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CSA Weekly Update (02.20.2026)

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In the February 20th, 2026, edition of the CSA Weekly Update

Supervisors Meet in Phoenix: February CSA Board of Directors Meeting


On Thursday, February 19th, county supervisors met in Phoenix for the February County Supervisors Association Board of Directors meeting. During this meeting, the CSA staff provided a high-level summary of the recent procurement study that was conducted in collaboration with the Arizona Board of Regents, highlighting key differences between large and small government procurement processes. The meeting also covered current legislative and budget priorities for the counties, noting that all CSA priority legislation passed through their first committees. Additional discussion included ongoing pension reform conversations and a comprehensive review of pending bills for potential action.



Discussing Rural Arizona: February Small County Caucus Meeting


On Wednesday, February 18th, the Small County Caucus met in Phoenix to share a meal and discuss important economic development projects, incoming construction, and other issues of importance to rural Arizona. During Small County Caucus meetings, supervisors have the opportunity to share projects benefiting their communities and get insights from their colleagues on how to proceed with new projects.  Apache County hosted this month's meeting, and CSA President and Apache County Supervisor Alton Joe Shepherd presided over the meeting as Chair. Apache County staff traveled from Apache County to prepare an incredible meal for the attending professional staff and county supervisors.


CSA Learning Series: Emerging Energy Issues - What County Supervisors Need to Know with Salt River Project


On Thursday, February 19th, professional staff from the Salt River Project (SRP) presented to supervisors as a part of the CSA Learning Series. SRP provides water and electricity to more than 1.1 million customers and 2.5 million people across the valley and is navigating significant changes in how power is generated, delivered, and consumed in Arizona. As customer behavior evolves, particularly with the rapid growth of large business users and the data center boom, the traditional flow of energy and long-term utility planning models are evolving. Energy professionals must plan for greater uncertainty across supply, delivery, and demand. Key takeaways highlight the need for increased investment, expansion to support large customers - including potential tripling of certain loads - and a more strategic, forward-looking approach to generation mix and infrastructure development.


County Government Operations: A Letter to State Leadership


Counties are administrative arms of the state, responsible for overseeing providing state-assigned duties and functions at a local level for easier constituent access. State and county leadership have a long history of collaborating on policy that will impact their combined constituency, and as more legislation is introduced every year to adjust provided services that collaborative nature is more vital than ever. Part of that collaboration includes education about how counties function differently than the state.


Please find a letter written to state leadership below detailing information about county governments!


County Storytellers: Inside Pima County with Rex Scott


In this week’s episode of County Storytellers, we’re highlighting Supervisor Rex Scott’s podcast Inside Pima County. In this episode, he sits down with Mike Ortega, Executive Director of the Pima Association of Governments and the Regional Transportation Authority, to break down how regional transportation planning works across Southern Arizona. Their conversation explores funding coordination, voter-approved projects, board oversight, long-term planning, and accountability, while also revisiting the original 2006 RTA plan, project progress and challenges, and key investments in roads, transit, safety, and environmental improvements that shape the region’s future.

New CSA Podcast Episode: Constitutional Expenditure

Limits Explained


This week, we break down what expenditure limits are, why they exist, and the practical implications on county operations. From historical context to modern challenges like workforce pressures and voter-approved adjustments, we explain how these constitutional rules guide—or constrain—the way counties serve their communities.


Wayfair Windfall? How online sales tax revenue measures up against rising county health care costs


Following the Wayfair decision, Arizona counties gained the ability to collect sales tax on online purchases to help support local revenues. Meanwhile, state law requires counties to fund the Arizona Long-Term Care System (ALTCS), with costs rising dramatically in recent years. So just how do Wayfair revenues stack up against mandated healthcare costs?


From FY 2018 to FY 2026, county contributions to ALTCS increased by $145 million, with an additional $40 million projected under the FY 2027 baseline. Comparing ALTCS cost growth from FY 2019 to FY 2026 with Wayfair-related county revenues in FY 2025 shows that annual cost increases equal 102% of total Wayfair revenue. In other words, growth in mandated health care costs alone exceeds the revenue generated from online sales taxes.


From Statehood Forward: Highlighting 1912!


