outside counsel representing the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, praised the decision in a statement released Tuesday.
He wrote, “Today, Cochise County once again prevailed in court in its efforts to protect the citizens of this County. The Board has agreed to hold a new election because the last election was seriously flawed and left nearly 11,000 eligible voters without ballots. Oddly, the Secretary of State and the Attorney General have attempted to usurp the Board’s lawful functions; first at the Supreme Court and now at the Superior Court and have failed at every turn. This ruling is a vindication of Cochise County’s plan to address a difficult election situation and a repudiation of efforts by statewide officials to butt in, take over local elections, and disenfranchise Cochise County voters in the process.”
The controversy surrounds a proposed 2023 excise tax that would apply until enough revenue is collected by the county to construct a new jail and retire any associated debt. An election held in 2023 by mail-in ballot only approved the tax but was later found to be flawed. An Arizona appellate court determined that because ballots were not sent to inactive voters and no polling places were opened, the election was invalid.
As noted by KVOA, prior to the lawsuit, the Board of Supervisors had already voted for a new election to address deficiencies in the previous election that failed to provide ballots for approximately 11,000 voters. However, the tax had already gone into effect and a sum of approximately $18 million has already been collected to date.
The board voted in March to approve a settlement agreement with the plaintiffs, covering $130,000 for their legal fees.
The Cochise County jail, now over forty-years old, has operated with failing infrastructure, an outdated security system, and a non-functional fire alarm system according to reports. With Supervisor Kathy Gomez of District 2 telling KGUN, “I am terrified of somebody dying under my watch with no fire alarm, and issues with all the doors opening, and you know, the electrical system.”
Commander for the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Kenneth Bradshaw told reporters at the time, “Everybody agrees, even the Board of Supervisors agrees, that we need a new jail. It’s just a matter of how we get there and what the process was where we are now.”
The voters of Cochise County will decide the matter with early voting beginning October 8th through Election Day 2025. Statements for or against the tax are due by August 6th, and pamphlets will be mailed to voters by no later than September 30th.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | May 28, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In her latest op-ed, Arizona State Senator Shawnna Bolick expresses a growing alarm regarding the prospect of home ownership for younger adults also highlighted in a RealClear Investigations (RCI) report. In short: both the Arizona Senator and the journalists at RCI have come to the same conclusion: the American dream of home ownership is dying at the hands of our federal, state, and local governments, and lobbyists.
As Bolick noted, property costs in Arizona have steadily increased over the past five years, with the average cost of a home ramping up to nearly $500,000 in the greater Phoenix area. Citing ZipRecruiter statistics, she noted that the average salary in the state is $68,329 annually.
Bolick summarized the problem succinctly saying, “For too many today, such a purchase at a relatively young age is increasingly out of reach. Across most major American cities, home prices are by far outpacing wages. If states experiencing economic growth want to keep up with demand, they will need to do something about affordable housing.”
In the RCI report, Joel Kotkin and Wendell Cox suggested one big problem is the disconnect between urban planners and consumers: ‘‘These choices underscore an analysis of Canadian poll results by Sotheby’s, which suggests a ‘disconnect’ between urban planning and consumer preferences: ‘The picture is of young urban families overwhelmingly preferring detached houses, and decidedly not the condominiums into which planners are driving them.’ As Sotheby’s puts it, ‘The report dispels myths about young, urban families’ housing preferences.'”
Kotkin and Cox also wrote in the investigation that increasingly, the acquisition of a home in America has become reliant on what they term “the classic feudal formula – being born into ‘the funnel of privilege.’” They explained that millennial Americans are “three times as likely as boomers to count on inheritance for their retirement.” And indeed a recent report from the Institute for Family Studies revealed that since 1970, the percentage of young adults who own their own homes has plunged from 50% to as little as 25-30%.
The problem hasn’t escaped the notice of Arizona legislators however, as Bolick noted with her sponsored Senate Bill 1229. She described it as a measure to “address our state’s housing shortage,” which would “deregulate local zoning jurisdictions to reduce unnecessary red tape and overburdensome decision-making coming from our central municipal planning departments.” In addition, she wrote “the bill would allow municipalities to set minimum lot sizes to allow for these types of homes in new developments of five acres or more on lots zoned as single-family homes.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | May 27, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
An investigation by Republican Reps. David Marshall, Walt Blackman, and Quang Nguyen found that the City of Phoenix has distributed over $28.5 million of taxpayer funding to more than 100 private organizations with a shocking lack of oversight. Now, the Goldwater Institute is asking Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to intervene and stop what it termed an “unlawful spending spree.”
