by Matthew Holloway | Aug 23, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressman Eli Crane announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), under President Trump, is offering low-interest federal disaster loans to help businesses, nonprofits, and tribal nations recover from the devastating 2025 wildfires. The loans respond to the Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires, which scorched the Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Kaibab Plateau in Northern Arizona.
The federal disaster declaration, issued by the SBA on August 13th, covers the Arizona counties of Coconino, Gila, Mohave, Navajo, and Yavapai, as well as the tribal nations of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, Havasupai Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.
According to a press release from the SBA, “The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for businesses and 3.625% for PNPs with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.”
The administration clarified that the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) is available to eligible businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. However, the administration noted it is “unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.”
The SBA explained that the purpose of the loans is “for working capital needs caused by the disaster, and are available even if the business did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.”
As of this report, the Dragon Bravo fire has burned over 145,000 acres and is 62% contained. It has cut a swath of destruction from the north rim of the Grand Canyon northward along both sides of Arizona State Route 67 for about 12 miles and then along the east side of the State Route for nearly another twenty miles, leaving a scar almost 16 miles wide at its widest point.
The White Sage fire has burned nearly 59,000 acres and is 95% contained after spreading in a widening eastward arc from White Sage flat through the Kaibab National Forest toward Coyote Valley.
In July, Governor Katie Hobbs met with Trump administration officials, including Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, to coordinate with federal authorities on the Dragon Bravo wildfire, days after Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ09) joined a growing bipartisan coalition of Arizona leaders calling for an investigation into it. The fire claimed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge along with 50-80 other structures in the area in mid-July.
For more information about the SBA EID loans or to apply, please click here, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
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 | Aug 3, 2025 | Economy, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
As Arizona counties finalize their budgets for Fiscal Year 2026, the majority are preparing to raise property taxes, with 11 of the state’s 15 counties proposing increases totaling nearly $54.8 million, according to the Arizona Tax Research Association’s (ATRA) July 2025 newsletter. The moves come amid population growth, infrastructure demands, and rising costs, but they have also triggered requirements under Arizona’s Truth in Taxation (TNT) law aimed at ensuring transparency.
ATRA’s analysis reveals that under state law, primary property taxes — which fund the general operations of county governments — are subject to TNT provisions. These rules require counties to notify taxpayers if their proposed tax levy exceeds the previous year’s amount, excluding new construction. Notifications must be published in newspapers of general circulation, and a public hearing must be held before any vote to approve the increase.
TNT also applies to some countywide special taxing districts, including those for libraries, flood control, and public health. While counties are allowed to raise taxes up to a constitutional limit — 2% above the previous year’s levy, plus new construction — only Apache and Coconino counties currently tax at that maximum level.
According to ATRA, of the counties planning tax hikes, Pima County stands out with the largest proposed increase: $33 million. This includes a nearly 25-cent hike in the primary property tax rate above TNT limits. Pima is also planning to exceed TNT thresholds for both its flood control and library districts.
Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous, is proposing its first primary property tax increase in five years — not by changing the rate, but by holding it steady. Due to growth in the tax base, this would still result in a $12.5 million increase, exclusive of new construction.
In Coconino County, library district taxes are slated to rise 11.5% over TNT, generating approximately $780,000 in additional revenue. The county also plans to levy the maximum amounts for its primary property tax, as well as for its flood control and public health districts. Altogether, Coconino’s tax increase would total around $1.8 million.
Mohave County is eyeing a 7% increase in primary property taxes, which would raise about $3.2 million. Four counties — Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, and Pinal — have opted not to increase property taxes this fiscal year, bucking the statewide trend.
County officials say the proposed increases are necessary to sustain essential public services amid rising costs and growing populations. Still, the hikes are expected to generate scrutiny from taxpayers, especially in counties proposing large percentage increases or exceeding TNT thresholds.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 19, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
A quiet battle has been raging over the groundwater of the Hualapai Basin between Arizona State Representative John Gillette (R-LD30) and Mohave County Board of Supervisors Chairman Travis Lingenfelter.
Gillette has alleged that Lingenfelter enjoys the support of Governor Katie Hobbs, and High Ground, LLC., a firm “closely tied to the Walton Family Foundation and Environmental Defense Fund.”
In an email to AZ Free News, Rep. Gillette stated that Lingenfelter “has ‘cozied up’ with Governor Hobbs and High Ground, LLC., not by joining their party, but by aligning on a policy platform that places rural water in the hands of the Governor. He has advocated for several of the leftists’ water bills that trample the rights of property owners.”
The controversy appears to have arisen around the Final Assessment of the Hualapai Basin Water Data Integrity issued by Gillette to fellow legislators and third-party reviewers, which was allegedly made public by Lingenfelter in a May 8, 2025, formal rebuttal.
