by Matthew Holloway | Dec 16, 2024 | Economy, News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety Funding Committee (PSFC) presented its findings last week and has recommended that it pursue a 20-year extension of the existing voter-approved tax rate of 1/5th of a cent, set to expire in 2027. It also recommended the expansion of various partnerships to address the funding needs of adult and juvenile correctional facilities, correctional healthcare, and other county programs.
According to a press release from the Board of Supervisors, Chairman Jack Sellers said, “Providing for public safety is a core function of our government, and how we fund those efforts should be transparent and open to public feedback. We established the PSFC to ensure a wide range of views are considered as we determine how to prioritize and pay for evolving public safety needs. I’m grateful for the committee’s diligent work and look forward to a thorough review of their recommendations.”
The committee, established in January, conducted a series of public hearings, toured existing jail facilities, and interviewed several figures within the system before brining its recommendations for long-term funding and other changes to several established policies.
The Board of Supervisors largely appeared to concur with the recommendation to extend the funding, with Supervisors Clint Hickman, Bill Gates, and Steve Gallardo voicing support. Hickman said, “The Jail Excise Tax brings in about $300 million in revenue per year and has been an effective way of funding our public safety needs as the county grows, at a low burden to the individual taxpayer.”
He added, “I agree with the committee’s recommendation that an extension of the tax, at the current rate, is the best way to make sure we continue to live in a safe community where people can thrive economically.”
The 165-page report detailed policy recommendations touching “Reentry, Community Services and Coordination, Programming and Courts, Capital, and Data and Long-Term Initiatives.”
The Committee explained:
“In the first category, they suggested pursuing partnerships for crime prevention and reentry, engaging with the state on Medicaid waivers for pre-trial and pre-release individuals, and engaging in efforts to strengthen the behavioral health system.
The second category focused on maintaining funding for probation and diversion programs, upholding treatment standards, coordinating Initial Appearance Hearings with the City of Phoenix, and discussing juvenile placement policies.”
In addition it recommended replacing outdated facilities, improving the county’s Intake, Transfer and Release facility, enhancing security at the Durango campus, and addressing shortages in the county’s correction workforce.
Vice Chairman Thomas Galvin noted, “The PSFC engaged with residents and key stakeholders honestly and openly over the past year, and now with their recommendations, we can move forward in a united manner to keep our streets safe and support our law enforcement officers.
Chaired by John Lewis, the former mayor of Gilbert and CEO of East Valley Partnership, the committee is composed of nine community members from fields ranging from law enforcement, correctional health, criminal justice, government, and business.
As noted by KTAR News, the Board of Supervisors may agree with the extension of the Jail Excise Tax, and could lobby for it, but it has very little choice in the matter. Ultimately Maricopa County cannot place it on the ballot. That power falls to the Arizona Legislature and the sitting governor to pass and sign into law.
Given the past disconnect between the Republican-dominated Arizona Legislature and Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs, it is uncertain how successful any effort to extend an existing tax would be, or how well received it would be by the voters.
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 | Dec 9, 2024 | Economy, News
By Matthew Holloway |
A major infusion of public bond-funded dollars into Arizona’s first “nonprofit Green Bank,” the Sustainable Home Improvement Loans of Arizona (SHILA), was announced last week by the Maricopa County Industrial Development Authority (MCIDA). The MCIDA was appointed by and answerable to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. The $500,000 investment will reportedly be “focused on providing affordable financing solutions for low- and moderate-income homeowners.”
In a press release, Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman said of the decision, “Maricopa County is committed to fostering economic growth and supporting sustainable communities for all residents. By investing in SHILA, we are helping low- and moderate-income homeowners access affordable financing options for energy-efficient improvements that will lower their utility bills, renovate their homes, and improve their overall quality of life.
This partnership not only strengthens our local economy but also contributes to a more resilient and sustainable future for Maricopa County. We are excited to support SHILA’s work and the positive impact it will have in our community.”
SHILA, equipped with the infusion of funds from the MCIDA, will reportedly assist 425 Maricopa County residents with $5 million worth of energy efficiency projects within the next three years. These projects include homeowners upgrading their insulation, roofing, door, window, electrical, and HVAC upgrades to increase energy efficiency with the average project costing $12,000.
Ty Lorts, CEO of SHILA explained, “We are honored to receive this foundational investment from the Maricopa County Industrial Development Authority. With their support, we can start making home improvement financing accessible for families who need it most. This funding will allow SHILA to begin transforming homes across Maricopa County, helping residents access a healthier living environment, lower utility bills, and have a greater quality of life.”
The MCIDA, founded in 1973 was created with the mandate to help “create and maintain jobs within Maricopa County and assists residents of the County to achieve a better standard of living and way of life.” But with a catch: it is to accomplish this with no government money involved. To that end, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ appointed Board of Directors issues revenue bonds which are exempted from Arizona State taxes and, if compliant with IRS code, can also be exempt from federal taxes. Through these bonds, the MCIDA’s projects are funded.
Since its founding, the MCIDA has issued over $12 billion in bonds and invested millions into expanding access to affordable housing.
Speaking with KJZZ, Lorts explained that the nonprofit licensed just six weeks ago is working to help support affordable housing with a different strategy as opposed to predatory lenders or banks with high HELOC and credit card interest rates. “As money gets paid back in, we’re able to grow the business to a point where we don’t need any more outside money; where we are serving the outside community not just over the next five years but over the next five generations,” Lorts said.
“We’re trying to keep people in their homes, so they don’t have to seek alternative housing; so they don’t lose the house they’ve been in for the last 30, 40 years,” he added.