This week’s segment of From Statehood Forward we are highlighting the year of 1912 through Arizona’s early commitment to political equality through Women’s Suffrage, a landmark reform that positioned the state as a national leader in expanding democratic rights. Aswell as Arizona’s constitutional protection of workers through the establishment of Workers’ Compensation, a reform that embedded labor protections directly into the state’s founding framework.


Women’s Suffrage:

  • Article 7, Section 2: Qualifications of voters; disqualification

    • In November 1912, just nine months after Arizona achieved statehood, voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote eight years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment nationwide. Rooted in the principle of “free and equal elections,” this reform reflected Arizona’s progressive spirit and its willingness to expand democratic participation at a time when much of the country had yet to do so.

    • Arizona became one of the first states in the nation to extend full voting rights to women through direct voter approval, reinforcing its strong tradition of citizen-led reform.


Workers’ Compensation:

  • Article 18, Section 8: Workmen's compensation law

    • Adopted as part of the original 1912 Constitution, this provision makes Workers’ Compensation a constitutional right in Arizona. It requires the legislature to maintain a “no-fault” system to ensure that employees injured on the job receive compensation without the burden of proving employer negligence. By constitutionalizing this protection, Arizona demonstrated an early commitment to worker safety and economic security during the height of the Progressive Era.

    • This approach shifted workplace injury disputes away from lengthy court battles and toward a more predictable system of benefits, providing stability for both workers and employers.


For more information about the evolution of Arizona's Constitution, click here!

CSA at the Legislature: CSA Staff Testimony


As the legislative session pushes forward, CSA staff are engaging with the Legislature through meetings with members, communicating with staff, and testifying before committees on issues of importance to county governments.


Association staff and County Supervisors had a busy week testifying on the following bills:  


  • HB 2270: county seal; authority; sheriff's posse (Marshall) (Text)

  • SB 1330: family court; right to jury (Finchem) (Text)

  • HB 2324: fire code; municipalities; county buildings (Kupper) (Text)

  • HB 2292: wildfire prevention authority; fund (Blackman) (Text)

  • SB 1658: legal decision-making; jury trial (Finchem) (Text)

  • HB 2304: appropriations; transportation projects (Biasiucci) (Text)

  • HB 2306: appropriation; Apache county; rural routes (Biasiucci) (Text)

  • HB 2619: technical correction; military affairs (Blackman) (Text)

  • SB 1067: county abatement liens; notice; priority (Rogers) (Text)

  • SB 1825: precinct committeemen; vacancy; application (Farnsworth) (Text)

  • SB 1787: exactions; individualized determinations; appeal (Petersen) (Text)

Committee Meetings: February 23 – 27, 2026


This week, the week of the 16th, was the last week for bills to be heard in committee in their chamber of origin. This last dash to have bills heard in committee contributed to the long agendas we saw this week.


Next week, the week of February 23rd, is known as Crossover Week, which is when the chambers start sending bills through third read and over to the opposite chamber. This is when stakeholders start to see which bills are viable going forward, since bills that do not make it through to the opposite chamber at the end of next week are functionally dead. The only standing committees being held next week are the Appropriations committees, otherwise, the majority of the calendars below are for either Committee of the Whole or Third Read.


Floor agendas are a bit more fluid than committee calendars, so please find the calendar for next week linked here and all live proceedings linked here.

Session Timeline: Important dates and Deadlines


Friday, February 20th is the last chance for a bill to be heard in committee in its chamber of origin. The next major deadline is Friday, February 27th, when Crossover Week ends and any bill that did not progress through committees in their chamber of origin are considered functionally dead. These two weeks are incredibly important to determine which introduced bills are viable for the rest of the legislative session. Though no bill is dead until sine die, a bill that has not progressed out of committee in its original chamber at this point is significantly less likely to be signed into law.


As the 57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session progresses, the Association will continue to provide updates on important deadlines as they pass. Please find additional deadlines linked here as well as listed below:


Lifelong Learning: Upcoming NACo Webinars


2026 NACo Legislative Conference

Feb. 21-24, 2026 


The NACo Legislative Conference brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that matter most to county governments.


Attendees will experience timely, high-impact policy sessions and will interact with executive branch officials, members of Congress and their staff. Read below for highlights from the conference and click here to explore NACo's upcoming events.

 

Location: Washington, D.C.


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