In his final assessment, Gillette wrote, “After continued research, legislative engagement, and review of both historical and current data, my original 2021 assessment of the Hualapai Basin water situation remains valid. The data presented by the City of Kingman and Mohave County remains suspect, with indications of overstatement used to drive political narratives and policy agendas.”
In the assessment, which Rep. Gillette asserted was reviewed by “three independent scientific and policy bodies prior to publication,” he found:
- The Hualapai Basin has enough groundwater storage to supply the region for 100–300+ years, even under heavy usage.
- Forecast models were based on worst-case pumping assumptions and should not be used to justify alarmist policy actions.
- Recharge estimates, storage volumes, and historical withdrawal rates all point to significant long-term water availability.
- The City of Kingman and Mohave County appear to have overstated risks—possibly to justify control over water rights or block agricultural competitors.
In the formal rebuttal dated May 8th, Lingenfelter addressed Gillette and claimed, “Your letter unfortunately contains a series of flawed assumptions, technical inaccuracies, and mischaracterizations that misinform rather than advance the public dialogue around long-term rural groundwater sustainability in Mohave County.”
He added, “Your letter asserts that data presented by Mohave County and the City of Kingman remains ‘suspect’ and ‘politically compromised.’ Such a characterization is categorically false and impugns the reputations of Mohave County, City of Kingman, and credentialed hydrologists at the ADWR and USGS and the public they serve.”
Responding to Lingenfelter’s rebuke in a formal response on May 16th, Gillette wrote, “While I welcome constructive dialogue, your letter reflects a degree of emotional overreach rather than a calm, scientific response to the concerns raised. Unfortunately, it reveals more about political defensiveness than about data transparency or hydrological best practice.”
Responding to critiques of the assessment’s findings Gillette wrote, “The assessment I authored was reviewed by three independent scientific and policy bodies prior to publication. All concluded that the findings were as accurate as possible given available data. I welcome peer review. What I reject is politically motivated resistance to scrutiny. As further evidence of bias, it should be noted that the ‘comparison document’ you reference—submitted by your team only days after my final assessment—contains several confirmations of my position.”
Rep. Gillette pushed back on Lingenfelter’s assertions based on the MODFLOW-NWT model from the U.S. Geological Survey and its 75,586 adjustable parameters writing, “As any trained analyst knows, such complexity magnifies sensitivity. Even small changes in assumptions—especially politically influenced assumptions—can result in dramatic shifts in outcome. Your confidence in the model would carry more weight if you supported my proposal to recalibrate baseline figures using 15 new field test sites with controlled, non manipulated measurement inputs. This is the kind of ground-truth methodology science demands. Strangely, your rebuttal ignores this recommendation entirely.”
He further strongly criticized the veto of a bill to cap irrigation on an irrigation non-expansion area (INA) by Governor Katie Hobbs, saying the veto “executed without explanation—is further evidence that political goals are outweighing scientific governance.”
AZ Free News reached out to Supervisor Lingenfelter for a comment and received the following reply:
Thank you for reaching out. I am not aware of any dispute or controversy between the Mohave County District 1 Office and Representative Gillette’s Office as you phrase it. As Mohave County Supervisor for District 1, I have served as Mohave County’s lead on water issues for the past five years, and was actively involved in our local water policy advocacy during my prior four years on the Kingman City Council.
My responsibility is to represent the shared, official position of both Mohave County and the City of Kingman, guided by the most accurate and credible data and hydrological modeling available, based on a multi-year, science-based partnership between Mohave County, the City of Kingman, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS)—an independent agency with a long-standing reputation for being the gold standard of scientific water modeling.
The ‘Final Assessment of the Hualapai Basin Water Data Integrity’ issued by Rep. Gillette is his office’s interpretation. The County and City remain firmly grounded and unified in the professional peer-reviewed science and long-term hydrological data and modeling that have guided our efforts to protect rural groundwater and ensure sustainable water use for future generations.
As always, Mohave County, City of Kingman, and USGS look forward to jointly collaborating with all legislators on our water issues on behalf of our rural communities.”
Based upon his team’s findings, Rep. Gillette has announced his intention to pursue “a stand-alone Hualapai Basin bill—developed outside of executive influence—that reflects the data as it exists, not as it is manipulated.”
Editor’s Note: Following the filing of this report, AZ Free News was contacted by Nick Ponder, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs of HighGround Public Affairs. Mr. Ponder provided the ’Analysis of Water Constraints and Economic Growth,’ a report prepared for Mohave County by Rounds Consulting Group, and the formal rebuttal issued on May 8th by Chairman Lingenfelter to Rep. Gillette with the note: “The County, City, and USGS have been very transparent in the processes and data used in determining the water situation in the Hualapai Valley Basin. The letter and the attached analysis should reflect that robust and transparent process.”
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 16, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, House Speaker Steve Montenegro, and State Treasure Kimberly Yee are continuing a legal battle against the administration of former President Joe Biden and his surrogate, Attorney General Kris Mayes to defeat what they say is an “unlawful, dictator-style land grab in northern Arizona.”
