by Staff Reporter | Apr 26, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Prescott residents are citing concerns over what they believe to be a progressive slant directing the city’s 2025 General Plan.
The latest draft of the general plan was rolled out for last month’s city council meeting. State law requires cities and counties to introduce growth-related plans every decade. These plans must include maps, diagrams, objectives, principles, standards, and plan proposals pertaining to land use, circulation and transportation, open space, growth areas, environmental planning, public services and benefits, and water resources.
Communities with populations over 50,000 persons must also include plans for conservation, recreation, extensive transit, public services, public buildings, housing, rehabilitation and redevelopment, public safety, bicycles, energy, and neighborhood preservation and revitalization.
The plan focuses on five “livability” goals: resiliency and sustainability (fire, environmental planning, water resources, climate, and energy); community connection (circulation or transportation, open space, wildlife corridors, and digital connectivity); great places and neighborhoods (land use and growth areas, historic preservation, recreation, dark skies, tree city USA, and bike and pedestrian paths); economic competitiveness and prosperity (economic development, tourism, growth and cost of development, housing, and the Prescott Regional Airport); and community quality (police, education assets, library, community center, healthcare assets, childcare and youth programs, and arts and culture).
Certain strategies of concern (out of over 300 proposed) outlined in the plan include developing and funding a transit system, changing wood burning stove and fireplace standards, redeveloping stormwater infrastructure to be “green” and more sustainable, changing new development ordinances, eliminating emissions in city-owned buildings, establishing electric vehicle infrastructure, redesigning local streets for lower speeds and multimodal use, and establishing a “Dark Sky” lighting code.
Some of these strategies hinged on the initial or continued reliance on local and federal funding.
A group of concerned, longtime citizens, “Prescott Pulse,” say the general plan would not only adopt California-esque policies, but jeopardize millions in housing, transit, airport, and water federal funding due to likely conflicts with the Trump administration’s prohibitions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Specifically, the group cited concerns over the inclusion of language expanding discrimination or harassment protections to sexual orientation and gender expression or identity.
The group also cited concerns over the plan’s extensive focus on enacting climate change policy, as well as the costs for proposed “Vision Zero” speed humps and cameras, lighting retrofits, bike lanes, tree mandates, and the additional property taxes connected with environmental reforms.
“We’ve watched as skewed narratives and incomplete information leave most residents unaware of what’s truly happening in our city council until decisions hit home and it’s too late to act,” said the group in a statement. “Today, our city stands at a crossroads. The divide between low-growth advocates and those who see the need for strategic expansion has never been clearer.”
Prescott Pulse also claims the proposed general plan goes beyond its intended scope of planning land use decisions (land, roads, water, and city growth) by introducing new property rights regulations and taxpayer burdens.
The general plan will appear on the November 4 ballot this year. The city council is scheduled to make a decision on the general plan during their meeting on May 27.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 25, 2025 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) parents are attempting to reverse the relaxation of the district’s dress code.
SUSD surveyed Scottsdale Parent Council (SPC) members about the district’s dress code, which parents criticized for failure to indicate a requirement for students to cover their midriffs.
The survey, shared by Scottsdale Unites For Educational Integrity (SUFEI), only included “genitals, buttocks, chest, and nipples” in its description of “private body parts” in a question to parents about appropriate student clothing.
SUFEI urged parents to respond to the survey in opposition to the question of appropriate student clothing and to leave a comment explaining their support for qualifying the midriff as a private body part.
Current SUSD dress code does not require students to cover their midriffs. However, the dress code does prohibit students from wearing anything deemed “hate speech,” along with any clothing depicting profanity, nudity, or pornography.
In 2022 emails reported by the Arizona Daily Independent last fall, the governing board’s then-vice president Libby Hart-Wells reportedly pressured SUSD administration to override the district’s Code of Conduct to allow girls to wear clothing that exposed the midriff.
Hart-Wells, who presided over the board last year, no longer serves on the board.
