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Prop. 108 may not save cities from shared revenue punishment
The complex formula that provides Arizona cities with a portion of the state’s tax revenues is nominally protected by a provision in the state Constitution requiring a two-thirds vote for the Legislature to tamper with it.
New laws help speeders and landlords, restrict cities and towns
Gov. Doug Ducey has signed bills into law that will give speeders twice as many chances to neutralize their tickets; take away the ability of cities and counties to regulate plastic bag use and grant landlords new rights to kick out the guests of tenants.
Bills move lifting city powers to dictate vegetation and restricting marijuana grow ops
Action from yesterday’s legislative session included passage of bills disallowing cities to dictate to developers what kind of plants they have to install; restricting marijuana cultivation facilities from neighborhoods and allowing businesses to publish public notices on a a website.
Committee passes bill taking away rent taxing ability from cities
State lawmakers took the first steps Monday to strip cities of their ability to tax rents on homes and apartments.
AZ lawmaker seeks to bar cities from prohibiting chickens in backyards
CHANDLER – In Denise Phillips’ 1-acre backyard, 11 chickens are tucked away in a corner coop, and 4-year-old Phoebe Brethower is beyond excited to play with them.
Stanton: Cities can’t wait for federal help for transportation projects
Cities can’t wait for new federal funding and updated policies needed to advance transportation projects, Mayor Greg Stanton told officials from around the country Monday.
Brewer, league compromise on sales tax reform, but still no deal
Gov. Jan Brewer made a major concession to her transaction privilege tax reform bill that eliminates the most contentious provision, but that wasn’t enough to get the League of Arizona Cities and Towns on board.
With a legal challenge pending, consolidated elections still isn’t a sure thing
Although cities are concerned about how they will comply with the changes resulting from consolidated elections, all the worry may be for naught, at least for charter cities, if a legal challenge against the law is successful.
Fixes for consolidated elections stall, leaving cities in dark about when to hold elections
When voters in Tucson and Phoenix went to the polls to elect their mayors in 2011, voters elected them for four years. But a bill passed last year by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jan Brewer may extend the mayors’ time in office by a year. Or it may shorten their terms by a year. Nobody is sure which one it will be.
Tax simplification should not hurt cities
The East Valley Partnership recognizes the need to streamline and improve our state’s tax system. That is why we support the major tenets of Gov. Jan Brewer’s plan to reform Arizona’s Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) that is currently burdensome for businesses and puts local merchants at a disadvantage to out-of-state Internet retailers.
Time to come to agreement on TPT reform
One of the most controversial bills in this year’s legislative session is HB2657, TPT reform. The TPT (Transaction Privilege Tax) is Arizona’s sales tax program, and it has been more than 80 years in the making. Last year, Gov. Jan Brewer appointed a task force to examine ways to make the system simpler for businesses to comply with.
Mesa mayor says lifting bonds’ tax-exempt status could hurt cities
WASHINGTON – While much of Washington is focused on the impact of Friday’s “sequestration” cuts, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith is worried that a proposed solution to that problem could end up seriously hurting cities.