The lawsuit, currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, centers around the confiscation of a massive tract of Arizona land in Coconino and Mohave Counties which bans “the productive use of almost 1 million acres in northern Arizona,” and “permanently entombs one of the nation’s largest and highest-grade uranium deposits,” in addition to forbidding any road or infrastructure development in “an area the size of Rhode Island,” according to a legal brief submitted Wednesday.
The Biden White House, via Presidential Proclamation launched this audacious expropriation of Arizona land in August 2023 under the color of the Antiquities Act, creating “the Ancestral Footprints Monument.” In February 2024, Petersen launched a lawsuit to stop him.
“Former President Joe Biden and his army of radical bureaucrats abused their constitutional authority on countless levels during his failed administration. Their infatuation with locking up federal lands from productive uses is a prime example of the harm inflicted on states like Arizona,” said Petersen. “As we have argued throughout this case, Biden’s maneuver had nothing to do with protecting actual artifacts. This was an attempt to halt all mining, ranching, and other local uses of federal lands that are critical to our energy independence from adversary foreign nations, our food supply, and the strength of our economy. Republicans in the Arizona Legislature will continue to fight these actions to free our state from the grasp radical environmentalists had over the previous administration. Thankfully, we now have President Donald J. Trump in office, who has a consistent track record of safeguarding state sovereignty and promoting common-sense uses of federal land. I am continuing to work with his administration in an effort to end this legal battle.”
As Petersen and his legal team point out to the court, the unlawful seizure by the Biden administration stood in direct violation of the 1909 Antiquities Act. It uses as a basis given that a president is only empowered to reserve “the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.”
In a press release, the Republican group said the coalition assembled to oppose Biden’s act of illegal seizure asserts that Biden failed to follow the law, “and the guardrails Congress established to create a check on the president’s power were violated.”
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 | Jan 14, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
A new study based on FBI crime data has identified the areas most afflicted by crime in the state of Arizona and found Mohave County to be a crime hotspot.
According to the research by Suzuki Law, through analysis of crime rates per 100,000 residents in each county’s jurisdiction, Mohave County ranked highest followed by Pima and Yuma Counties, La Paz County, and finally Maricopa County rounding out the top five.
The report found:
- “Mohave County holds the top place with a total crime score of 99.54. Its monthly average property crime rate is 167.9 per 100,000 residents, about 121% above the statewide average of 76.1. The county has a violent crime rate of 108.5, roughly 74% higher than the statewide average of 62.2.
- Pima County follows in second place with a total crime score of 88.27. The average monthly property crime rate stands at 168.2 per 100,000, the highest among all counties in Arizona. On the other hand, the county’s violent crime rate of 83.7 is 35% above the statewide average of 62.2.
- Coming in third, Yuma County has a crime score of 86.86. Its average monthly property crime rate of 124.0 per 100,000 is nearly 63% above Arizona’s average. Yuma County has the highest violent crime rate in Arizona, at 109.3. This is around 76% higher than the statewide average of 62.2.
- La Paz County ranks fourth with a crime score of 79.43. Here, the monthly property crime rate is 140.5 per 100,000, about 85% more than the state average of 76.1, and the violent crime rate of 82.3 is 32% above the state average of 62.2.”
A spokesman for Suzuki Law commented on the clear disparity favoring crimes against property saying, “The data indicates that property crimes are a major issue in Arizona, especially in counties like Mohave, Pima, and Yuma. While all types of crime have serious implications for community safety, the prevalence of property offenses in these counties demands focused attention from law enforcement and policymakers.”
Maricopa County, despite the obvious handicap of having the largest population by far, ranked relatively low at fifth place with an property crime rate of 105.6 per 100,000, about 39% higher than the state average of 76.1 and with violent crime at 71.3 or about 15% over the state average of 62.2.
In the top ten ranking, five counties are notably absent: Pinal, Apache, Graham, Navajo and Santa Cruz.
Top 10 Arizona Counties by Overall Crime Rate Score
1. Mohave County — 99.54
2. Pima County — 88.27
3. Yuma County — 86.86
4. La Paz County — 79.43
5. Maricopa County — 63.99
6. Gila County — 61.62
7. Yavapai County — 54.10
8. Cochise County — 46.21
9. Greenlee County — 43.20
10. Coconino County — 39.08
The law firm suggested that the installation of proactive security measures are among the most effective deterrents but stressed the need for legal assistance for victims. “Installing home security systems is one of the most effective ways to protect your property, with studies showing it can reduce burglary risks by up to 60%.” The attorneys also called for personal vigilance, situational awareness, and the avoidance of high crime areas.
Community-led initiatives are also valuable. “Neighborhood watch programs have proven to reduce crime rates by 16% in participating areas,” they observed.
The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office was contacted to comment on this report but did not reply by the publication deadline.
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.