Most other districts around the Valley do not allow midriffs and have maintained the traditional set of dress codes, but several have begun to loosen their dress codes as well.
In 2023, Higley Unified School District (HUSD) removed policy language prohibiting clothes which “immodestly exposes the chest, abdomen, midriff, genital area, or buttocks,” instead reducing the prohibition to clothing exposing “undergarments [or] undergarment areas.”
Last year, Tucson Unified School District revised its policy citing concerns of sexism and equity, effectively allowing students to expose most of their breasts along with their entire torsos and buttocks.
Scottsdale parents concerned with the relaxed dress code are also coming off of other, more significant concerns with the district. Last year, the governing board approved a bonus to Superintendent Scott Menzel despite lower test scores. Menzel earned the bonus based on meeting several nonacademic achievement goals over the course of a year, not any of the academic ones: increased attendance rate, increased student extracurricular and cocurricular activity participation, increased certified staff retention, an established baseline for work-based learning opportunities and hours, and the production of a decision making matrix and proposal.
Under Menzel’s leadership for the past four years, SUSD enrollment dropped by over 1,500 students and science scores dropped 24 percent. Less than 50 percent of 8th grade SUSD students were proficient in math, despite 94 percent of students graduating.
Menzel has been a proponent of more progressive ideologies, such as those behind critical race theory and LGBTQ+ lifestyles. Menzel has defended the inclusion of sexualized discourses and subject matter on campuses as protected under Civil Rights law.
Menzel came to SUSD in July 2020 amid the racial reckoning sweeping the nation following George Floyd’s death in police custody. The year before, while still a superintendent in Michigan, Menzel gave an interview calling the white race “problematic” and meritocracy “a lie.”
“[White people] should feel really, really uncomfortable, because we perpetuate a system by ignoring the realities in front of us, and living in a mythological reality,” said Menzel. “In this country it’s about meritocracy. ‘Pull up yourself by your bootstraps, everybody has the same opportunity.’ And it’s a lie.”
The discovery of these past remarks prompted Scottsdale lawmakers to advocate for Menzel’s removal.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne also advocated against Menzel’s contract renewal last fall.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 25, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
An Arizona legislator has put out the call: he needs a second job. Arizona Representative Nick Kupper (R-LD25) put out posts to LinkedIn and X on Tuesday announcing that he is seeking to start a new role in addition to his work as a lawmaker.
Writing in a post to X, Kupper explained, “If you’re wondering, state reps make ~$35k with base pay/per diem. Once I got elected I was laid off for being a legislator. That sucks, but I’d rather go bankrupt than give up on my constituents. That being said 4 kids eat a lot, so if you know of any remote jobs I’m all ears.”
In his post to LinkedIn, he wrote, “My role as State Rep is great, but pays very little and timing wise effectively only allows me to work remote roles.”
In Arizona, the state legislature has been traditionally viewed as a part-time job. With the session running from January often through June or even July, it’s easy to see why. And while strange compared to more populous states, this is a very common system.
In Texas for example, the legislature is only convened for a maximum of 140 days every odd-numbered year, barring special sessions called by the Governor for 30-day stretches. Montana, Nevada, and North Dakota, have similar odd-numbered-year arrangements.
Salary-wise, Arizona ranks near the middle of the pack with its $24k plus per diem ranking 24th out of the fifty states. In neighboring New Mexico, the legislature receives no salary at all, only earning a $161 per diem during session. By contrast, a New York legislator earns a salary of $110k per year with per diem, totaling approximately $142k annually.
As reported in early March by AZ Free News, Arizona Legislators have taken considerable heat over Senate Concurrent Resolution 1003, a measure to effectively double their salaries to $48k along with increases in per diem payments and benefits.
One major point of contention is a disparity in pay between members who live within Maricopa County versus outside of it.
“I think there’s discrimination happening currently (with) the way members of this body and Senate are paid, when you have members that literally could get three times the total pay package because they live outside of Maricopa versus inside,” Representative David Livingston (R-LD28) told AZ Capitol Times. “This needs to be fixed.”
