Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-LD29) announced the appointment of Goodyear Councilwoman Vicki Gillis to the Arizona Municipal Tax Code Commission following a state audit that raised concerns over transparency, accountability, and the delegation of statutory responsibilities.
The announcement follows an August 2026 sunset review by the Arizona Auditor General, which identified concerns regarding the Commission’s procedures for reviewing proposed amendments to the Model City Tax Code.
According to the Auditor General’s report, the Commission delegated responsibility for reviewing proposed tax code amendments to the City Tax Administrators Council (CTAC), an entity not formally recognized under state statute and not required to comply with Arizona’s open meeting laws.
The report found that the arrangement limited public transparency and recommended clarifying the Commission’s statutory authority. It also recommended that lawmakers consider requiring informational public hearings for all proposed amendments.
The report also found that the Commission went more than six years without holding a public hearing to consider proposed Model City Tax Code amendments. Under state law, the Commission is responsible for reviewing proposed amendments, holding public hearings, and approving or denying proposed changes.
According to the Auditor General, the Commission held its first such hearing since May 2019 on December 12, 2025, when it approved five amendments involving rental properties, telecommunications services, software application services for schools, utility equipment and property, and rental occupancy tax classifications.
“The Legislature established this Commission to promote uniformity and consistency in municipal taxation while providing a transparent process for reviewing proposed changes,” said Speaker Montenegro. “Arizonans deserve to know when changes to the tax code are being considered, who is proposing them, and how those changes could affect their families and businesses.”
The Arizona Municipal Tax Code Commission is responsible for reviewing proposed amendments to the Model City Tax Code, conducting public hearings, and approving or rejecting proposed changes.
The Model City Tax Code establishes a framework for municipal transaction privilege taxes, commonly referred to as sales taxes, across Arizona cities and towns.
Amendments to the code can affect how municipalities administer and collect taxes, as well as the obligations of businesses operating within their jurisdictions.
Montenegro emphasized that the Commission must fulfill its responsibilities under state law rather than delegate its authority to organizations operating outside established public transparency requirements.
“Statutory responsibilities cannot simply be delegated to an entity that operates outside the transparency requirements the public expects of government,” added Montenegro.
The Speaker also expressed concerns about the potential financial impact of changes to municipal tax policies, particularly as Arizona families and businesses continue to face cost-of-living pressures.
“Arizona families are working hard to manage the cost of living, and government should not create additional uncertainty or costs through administrative expansions of the sales tax,” said Montenegro.
✅Speaker Montenegro Appoints Goodyear Councilwoman Vicki Gillis to Municipal Tax Code Commission Appointment follows Auditor General findings raising concerns about transparency and accountability
“Arizona families are working hard to manage the cost of living, and government… pic.twitter.com/CEouDKxOV3
Montenegro said Gillis’s appointment is intended to reinforce accountability and ensure that proposed tax code changes receive appropriate public scrutiny.
He also called for a consistent and predictable review process that allows municipalities, businesses, and taxpayers to understand proposed changes and their potential financial implications.
“The Commission must follow state law, restore public confidence in its process, and ensure that any proposed changes receive the scrutiny and transparency required by statute,” Montenegro said. “I expect this appointment to help reinforce those principles and keep the interests of Arizona taxpayers at the forefront.”
The appointment follows the Auditor General’s findings and recommendations calling for greater transparency and clarification of the Commission’s statutory responsibilities.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
A new report from the state indicates that school districts have declined to invest their record funding into their teachers.
Instead, critics analyzing the report say, school districts have opted to pay more for their superintendents, unused buildings, and trips for administrators.
The Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee issued a report earlier this month estimating that Arizona public schools receive a record high of nearly $15,600 per student annually. Yet, estimates reflect the average Arizona teacher’s salary adjusted for inflation is more than $6,400 lower than it was in 2001.
Average teacher pay was more than $37,000 for the 2000-2001 school year, which would be more than $72,000 in today’s dollars; however, teachers made around $65,600 in 2025.
The auditor general’s office has reported on multiple occasions that districts are disproportionately allocating classroom site funding intended for teachers on non-instructional expenses.
Proposition 320 would require public school districts to spend at least 60% of their operational budget on direct instructional expenses. If passed, the proposition would allow districts below that 60% threshold to increase their instructional spending by 0.5% each year.