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 Corinne Murdock | Aug 31, 2023 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
On Monday, a federal judge sentenced 64-year-old Mark Rissi to 2.5 years in prison for threats made to a Maricopa County election official and the former attorney general.
Rissi, an Iowa native, issued two separate threats in late 2021 to Maricopa County Board of Supervisors member Clint Hickman and former Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Rissi pleaded guilty to two counts of sending a threatening interstate communication.
Rissi told Hickman in a September 2021 voicemail that he would “lynch” him, and that he was going to die by hanging; months later, Rissi told Brnovich in a December 2021 voicemail that he would hang him as well. Rissi made it clear in both voicemails that he was dissatisfied by how both men were responding to allegations of the theft of the 2020 election from former President Donald Trump.
The DOJ arrested Rissi last October.
Rissi testified that he made the threats while under the influence of sleeping and pain medications he’d taken to mitigate his depression over his mother’s death, which he blamed on the COVID-19 vaccine, and the influence of misinformation regarding the elections process in Arizona. Rissi asked for forgiveness.
Arizona District Judge Dominic Lanza, a Trump appointee and longtime Federalist Society member, handed down Rissi’s sentence. Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys Tanya Senanayake and Sean Lokey prosecuted the case, representing Hickman and Brnovich.
Senanayake has been with the DOJ since 2020 and, prior to that, served as a Federal Election Commission attorney for five years. In 2022, Lokey was named Arizona’s district election officer to oversee election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats, and fraud.
In remarks to the judge, Senanayake said Rissi’s speech represented “threats to democracy.” Senanayake asked for 24 months in prison.
In a statement presented to the court by Senanayake, Brnovich asked for Rissi to be held accountable.
Hickman claimed in an interview with the “Mike Broomhead Show” on KTAR News that he petitioned for a lesser sentence for Rissi. Hickman also claimed that Lanza said he needed to make an example of Rissi.
“I gave the judge the ability to offer mercy and compassion for a guy that should not be spending maybe some of his last years on this earth in a jail cell,” said Hickman. “And I asked for compassion and mercy. The judge heard that and then the judge said, ‘Listen, we have to prove a point. This is the judicial system and punishment needs to be meted out.’”
In a press release, DOJ Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri warned that threats to election officials will be met with significant punishment.
“This sentence makes clear that individuals who illegally threaten election officials and others associated with the electoral process will face meaningful penalties,” said Argentieri. “The Justice Department will diligently investigate and prosecute attempts to illegally threaten, intimidate, and coerce the individuals administering the nation’s free and fair elections.”
Rissi’s case was one of the many under investigation by the DOJ’s Election Threats Task Force. According to a meeting from one year ago, the DOJ was investigating around over 100 cases out of over 1,000 they reviewed.
The DOJ launched the task force in July 2021 under Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
Monaco served as Homeland Security Advisor, Associate Deputy Attorney General, and Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division under former President Barack Obama.
Monaco has worked in the upper ranks of every Democratic presidential administration since former President Bill Clinton. Monaco has served as a research coordinator for the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired at the time by now-President Joe Biden, working on the Violence Against Women Act; legal intern for the White House Counsel’s Office and then counsel to former Attorney General Janet Reno under former President Bill Clinton.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Corinne Murdock | Oct 9, 2022 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
On Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) arrested an Iowa man for allegedly threatening Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman.
64-year old Mark Rissi reportedly told Hickman in a voicemail last September that he was going to lynch and hang him for being a “lying commie” for supporting the results of the 2020 election. Rissi also issued a similar threat to Hickman via a voicemail left with Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s office in December.
“When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie [expletive], you’ll remember that you lied on the [expletive] Bible, you piece of [expletive],” said the voicemail. “You’re gonna die, you piece of [expletive]. We’re going to hang you. We’re going to hang you.”
Although the DOJ press release announcing Rissi’s arrest didn’t identify Hickman as the subject of Rissi’s alleged threats, Hickman spoke out in a press release of his own to thank the DOJ and FBI. However, Hickman said that the DOJ’s actions weren’t enough because there were many other threats made to him, fellow supervisors, Recorder Stephen Richer, and numerous county elections staff.
Hickman also chided Arizonans “in positions of power [and] leadership [and] influence” for being silent.
“I’m speaking out today in hopes that others will follow. Whether it’s a person who shares your politics or your worldview or not, no one should be subjected to this kind of hatred,” stated Hickman. “And if we truly want to keep our country great, we will do everything we can to denounce threats against election workers and combat the disinformation that imperils our democracy.”
Maricopa County took another step to counter election disinformation recently. They launched a disinformation center and limited press access last week to control the narrative and manage the flow of information.
So far, the FBI has taken action against those who issued threats to elected officials critical of the 2020 election audit and claims of fraud. They haven’t made arrests for those threats made to Republican officials supportive of the audit, such as death threats given to Senate President Karen Fann (R-Prescott) and State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R-Scottsdale).
In August, the FBI charged a Missouri man for threatening Richer. In July, they arrested a Massachusetts man for threatening Secretary of State Katie Hobbs.
This latest arrest comes two days after the DOJ briefed 300 election officials and workers on available grant funding for physical election security enhancements, some of which may come from the American Rescue Plan; among those in attendance were election officials and their representatives from Arizona. The DOJ also updated the election officials on their Election Threats Task Force.
That task force, which launched last June, has reviewed over 1,000 contacts reported as hostile or harassing by the election community. The task force reported that only 11 percent of those contacts warranted an investigation. It’s unclear whether the threats faced by those such as Fann and Ugenti-Rita met the DOJ’s threshold.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story listed the arrested man as being from Illinois. The man is from Iowa, and the story has been corrected.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
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