top of page

CSA Weekly Update (04.24.2026)

  • 32 minutes ago
  • 8 min read

In the April 24th, 2026, edition of the CSA Weekly Update:

Pinal County Supervisor Stephen Q. Miller Appointed to Water Infrastructure Finance Authority Board



Pinal County Supervisor and former CSA President Stephen Q. Miller has been appointed to the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA) Board of Directors. WIFA is an independent state authority that funds water infrastructure projects across Arizona. The Authority manages multiple funding programs to improve water quality, ensure reliable access to safe drinking water, promote conservation and reuse, and expand long-term water supplies. Supervisor Miller, who also serves on the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD) Board brings extensive knowledge of Arizona's water challenges and will serve the state well as a member of the WIFA Board. Congratulations, Supervisor Miller! 

NACo News: Counties Push to Reform Federal Permitting Rules



In 2025, the SPEED Act was introduced in the House Natural Resources Committee in an attempt to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act by setting clearer timelines, reducing duplicative reviews, and limiting prolonged legal challenges. The Act is a bipartisan bill that, in addition to other important provisions, would formally designate counties as “cooperating agencies,” ensuring they have a defined role and early input in environmental reviews helping streamline decision-making while still maintaining environmental protections.


Supervisors from across the country have expressed support for the SPEED Act as well as other permitting reforms, including Yavapai County Supervisor Nikki Check who has been advocating alongside NACo for federal changes to permitting laws. Supervisor Check recently participated on a panel discussing this issue in Washington D.C., the goal of the panel being to promote cooperation between the federal government and county governments to make the most informed permitting and planning decisions possible for a project. Supervisor Check provided insights from her experiences with the transmission line in the Coconino National Forest, which has become a well-discussed topic amongst her constituents, noting: “The county wasn’t at the table, but my constituents were asking me to interject and to try to navigate some of these conversations,” she said. “Had I been there from the beginning of that process, it would have been much easier to identify community concerns, challenges and opportunities as far as the best end results there.” 


For the full article featuring Supervisor Check, please click here.

Discussing Important County Environmental Health Priorities: ACDEHSA Meeting in Phoenix



On April 22, CSA had the pleasure of hosting the Arizona County Directors of Environmental Health Services Association (ACDEHSA) meeting. The meeting covered key county updates and emerging environmental health issues across Arizona. Highlights included a successful US Food and Drug Administration pilot workshop, legislative updates, a 2027 policy planning timeline announcement, as well as a roundtable of ongoing county issues and priorities. The group also received updates from the FDA, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and the Arizona Department of Health Services. Counties shared staffing changes, job opportunities, and local challenges such as nuisance complaints and waste disposal concerns.

We Are Counties: Highlighting Important County Programs





CSA is partnering with AACo and NACo in the We are Counties campaign to highlight the vital work that counties do for Arizonans.

To support this effort, we've created a number of resources to highlight all of the lines of business counties are in to support Arizona including:


Public Lands



As a part of that campaign, join us in celebrating County Government Month in April to share all of the essential services that counties provide. This week, we are highlighting important county programs for Public Lands!


CSA LinkedIn Post & Podcast Episode: 100 Days... And Counting




To view our key Legislative and Budget Priorities, click


To view our document with select county budget touchpoints, click

ACIP Legal Seminar: CSA Presents Legislative Update


On Thursday, April 23rd, CSA provided an update on the 2026 Legislative Session to city and county legal professionals at the 2026 ACIP Legal Practice Seminar in Flagstaff. The update included an overview of the current budget context, remaining items aside from the budget, and bills that has passed or will be passing through the legislature.


April Fiscal Highlights


The Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) recently released their April 2026 monthly fiscal highlights, detailing state General Fund revenue collections through March of 2026. Overall, March 2026 General Fund collections totaled $1.07 billion, representing a (2.4)% decrease over the prior year and generating a forecast loss of $(19) million below the baseline. 


Sales Tax:

Sales tax collections for March, representing February sales activity, have grown by 6.2% over the prior year, representing the fastest growth rate since August of 2024. Total monthly collections of $669.0 million generated a forecast gain of $16.4 million, and fiscal year to date collections have growth by 3.5%. Across the major tax categories, each performed well with positive year-over-year growth rates. Contracting sales grew by 4.0% in March, marking the first year-over-year increase for this category since April of 2025. 



Individual Income Tax:

Net IIT revenues in March were $179.4 million, posting a (12.7)% decline YTD and $(29.5) million below the forecast. Higher levels of refunds more than offset elevated withholding collections to generate the forecast loss for the month. March withholding collections were 7.3% greater than last year, yet refunds increased by 16.9% over the prior year.


Corporate Income Tax:

Net CIT revenues totaled $136.6 million, reflecting 25.6% growth year-over-year and resulting in a $23.8 million forecast gain. This large gain was almost entirely due to lower than projected corporate refunds, which were their lowest amount in the month of March since FY 2022. 


Insurance Premium Tax:

IPT revenues were $146.1 million in March, generating a forecast loss of $(20.4) million


HURF:

HURF collections totaled $163.4 million in March, representing 3.4% growth compared to last year and contributing to a forecast loss of $(0.3) million. YTD, collections have grown by 1.9%. 