Sen. John Kavanagh (R-LD3) proposed a salary plan linked to inflation and dating back to 1998 in its calculations explaining, “We’re not asking the voters to really in real dollars increase our pay. We’re asking them to keep our pay at the same real dollar amount that they thought it was worth in 1998.”
The bill has passed the Senate and House Appropriations Committee and will now go to the floor of the House before potentially going to the voters in November.
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 | Apr 25, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
“End Apartheid” and “Abolish Israel,” were scrawled in crudely drawn letters beneath the Star of David adorning the oldest Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Tucson earlier this week. The synagogue was founded in 1948 in the wake of the Holocaust by the Chabad-Lubavitch movement under Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. The rabbi himself had fled Germany during the rise of the Nazi Third Reich in 1933. The Chabad’s website states that it is “the Southern Arizona headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, considered to be the most dynamic force in Jewish life today.”
Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) expressed his disgust in a post to X on Tuesday sharing news that the Chabad Tucson-Young Israel Synagogue was vandalized with anti-semitic, anti-Israel graffiti.
In his post, Ciscomani wrote, “I am disgusted by this antisemitic act against the Chabad Tucson-Young Israel Synagogue. Jewish residents in Tucson deserve to feel safe in their own communities and places of worship. I strongly and unequivocally condemn this despicable act.”
Democrat State Rep. Alma Hernandez also condemned the act in a post to X writing, “Outraged to hear from my good friend Rabbi @YehudaCeitlin who showed up to his shul this morning at Chabad of Tucson to see this hateful vandalism on his wall. Anti-Zionism is Antisemitism, period and this hate is NOT welcomed in Tucson! I will continue to stand with my Jewish community. This is a synagogue NOT a political office. Shameful that its 2025 and we keep seeing this vile targeting of the Jewish community.”
According to KGUN, Monday’s incident represents the second time that the Chabad Center in Tucson has been vandalized in the past four years with a 2021 incident finding a Nazi Swastika and an anti-semitic slur painted on the building’s entrance. Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin of Chabad Tucson confirmed this in a post to X writing, “This is the second time in 3 years that a Chabad Jewish center in Tucson is being vandalized with antisemitic graffiti. This hate must stop!”
Reporting from KVOA stated that the Tucson Police Department is investigating the incident as a hate crime. Speaking to KVOA reporters Rabbi Ceitlin said, “It just shows the person who has done this, or people who have done this we don’t know who is responsible, wants to intimidate the Jewish people and we will not be intimidated,” he added, “[Hate], It’s part of the Jewish story, Jewish history.”
The incident has drawn notice internationally as well with Member of the Israeli Knesset Michal Cotler-Wunsh commenting online, “Below the Jewish Star of David – a call to abolish the Jewish nation state. A graphic demonstration of the normalization of a ‘modern’ lethal strain of an ancient ever-mutating hate, unleashed in response to the worst attack of Jews since the Holocaust, ‘justified’ by decades of peddled ‘modern-day’ blood libel of hijacked & weaponized institutions & terms like racism, apartheid, genocide…entrusted & coined to ensure that ‘Never Again.’ The writing is on the wall…of Chabad Tucson too.”
In a post responding to the incident, the Anti-Defamation League of Arizona issued a statement from Deputy Regional Director Sarah Kader who said, “Seeing news of yet another incident of vile anti-Semitic vandalism on a place of worship for Jews, on the same day as the release of ADL’s annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents, which showed a 23% increase of anti-Semitic vandalism in Arizona, is truly heartbreaking. We will never stop fighting against such hateful acts.”
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 Jonathan Eberle | Apr 24, 2025 | Economy, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Despite recent claims of financial strain, Arizona cities are experiencing robust revenue growth, according to the Arizona Tax Research Association’s (ATRA) April 2025 newsletter. The report highlights that municipalities have accumulated substantial cash reserves, even as some city officials advocate for tax increases.
