Thanks to the efforts of state Sen. Gail Griffin (R-Hereford) and others, a bill passed last year that required municipalities to pay $6.3 million to help fund the budget of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) may be repealed.
Senate Bill 1288 seeks to repeal the section of law that authorized the director of ADWR to assess and collect fees from cities and towns.
Bisbee’s city council opposed the action which would have cost $6,945 annually. While cost was one factor, another was why the city should pay ADWR when water is provided through a private company, not the city, as was stated in a meeting held in September last year.
The state legislature cut ADWR’s $7 million budget by $5 million to balance the budget and expected Arizona’s towns and cities to pick up the bill, noted city manager Steve Pauken. While some cities and...
