by Staff Reporter | Oct 19, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Pima County voters will decide on Election Day in November whether to increase the spending cap by 75%, from $817 million to more than $1.4 billion.
Proposition 425 would increase the county’s permanent base, or expenditure, limit that aids in calculating the county’s spending limit under state law.
Arizona law requires all counties, cities, and towns to limit how much local revenue may be spent. Counties and municipalities calculate expenditure limits by multiplying the amount spent in fiscal year 1979-80 by the estimated growth in population and a measure of inflation.
The county spent $1.8 billion and accrued a revenue of $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2026-2027. Estimates from the county show that it has utilized at or near 100% of its expenditure limit since 2001.
The county FAQ page states that the approval of Proposition 425 would add $70 million to its 1979-80 expenditure base. As noted by Scott Day Freeman, an attorney with the Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based public policy and litigation firm, the $70 million was based on 1980 dollars rather than 2026 dollars.
According to the ballot language, the $70 million is actually more than $610 million when adjusting each future year for population and inflation growth since 1980.
In the proposition, the county stated that it doesn’t anticipate approaching full utilization of the increased expenditure limit for another 20 years at least.
Pima County Supervisor Rex Scott told KOLD that the county will continue to run out its expenditure limit in the years to come. Scott said that the expenditure limit by design has failed to keep up with modern budgeting needs.
“What we know from looking at our own expenditure and revenue projections is that we’re going to bump up against that expenditure limit in the next two to three years,” said Scott.
The county also stated that the spending cap increase would not authorize any new tax or raise any existing tax, and would be allowing the county to spend existent revenue that it cannot legally touch.
Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy told The Center Square that he had concerns with how the board plans to spend the money, which he called a “blank check,” if the proposition is approved. Christy said he believes the board has failed to target spending on “core foundational matters,” citing infrastructure, road repair, public transportation, and public safety.
“They want to have the ability and flexibility to spend more money by removing these cap restrictions,” said Christy.
Some citizens believe the county’s ask is too great.
A coalition of these citizens formed the bipartisan “No on Prop 425” campaign to try to dissuade voters from approving an expenditure limit increase. The campaign’s co-chairs, State Sen. Sally Gonzales (LD-20), a Democrat, and Jay Tolkhoff, a former Republican candidate for Tucson City Council, believe the spending cap increase is too large.
Despite what the county promised, Tolkhoff said he worries the increase would eventually cause property taxes to be raised.
“They can say, you know, no taxes,” said Tolkhoff. “You start spending more money; that money’s going to come from some place, and it’s going to come from higher property taxes.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 4, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover attempted to secure a plea deal that would have allowed an accused murderer to walk free based on time served.
65-year-old Blain Beckham is charged with the 2019 murder of 71-year-old Fernando Broyles. Broyles was found deceased in his home by a neighbor, bludgeoned to death by a claw hammer.
A judge rejected the plea deal during a hearing on Monday.
Broyles’ sister Yolanda Broyles-Gonzales called the plea deal “outrageous” in an interview with KVOA and expressed gratitude for the judge’s decision.
“We are grateful that justice is working at this time,” said Broyles-Gonzalez. “It’s not over yet, but at least this outrageous plea deal is off the table.”
Broyles had invited Beckham to stay in his home, something Broyles-Gonzales told KVOA that her brother often did for the homeless and those down on their luck.
“My brother was a good Samaritan. Take in the stranger, feed the poor, provide shelter for those who were in need of shelter,” said Broyles-Gonzales. “If you see a hardened criminal getting a light sentence for having killed a good Samaritan, I think the rest of the community would think twice before doing good deeds because they say this is what can happen.”
Beckham may either accept the judge’s decision on the plea deal or request another judge to reconsider the plea deal at his next hearing scheduled in about two weeks.
Beckham has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple past instances of assault over the past decade and failure to register as a sex offender.
Earlier this summer, Conover successfully implemented another controversial plea deal when her office arranged for a nurse charged with sexually abusing a female patient to serve 30 days in jail and three years of probation.
48-year-old Jadd Sarah, former nurse with the Banner Health University Medical Center in Tucson, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a female patient who was incapacitated from seizures in February.
Records reflect that footage shows Sarah entering the patient’s room and sexually abusing her. A probable cause statement said that the patient appeared to have a seizure as Sarah abused her — even then, Sarah did not stop the sexual contact.
Sarah originally faced multiple charges in addition to sexual abuse, including aggravated assault. Altogether, the sentencing range for those charges would have been six months to more than two years in prison.
Conover defended the plea deal in a video interview with KOLD, saying that Sarah didn’t sexually abuse the patient so much as commit the sort of “unwanted touching” that might occur in a place like a bar.