Citing the legislative findings, the Goldwater Institute alleges that “Organizations like the Phoenix Film Foundation, Phoenix Pride Inc, Mexican Baseball Fiesta LLC, the Arizona Science Center’s Galaxy Gala, and many others received subsidies—sometimes simultaneously by multiple departments—under questionable labels like ‘Sponsorships,’ ‘Grants and Subsidies,’ ‘Emerg[ency] Assist[ance],’ or ‘Miscellaneous.’ The city has no lawful authority to spend public money in this way.”
Parker Jackson, a staff attorney at the Goldwater Institute, said in a statement, “This effectively turns large portions of the city’s budget into a patchwork of slush funds that special interests can access in the sole discretion of a single city employee. Amazingly, the city ‘does not track donations by nonprofit status,’ so it does not know exactly how much taxpayer money has been funneled out through this opaque process.”
The reported “Sponsorships,” “Grants and Subsidies,” “Emerg[ency] Assist[ance],” or “Miscellaneous” donations run afoul of the Arizona State Constitution’s Gift Clause according to Jackson in a letter to the Attorney General co-signed by Jon Riches, the Goldwater’s Vice President for Litigation.
Riches wrote, “Most—if not all—of these expenditures appear to violate the Arizona Constitution’s Gift Clause, which strictly prohibits use of public funds to benefit private, special interests. Not only is it doubtful that these allocations serve a legitimate public purpose, but there also appears to be no direct or measurable consideration received in return for this use of public resources.”
The Arizona Constitution under Article 9 Section 7 states, “Neither the state, nor any county, city, town, municipality, or other subdivision of the state shall ever give or loan its credit in the aid of, or make any donation or grant, by subsidy or otherwise, to any individual, association, or corporation, or become a subscriber to, or a shareholder in, any company or corporation, or become a joint owner with any person, company, or corporation, except as to such ownerships as may accrue to the state by operation or provision of law or as authorized by law solely for investment of the monies in the various funds of the state.”
The Goldwater attorneys have called on Mayes to “[e]njoin the illegal payment of public monies” and to “[r]ecover illegally paid public monies,” under A.R.S. § 41-194.01 and A.R.S. § 35-212 respectively.
Jackson wrote in a Goldwater Institute press release that the finding by the Arizona legislature may seem familiar to keen observers: “If treating taxpayers as financiers for private entities—even controversial and ideological ones—sounds familiar, that’s because it mirrors what has been exposed throughout the federal government this year. For example, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was aptly described as ‘a slush fund for leftist priorities’ after the White House exposed decades of waste and abuse in that agency.”
In a video posted to X, Jackson said, “At the end of the day, public dollars should be used for public purposes… not to enrich special interests at a bureaucrat’s whim.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | May 27, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS) has released a “Truth in Taxation Notice,” announcing that it will hold a hearing on June 23rd as part of its annual budget process. The new budget will lower the combined primary and secondary “overall tax rate.” However, the primary property tax rate is remaining flat which would increase homeowners’ property taxes due to the increase in property values in Maricopa County.
According to the County Supervisors, the FY 2026 Budget “lowers the overall tax rate” and “is $269.5 million below the maximum amount allowed by state law, meaning the county collects less in taxes than it could.” But as stated in the notice, it would increase the primary property tax levy by 1.81%, raising homeowners’ property taxes on a $100,000 house from $113.85 to $115.91. The Maricopa County Truth in Taxation Calculation factors the current primary property tax levy, and the net assessed valuation, excluding the value of new construction. The Maricopa County Truth in Taxation Calculation factors the current primary property tax levy, and the net assessed valuation, excluding the value of new construction, which appears to generate the net decrease in the overall tax.
The release from the MCBS also provided a disclaimer stating that, “The Board does not control property values. However, as property values increase, the tax levy for existing property owners will also increase. And as a result, some property owners may be subject to a slight tax increase due to positive property value market adjustments in a growing economy.”