Districts who fail to comply would lose money from the classroom site fund at a rate of 25% in the first year, 50% in the second year, 75% in the third year, and 100% in the fourth and all future years of noncompliance.
The proposition allows the superintendent of public instruction to waive those penalties twice every 10 years, or up to three times if a district requests a second waiver more than four years after the first waiver.
School districts impacted by Proposition 320 would include those that serve at least 7,500 students and exist in a county of at least 500,000 people. Only Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties qualify for the latter criteria.
Approximately 94 out of 207 school districts in the state would be impacted by Proposition 320 if passed, according to an analysis by the Common Sense Institute of Arizona.
Organizations have polar opposite views on how the proposition would impact public school funding.
The Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based public policy and litigation organization and a supporter of Proposition 320, claims the proposition will improve teacher salaries by shrinking administrative costs.
“Simply put, Arizona taxpayers deserve better stewardship of their education dollars,” stated the Goldwater Institute in a press release.
Goldwater cited instances of what it called administrative “bloat,” such as the Dysart Unified School District spending nearly $500,000 to send nearly 200 employees to a luxury resort casino in Las Vegas for three-day training events three years in a row. The district then undertook what it determined to be a necessary cost-saving measure by eliminating bus routes to save the district around $500,000.
In another instance, the Arizona auditor general found that Baboquivari Elementary School District was spending wastefully, including its decision to spend $300,000 on a single two-day, out-of-state conference for employees.
The organization also cited the high salary of the Tolleson Union High School District superintendent who attempted to push through an $80 million taxpayer-funded football stadium.
Save Our Schools Arizona, a Phoenix-based education advocacy organization and opponent of Proposition 320, claims the proposition will cut funding to schools. Opponents of the measure maintain that current administrative spending trends are not problematic, and that a one-size-fits-all approach to district spending would impose pressures on districts and jeopardize student support and school operations.
“[This is] a deceptive ballot measure aimed to defund critical public school services like transportation, sports, food services, and special education,” posted Save Our Schools Arizona on social media.
The debate over Proposition 320 centers on whether requiring districts to devote a larger share of their budgets to classroom instruction would improve educational spending or limit districts’ ability to fund other services. Arizona voters will have the opportunity to decide whether to adopt the proposed spending requirements in the November election.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Maricopa County has concluded its early voting operations and will prepare for Election Day.
Early voting concluded on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voting and ballot drop box locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., but voters who are still in line as of 7 p.m. will be permitted to vote.
The recorder’s office issued a press release explaining that it would continue certain responsibilities leading up to and following Election Day. These responsibilities include verifying the signatures on early ballot affidavit envelopes, contacting voters whose signatures don’t match their voter registration records, and processing provisional ballots.
Voters may opt to use the “Stamp and Go” process by providing their ID with their early mail ballots to bypass the traditional signature verification process. Those ballots will be tabulated on site.
The recorder’s office also reminded the public that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ Elections Department will handle oversight of all emergency voting and Election Day operations. The board’s Elections Department will oversee the vote centers, ballot drop boxes, polling place staff, on-site ID Verify tabulation, and all voting equipment.
Voters whose ballot signatures don’t match their voter registration records have until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8 to cure their ballot. Curing may occur over the phone or online.
Mail-in ballots that have not been returned must be dropped off at a designated drop box or voting location by 7 p.m. on Election Day. The last recommended day to mail back a mail-in ballot was Oct. 27.
Maricopa County voters may visit the Maricopa County Elections website to find a drop box or voting location, and to review which forms of ID are accepted for voting in person. The website is equipped with a map function that allows voters to sort voting locations near them by shortest wait times.
Maricopa County will have 254 vote centers available for in-person voting on Election Day. All vote centers are equipped with drop boxes for returning mail ballots; the county also has 16 drop box locations without in-person voting on Election Day. All locations will operate from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There are two 24-hour drop boxes open on Election Day from 12 a.m. to 7 p.m., one at Maricopa County’s ballot tabulation center at 510 South 3rd Avenue in Phoenix, and one at Maricopa County Elections’ Mesa location at 222 East Javelina Avenue.