“It sounded like a sex assault had occurred, a rape, a molestation — and this was a touching,” said Conover. “I’m not minimizing this, but I think, you know, unfortunately in the world women are living in, I think it’s happening like in every bar across America every night. Like unwanted brief touching. Totally unacceptable, but you can see how if we had taken him to trial and we convicted him, maybe a six-month sentence for improper touching, and then he’s free to go about his life after that.”
Conover conceded that Sarah may have faced more time if they had taken the case to trial, but that the plea deal arrangement was better because Sarah would have long-term oversight through the probation process and was made to give up his nursing license.
Sarah may reapply for his nursing license in three years, though the county attorney’s office stated that Sarah promised in writing and to a judge that he would never work in the medical field again.
Conover later issued a statement saying that the arrangement of the plea deal ensured “a lifetime of community protection” from Sarah.
“Our highly experienced veteran team of special victims prosecutors ensured that the plea agreement would protect our community from this individual ever serving in the medical profession again,” said Conover. “[W]e traded one month for six months and negotiated a complete withdrawal from the medical field altogether to protect future patients for years to come.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 3, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A progressive advocacy group plans to host election crisis training in Arizona less than a week before Election Day.
Interfaith Alliance planned stops for Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson in its “The Vote Is Sacred Tour,” a series of events across Arizona and 14 other states slated to begin the first week of October.
The Arizona Republican Party’s Latino group brought attention to the organization’s planned activities, alleging that “partisan operatives” were gathering “to rehearse election disruption.”
The Phoenix event is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27; the Tucson event is scheduled for Thursday, October 29; and the Flagstaff event is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3.
The organization says the events are intended to provide voter education on ballot items, voter registration, and funds to local activists, in addition to providing a “trained, peaceful presence at the polls and crisis-ready communities.”
An election crisis scenario planning toolkit provided by the organization, in partnership with Protect Democracy, floated six sample scenarios occurring during early voting and on Election Day concerning ICE operations, President Donald Trump invoking the Insurrection Act or declaring premature victory in races, right-wing claims of foreign interference and unverified ballots, and federal takeover of election operations.
One scenario proposes that in mid-October a posted video of a faith leader being violently arrested sparks nationwide protests, resulting in the Trump administration federalizing the National Guard and filing federal criminal charges against pro-migrant organization leaders partnering in election advocacy work.
Interfaith Alliance reported that it selected the location for each of the trainings based on the “2026 Election Risk Heat Map” by the Voting Rights Lab. Arizona was ranked as 87 out of 100 for election risk, with Maricopa County ranked as 100 out of 100 for election risk and Pima County ranked as 90 out of 100 for election risk.
The risk index reportedly measures counties for “close contests, bad actors, and systemic weaknesses.”
The organization previously held a similar tour during the 2024 election across six states.
Interfaith Alliance scheduled a kick-off of this latest tour with a No Kings-affiliated event on Wednesday.
Several key members of the organization have held prominent roles within Democratic presidential administrations and the party.
Maggie Siddiqi, the senior advisor for the organization, held a directorship within the Biden administration’s Education Department. Siddiqi advised former Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on religious freedom issues and led efforts to address antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Derrick Harkins, board member, was the Democratic National Committee’s director of interfaith outreach, a faith leader for former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, and faith leader for the Biden administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Jake Siewert, board member, was the White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton and counselor to the secretary of the treasury under Obama.
Interfaith Alliance began with seed funding from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 1994.
Since then, its foundation has grown to pull in millions every year: around $1 to $3 million annually since 2011. Its schedule of contributors isn’t public, though some contributors have named the nonprofit in their tax filings, including the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, which gave $1 million in 2024; Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc., which gave $300,000 in 2023; the Rockefeller Family Foundation, which gave $170,000 between 2022 and 2024; and the William B. Wiener Jr. Foundation, which gave $80,000 between 2018 and 2019.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Oct 1, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Goldwater Institute is demanding that Pima County rescind its 120-day moratorium on new data center development, arguing that the county has failed to meet Arizona’s legal requirements for suspending otherwise lawful development and could face property rights claims.
Goldwater announced the demand earlier this week, following a letter sent to county leaders. Its challenge focuses on the evidence supporting the moratorium and whether existing regulations could address the county’s concerns.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors approved Resolution 2026-56 on Sept. 22, imposing the pause while officials develop new zoning requirements for data centers.
The measure passed 3-2, with Supervisors Steve Christy and Rex Scott opposed. Before approval, supervisors amended the measure to apply to development for which permit applications had not yet been submitted.
“Arizona law only allows moratoria if there’s strong evidence of an imminent risk to the public,” Goldwater Institute Vice President for Litigation Jon Riches said. “It does not allow the county to freeze otherwise lawful property uses just because county leaders want more time to consider new rules.”
Under A.R.S. § 11-833, counties must provide public notice, hold a hearing, and make written findings before imposing a development moratorium. Goldwater’s challenge centers on the statute’s compelling-need standard, defined as “a clear and imminent danger to the health and safety of the public,” and additional requirements governing rural land, which the statute defines to include unincorporated county property.