In a statement released with the preliminary budget on May 19th Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin, District 2 said, “I promised as Chairman that we would be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and with this budget, we are showing how government can run efficiently and effectively to enhance public safety and promote economic prosperity. This budget ensures Maricopa County won’t just weather the storm of economic uncertainty but will thrive. And I’m pleased to be keeping a promise to improve compensation for the courageous and dedicated members of MCSO.”
The County Supervisors stated that they were able to “decrease the property tax rate slightly, bringing the overall rate to 1.348, down 0.37% from the prior year.” The new budget per the board does not decrease existing programs and services.
Supervisor Mark Stewart, District 1 stressed, “While many counties are imposing taxes at the maximum rate permitted under state law, Maricopa County’s tax levy remains $269.5 million below that limit. Our approach is not limited to reduced taxation—we’re also delivering significant cost savings through greater operational efficiency, such as moving county personnel out of expensive leased spaces, while also investing in public safety and making our parks more enjoyable for all Maricopa County residents.”
“The County’s conservative budgeting philosophy has long protected county taxpayers from potential economic downtowns or unanticipated costs,” Vice Chair Kate Brophy McGee, District 2 added. “I’m proud to vote for such a responsible budget that puts money where it matters—with nearly 50% going to public safety.”
Supervisor Debbie Lesko, District 4 emphasized the board’s partnership with Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan in developing the budget, stating “The best way to keep our communities safe and crack down on criminal activity is to fully support our law enforcement professionals, not just with words, but with action. Over the past few months, the Board has worked in partnership with Sheriff Sheridan and our Human Resources and Budget teams on a fiscally responsible plan to boost compensation for MCSO patrol and detention staff. I’m looking forward to finalizing those details before the approval of a final budget in June.”
Editor’s Note – This article was updated to accurately reflect the distinction between the tax rate which the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors controls, and the overall tax levy which is a combination of property values and the property tax rate.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | May 26, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
“Promise made. Promise kept.” Congressman Abe Hamadeh was celebratory last week and praised the decision by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to rescind a politically driven report against the Phoenix Police Department on “patterns and practice” of discrimination that was found by law enforcement experts to be 97% “factually or contextually inaccurate.”
Describing the report as being from a “weaponized investigation by the Biden Administration,” Hamadeh urged FBI Director Kash Patel to take action to refute the report in a letter previously reported by AZ Free News. In a statement issued Wednesday, Hamadeh’s office said the Arizona Republican had engaged in “aggressive advocacy for the men and women of the Phoenix Police Department,” which culminated in a meeting with top DOJ Officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon.
“I promised our law enforcement officers before taking office that I would end the weaponization of our judicial system and work with President Trump’s Department of Justice to undo the damage wrought by the Biden Administration,” Hamadeh said.
He added, “I am grateful to President Trump and his team of patriotic professionals dedicated to the men and women of our local law enforcement agencies who run to the sound of danger to keep our communities safe and secure.”
Hamadeh explained, “As I noted in my communications with Trump Administration officials, our officers did everything right, voluntarily cooperating in good faith, opening their records, and participating in lengthy interviews. They were met with stonewalling, mischaracterized testimony, and a final report riddled with glaring inaccuracies.”
“The Trump Administration has now shown that it will not tolerate attacks on our law enforcement officers – either through physical violence or bureaucratic machinations,” said Congressman Hamadeh.
“Overbroad police consent decrees divest local control of policing from communities where it belongs, turning that power over to unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats, often with an anti-police agenda,” added Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Today, we are ending the Biden Civil Rights Division’s failed experiment of handcuffing local leaders and police departments with factually unjustified consent decrees.”
As reported by Law Enforcement Today, law enforcement experts Dr. Travis Yates and Dr. JC Chaix released a bombshell analysis on May 1st describing the DOJ report as detailing 134 incidents of which 130 were “either factually or contextually inaccurate,” in a shocking “97% rate of false reporting.”
Yates and Chaix wrote, “The answer lies in the DOJ’s investigative methodology—one that leans heavily on anecdotal narratives, hindsight bias, and advocacy framing rather than factual accuracy. While the individuals conducting this investigation are anonymous, it’s clear that they lack expertise in police operations, policy, or law. In many cases, their descriptions misidentified lawful force as unconstitutional, ignored established case law standards, such as Graham v. Connor, and omitted critical contextual information, including suspect behavior, threats, or prior warnings.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