Ballot tracking is available for most voters through BeBallotReady.Vote. Voters who are classified as a protected person or a member of the Address Confidentiality Program can’t access the BeBallotReady dashboard.
Maricopa County voters with questions may call the county elections department at 602-506-1511.
As of this report, Maricopa County has received more than 900,000 ballots. Also this week, the federal government submitted letters to state election officials as a reminder of their requirement to preserve election materials for 22 months following a federal election.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) received an endorsement for reelection from Truckers.com and the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC), earning an A+ rating in the organizations’ 2026 Congressional Midterm Report Card.
Gosar received the highest grade among Arizona’s congressional delegation, recognizing his support for legislation aimed at strengthening commercial trucking safety standards, English-language proficiency requirements, and commercial driver’s license regulations.
The SBTC, a national trucking trade association representing small businesses in the transportation industry, evaluates members of Congress on issues affecting commercial drivers, trucking companies, and highway safety.
The legislation seeks to ensure that commercial drivers can read and understand English-language road signs, communicate with law enforcement and transportation officials, and demonstrate English proficiency when obtaining a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Gosar welcomed the endorsement, emphasizing the importance of maintaining safety standards for commercial drivers operating on American highways.
“I’m honored to earn the endorsement of Truckers.com and the Small Business in Transportation Coalition,” said Congressman Gosar. “Truckers keep our shelves stocked and our economy moving. Anyone operating a commercial truck alongside Arizona families must be able to read road signs and communicate in English. I’ll continue fighting for common-sense safety standards and the truckers and small businesses that keep our economy moving.”
Proud to earn the endorsement of the Small Business in Transportation Coalition, @TheSBTC, and an A+ on its 2026 Congressional Report Card—the highest grade in Arizona’s congressional delegation.
Truckers keep America moving. I cosponsored legislation requiring commercial… pic.twitter.com/2ZBmkDE67f
The SBTC’s congressional evaluations also consider lawmakers’ positions on the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, an issue that has become part of the broader national debate over trucking regulations and highway safety.
Gosar’s A+ rating reflects the organizations’ support for his legislative positions on commercial driver qualifications and federal trucking regulations.
The endorsement adds to Gosar’s support from industry organizations as he seeks another term representing Arizona’s Ninth Congressional District.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap has disputed ACLU of Arizona allegations that poll workers at a downtown Phoenix early voting center improperly required voters to show ID when dropping off mail ballots.
The ACLU of Arizona sent a letter to Heap and Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Kate Brophy McGee. Policy Director Darrell Hill described an experience involving two voters at the early voting center in the A.E. Building. The letter claims that a poll worker instructed the voters that they must present identification to drop off their mail ballots and did not inform them that identification was optional.
The ACLU said it had heard similar accounts from other voters and urged officials to review training to ensure poll workers provide clear information about their options.
KJZZ reporter Wayne Schutsky stated that he spoke with an ACLU staff member who was part of the group whose ballot drop-off experience prompted the letter.
Recorder Heap continues to say the ACLU letter is based on an anonymous, unverified complaint. But I spoke with one of the ACLU staffers who was a part of the group dropping off ballots, whose experience prompted the letter. https://t.co/WU8Z5R3kRZhttps://t.co/qa7eicCK00
According to the Recorder’s Office, voters dropping off early ballots may voluntarily present identification to bypass signature verification or deposit their ballots in a drop box without identification. The office said Arizona poll workers, including those in Maricopa County, are trained to explain both options.
In a response to the ACLU, the Recorder’s Office described the allegations as anonymous and unsubstantiated. The office said the ACLU provided no evidence or indication that it had investigated before accusing election workers of misconduct.
Upon receiving the letter, the Recorder’s Office contacted the site inspector. The inspector, who said he had worked elections in Los Angeles and Maricopa counties since 2006 and served with a bipartisan team, reviewed the matter with his marshal and lobby staff.
“No voters were required to present ID to deposit ballots in the drop box, and staff reported no negative interactions or complaints,” the inspector said. “We experienced no issues during the afternoon’s increased voter traffic and find these accusations baffling to say the least.”
Heap called for the ACLU to apologize to election workers.
“The ACLU has launched a baseless attack on hardworking election workers, treating unverified claims from political activists as established facts without a shred of supporting evidence,” Heap said. “These are dedicated public servants, not political punching bags.”