In its letter to the board, Goldwater argues that the county has not demonstrated an essential public facilities shortage and cannot establish the compelling need required under the alternative provision.
Goldwater also contends that the county has failed to show why existing regulations cannot prevent irrevocable public harm, why alternative approaches would be inadequate, or why the moratorium is sufficiently limited geographically.
Much of the dispute centers on the county’s August public health review. The review identifies potential effects involving air quality, water use, noise, heat, and other conditions, while acknowledging a lack of direct empirical evidence measuring health effects in communities near data centers.
The review stated, “Overall, this report emphasizes the need for site-specific data, fenceline monitoring, and equity-centered impact assessments on any proposed data center projects. It also highlights a critical limitation due to an evidence gap: current literature provides modeled environmental exposures but highlights the lack of direct empirical evidence on health impact in communities near data centers, underscoring the importance of proactive monitoring and mitigation if development proceeds.”
In an accompanying Aug. 26 memorandum, County Administrator Jan Lesher cautioned that the review should not be read as a prediction that data center development would produce specific adverse health outcomes. The memorandum calls for additional project-specific information and describes the framework as a tool for monitoring, evaluation, and potential mitigation.
Goldwater argues those limitations undermine the county’s justification for suspending development.
County Board Chair Jennifer Allen disputed that interpretation. Allen said Goldwater was misconstruing the health framework’s role and maintained that the county had evidence supporting a moratorium consistent with state law.
The county’s agenda materials cite concerns about emissions, water scarcity, energy reliability, noise, and heat. They describe the pause as time for an accelerated zoning code amendment process.
Goldwater also raised potential compensation claims under Arizona’s Private Property Rights Protection Act. A.R.S. § 12-1134 provides for compensation when a land use law enacted after an owner acquired property reduces existing property use rights and the property’s fair market value, subject to statutory exemptions. The statute includes exemptions, including for health and safety protections, and places the burden of establishing an exemption on the government.
Riches said that Goldwater would consider representing an affected property owner but did not yet have a case.
Goldwater argues the county cannot establish that exemption here and warns that affected property owners could challenge the moratorium and seek compensation.
“There may be legitimate concerns about infrastructure and resources from the construction of data centers—as with any other development—but these can be addressed through clear, generally applicable rules that apply consistently to similar land uses,” Riches said. “What Pima County cannot do is arbitrarily ignore, pause, or trample on property rights.”
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 Staff Reporter | Sep 12, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Pima County and the city of Tucson have entered an agreement to use nearly $1 million in federal funds to provide legal services to those facing evictions.
The council approved the initiative as part of the consent agenda during their regular meeting on Wednesday.
Up to 250 households at risk of eviction may receive legal services through Pima County’s Emergency Eviction Legal Services (EELS) as set forth by an intergovernmental agreement with Pima County. The agreement has a retroactive start date of July 1, 2026.
EELS will rely on $976,399 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Those funds may also cover short-term financial assistance and utility assistance, with the county targeting four neighborhoods with high concentrations of manufactured housing when allocating the funds.
These HUD funds are part of a larger $11.5 million Community Development Block Grant awarded to the city of Tucson through the Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE), a program launched in December 2024 under the Biden-Harris administration.
While HUD primarily marketed the PRICE program as financial assistance for manufactured housing repair and accessibility, the agency also allowed for funds to go to other services like eviction prevention, housing counseling, and planning activities for transitioning to resident-managed communities. HUD awarded a total of $225 million to 17 applicants, including the city of Tucson, in an announcement last April.
EELS began in March 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pima County Board of Supervisors ordered allocation of federal pandemic relief funds to provide free legal services to residents facing eviction.
Per its latest report covering fiscal years 2022-2023, Pima County EELS reported providing services to 6,000 households from 2021 through 2023: 2,048 residents received free legal services and 2,308 rent-assistance payments were made to landlords.
Pima County EELS exhausted its pandemic-relief funds in 2024. With the HUD grant, Pima County has replenished the EELS coffers with more federal funding of a different sort.
According to the intergovernmental agreement establishing the resurrected version of EELS, Pima County will submit a monthly invoice for reimbursement of costs containing a summary report of expenditures by budget line item.
As reported last month, the city of Phoenix is also exploring pathways to continue with their provision of free legal services to residents facing eviction. The city has so far relied on approximately $1.2 million in federal pandemic funds to pilot the Eviction Legal Services program, which is anticipated to continue through June 2027.
The city has also been distributing $3 million in emergency financial assistance since earlier this summer. Certain residents are eligible to receive up to $2,500, which may be spent on a variety of “needs” that city staff loosely define as anything from utilities, rent, and transportation to continuing education or work credentials.
Other counties currently provide similar eviction prevention services rooted in financial aid: Coconino, Gila, and Maricopa counties provide programs to provide funding help for rent and utilities.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