Other Indicators:

As of April 1, 2026, the total AHCCCS caseload was 1.73 million members. Total monthly enrollment decreased (0.5)% from the previous month, representing a (10.7)% decline from a year ago. For March 2026, the elderly and physically disabled (EPD) population decreased by (0.1)% over the prior month, representing an (5.3)% decline from a year ago.


The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) saw an (8.9)% decline in participants in February compared to the prior month, with program enrollment down (47.1)% over the prior year. According to ProPublica, this enrollment decline represents the largest decline in the nation by a large margin driven in part by federal changes included in H.R. 1. 


To view the full fiscal highlights, click here.

We're Back! 2026 Annual CSA Sine Die Guess


It's that time of year again: the session has officially passed its 100-day mark! However, the end is not yet in sight as budget negotiations are not yet concluded. With much work left to be done, it's left us wondering when the legislature will conclude its business for 2026.


If you'd like to dust off your legislative crystal ball, try your luck with the Annual CSA Sine Die Guess!


Last year's winner of the Annual CSA Sine Die Guess was Graham County Supervisor Paul David! The submitted guess was for June 20th, meaning Supervisor David was only off by 6 days!


The rules are as follows:

  • We'll only ask for your name, e-mail, and your guess so we can track who responds.

  • Only submit one response per person.

  • Answers will not be accepted after May 8th, so you have two weeks to submit your guess!

  • If two respondents pick the same day, the time will be the tiebreaker.

  • The individual who wins will get kudos in our weekly newsletter (we'll check with you first, otherwise we'll probably just say an anonymous winner, mention your county, and name 2nd place).


Please find the link to the Sine Die Guess form here: The Sine Die Guess #4 (Try and Guess the '26 Sine Die)

Session Timeline: Important Dates  


Last week, the Governor issued a bill moratorium, meaning no bills sent to her by the legislature will be signed. This moratorium is contingent on the legislative majority sending a budget to her office. The Association will provide an update if the Legislature sends a budget to the Governor's desk in the coming weeks.


The 100th day of session passed on Tuesday, April 21st; however, with no budget in sight, the legislature is not likely to sine die on the predicted date of Saturday, April 25th.


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:



Where to Watch: Upcoming Live Proceedings 


The Legislative Session has reached a critical point in the session timeline. Committees are no longer meeting as last Tuesday. As such, any action taken from this point forward will be on the floor, in Rules, or in Caucus. These agendas typically are not released until the day before, so predictability becomes more difficult. As such, rather than updating on the next week's action, we will be updating you on where to find agendas as they become available.


To see the full legislative calendar, click here.


To see live proceedings, click here.


To see archived meetings, click here.


NACo’s AI Leadership Academy


Lead Your County into the AI Future


The question isn't whether AI is coming to your county—it's how effectively you will lead the transition.


Join the next NACo AI Leadership Academy cohort starting May 11th. This program moves past the hype, giving you the practical tools to navigate risks and implement technology successfully.


Master the Pillars of Modern Leadership:

  • Innovation: Empower your staff to explore new technological frontiers.

  • Collaboration: Build cross-functional teams for seamless implementation.

  • Strategy: Align tech investments with your organization's specific needs.

  • Equity: Ensure new initiatives benefit all employees and residents.


Enrollment & Exclusive Discounts

Maximize your budget by enrolling your entire team.

  • Individual Price: $1,000

  • Team Discount: $750 per person (for groups of two or more)



Lifelong Learning: Upcoming NACo Webinars


Lowering Records Request Costs: Practical Tactics for Local Governments

Tuesday, April 28, 2026; 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. ET


Effectively managing public records requests is crucial for controlling operational expenses and ensuring compliance. This webinar identifies key cost drivers in public records request management and provides strategies to minimize manual processing, control costs, and mitigate legal risks. Gain strategic insights from state and local government and discover how centralized technology solutions can drive operational efficiency. 


Attendees will learn: 

  • How to identify and address the primary cost drivers of public records requests

  • Proven strategies to reduce manual processing and improve efficiency

  • Best practices for avoiding costly litigation and ensuring compliance

  • Key takeaways and learnings from real-world government examples

  • Opportunities for cost recovery where allowed by law

  • The strategic benefits of implementing a centralized technology platform to streamline public records management


Join Matt Russell, Granicus Account Executive, who is passionate about helping state and local governments drive innovation in public records efficiency and compliance. 

Register today to secure your spot! 


To register, click here


2026 Western Interstate Region (WIR) Conference

May 5 – 8, 2026; Maui County, Hawai’i


The NACo Western Interstate Region (WIR) Conference brings together county officials from across the nation to focus on pressing issues facing Western counties and our residents.


Each year the conference is hosted by a county within the seventeen Western states – Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai’i, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming – and provides attendees with the opportunity to interact with federal, state and regional policymakers, participate in educational sessions and take home tools to address challenges.


This year, Maui County will host county leaders in disaster-focused workshops and tours emphasizing response, recovery and resilience.


bottom of page