“The ACLU is quick to condemn anyone it believes is undermining confidence in elections, yet here it is doing exactly that—recklessly attacking election workers without evidence,” he continued. “The ACLU should be ashamed of this irresponsible political hit piece and owes our dedicated poll workers a public apology.”
In comments to KTAR News, Heap said staff at the location remembered the group and reported that both options were explained. He also said signs at polling places describe the choice and that roughly 70 percent of voters bringing in mail ballots choose to show identification.
A FOX 10 Phoenix team member reported being asked for identification when dropping off a mail ballot at a vote center. During a subsequent FOX 10 interview, Heap was told of the experience.
WATCH: Recorder Justin Heap responds on FOX 10 Talks to allegations made by @ACLUaz on voter ID rules and early ballots. Turns out a member of our @FOX10Phoenix team was also asked to show ID after telling a poll worker she wished to drop off her mail-in ballot. https://t.co/jyIVnUVBbspic.twitter.com/92suo20S9g
Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin commented on the interview on X, arguing that poll workers should not proactively approach voters because signage provides the information and voters can ask questions.
Brutal interview clip for Justin Heap as he gets fact checked in real time by @FOX10Phoenix, they tell him a colleague personally experienced what others are saying. The issue is that Heap’s workers shouldnt proactively approach voters 1) Signage provides info 2)Voters can ask Qs https://t.co/CogywEpHZW
— Thomas Galvin: Maricopa County Brd of Supervisors (@ThomasGalvin) October 30, 2026
In its response to Heap, the ACLU said it contacted officials privately on October 27 to request an investigation into potential training issues without public attention. Hill said the organization wanted to ensure every eligible Arizonan could exercise the right to vote and that Heap’s public criticism did not address the substance of its concerns.
U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner toured Tucson’s Gospel Rescue Mission on this week, highlighting its coordinated approach to shelter, recovery services, and housing assistance.
According to an announcement from Ciscomani’s office, the visit focused on the Center of Opportunity and its partnerships with organizations providing healthcare, workforce development, housing, and spiritual support.
“Everyone deserves the opportunity to rebuild their life, find a place to call home, and pursue their own version of the American Dream. Gospel Rescue Mission is making a real difference right here in Southern Arizona by meeting people where they are and helping them build a path toward a brighter future. I’m grateful to Secretary Turner for joining me to highlight the incredible work happening in our community and bring Southern Arizona’s efforts to the national conversation,” Ciscomani said. “Together, we can connect local solutions with federal resources to help more Arizonans get back on their feet.”
Ciscomani’s office said the mission works through more than 50 community partnerships involving nonprofits, churches, healthcare providers, educational institutions, employers, and social-service agencies. Turner praised the organization’s faith-based approach and discussed federal assistance for young adults leaving foster care.
Gospel Rescue Mission manages the Center of Opportunity, which connects emergency services with longer-term assistance. The organization’s description of its programs and partners identifies shelter, food, and safety as immediate needs, followed by services involving addiction recovery, housing, education, employment, and healthcare.
Among its partners, El Rio Health provides medical respite care for individuals experiencing homelessness who need a place to recover. The Arizona Department of Economic Security assists with enrollment in benefits programs, including the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
La Frontera Center of Hope provides housing assistance, case management, and planning for long-term housing stability.
During the tour, Turner highlighted HUD’s Foster Youth to Independence initiative, which provides housing assistance and supportive services for eligible young adults transitioning out of foster care.
HUD’s program guidance explains that the initiative makes Housing Choice Voucher assistance available through partnerships between public housing agencies and public child welfare agencies.
Eligible participants are ages 18 through 24, have left foster care or will leave within 180 days under a qualifying transition plan, and meet the program’s homelessness or housing-risk requirements.
Rental assistance generally lasts up to 36 months. Participants meeting additional requirements may qualify for an extension of up to 24 months. Child welfare agencies must also provide or arrange supportive services to help participating young adults become self-sufficient.
The Tucson visit followed an earlier housing discussion involving Ciscomani and Turner. In May, the congressman’s office convened a roundtable addressing housing affordability, Opportunity Zones, and approval processes for housing projects.