ATRA’s analysis reveals that for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, Arizona cities collectively budgeted $9.1 billion for their general funds, with nearly $4.2 billion—approximately 47%—allocated to cash reserves. This financial strength is attributed to consistent growth in sales and income tax revenues, bolstered by legislative changes and economic factors.
A significant contributor to this revenue surge is the 2019 Wayfair legislation, which enabled Arizona to tax remote sales. This change led to a substantial increase in sales tax collections, with shared revenues to cities rising over 55% from $589 million in FY 2020 to $915.5 million in FY 2025. Projections indicate this figure will reach $918 million in FY 2026.
In addition to sales taxes, cities benefit from Urban Revenue Sharing (URS), which distributes a portion of state income taxes based on collections from two years prior. In FY 2025, URS allocations amounted to over $1.26 billion. However, this represents a 19% decrease from the previous year, primarily due to the implementation of a 2.5% flat income tax rate in FY 2024. To mitigate the impact on municipalities, the state increased the shared percentage from 15% to 18%.
Despite these strong revenue streams, some city leaders cite recent state tax reforms—such as the 2021 personal income tax cut and the elimination of taxes on residential rents—as reasons to consider raising local taxes. ATRA cautions against this approach, emphasizing the importance of prudent fiscal management and the existing financial cushion that many cities possess.
The association’s findings suggest that while state-level tax policy changes have influenced revenue dynamics, Arizona cities continue to enjoy a favorable financial position. As discussions around taxation and budgeting persist, ATRA advocates for transparency and accountability in municipal fiscal practices.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 24, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A New Mexico man detained by Arizona immigration enforcement after he falsely claimed he was an illegal immigrant has stirred up media coverage critical of the Trump administration.
Jose Hermosillo, a 19-year-old from Albuquerque, remained in border detention for nine days earlier this month until his family brought proof of his citizenship.
In a sworn affidavit released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Hermosillo claimed he was a citizen of Mexico who had no claim to being a citizen of the United States and no documents issued by a legal authority permitting him to be in the United States. Hermosillo also claimed to the immigration officer that he had entered the country illegally “in the desert” for the purpose of obtaining work in Tucson over the next 20 years.
DHS issued a statement clarifying Hermosillo approached Border Patrol in Tucson and made these false statements.
“Mr. Hermosillo’s arrest and detention were a direct result of his own actions and statements,” said DHS.
Hermosillo’s family claimed to Arizona Public Media that Hermosillo “got lost” while walking near the Border Patrol facility in Tucson. At the time of the incident, Hermosillo was visiting family in Tucson with his girlfriend and their infant child. The family’s account conflicts with the DHS affidavit, in that the family maintained that Hermosillo told Border Patrol agents that he was a U.S. citizen.
Governor Katie Hobbs called Hermosillo’s detention “unacceptable” in a post on X and promised to receive answers from DHS.
“I will be in contact with @DHSgov and expect immediate answers for their wrongful detention of an American citizen,” said Hobbs.
Likewise, Attorney General Kris Mayes said on X that she contacted ICE for answers on Hermosillo’s detention.
“It is wholly unacceptable to wrongfully detain US citizens,” said Mayes.
Mayes’ post was issued about an hour after DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement detailing Hermosillio’s false confession of illegal immigration, and Hobbs’ post was issued hours after DHS released the sworn affidavit revealing Hermosillo’s remarks pertaining to his citizenship.
A court dismissed Hermosillo’s case without prejudice last week.
Hermosillo’s case wasn’t the only false confession of immigration status to make national news this week.
Two college-aged German women claimed they were deported after arriving in Hawaii to begin a trip exploring several states and Costa Rica. DHS dismissed these claims as reported by multiple outlets, revealing the two women were denied entry into the country for admitting their unlawful intention to work in the United States after falsely claiming they were only there to tour California under a Visitor visa and the Visa Waiver Program, respectively.
The response from DHS prompted the New York Post to delete their coverage portraying the women as victims of wrongful detention and deportation.
“Another false narrative. These travelers weren’t deported—they were denied entry after attempting to enter the U.S. under false pretenses,” stated DHS.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
