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CSA Weekly Update (05.22.2026)

  • 35 minutes ago
  • 8 min read

On the May 22nd, 2026, edition of the CSA Weekly Update:

Remembering the Fallen on Memorial Day


On Monday, May 25th, the nation honors and remembers those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of the United States. The Association would like to thank all those who've served and given their lives in order to maintain this nation's freedoms.


Recognizing Legislators: Honoring Good Government Award Recipients - Senator Angius, Senator Carroll, Senator Kuby, and Representative Blackman


On May 21st, 2026, the County Supervisors Association Board of Directors recognized legislators who have been champions for county governments this legislative session. As a non-partisan organization, the Association aims to forward legislation that promotes good government across the state. As such, it was the Association's pleasure to present Senator Kuby, Senator Carroll, and Representative Blackman with the 2026 CSA Good Government Award! These legislators were vital in protecting local governments from cost shifts, promoting key legislative priorities, and were always open to hearing from Association staff on important county priorities.


Additionally, the Association would like to highlight the incredible work Senator Angius has done on behalf of the counties since taking office. As a former county supervisor, Senator Angius has been a champion of county governments at the state level. As a thank you for her hard work and dedication, the Association presented Senator Angius with the first ever CSA Outstanding Service Award!



County Leaders Meet in Phoenix: May Board of Directors Meeting


On Thursday, May 21st, the County Supervisors Association Board of Directors met in Phoenix to discuss important administrative matters, receive a presentation about recent superior court proceedings, hear from the Director of the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, receive updates on the current state of the legislative session, and hear from staff on the Association's legislative, budget, and research priorities. Additionally, supervisors heard from their NACo delegates on recent conferences and national priorities. The meeting concluded with a reminder about the 2026 CSA Policy Summit in October, where supervisors will decide on legislative, budget, and research priorities for the 2027 legislative session.


CSA Learning Series: Presentation from Deputy Commissioners Jim Perry and Bill Boyd of the State Land Department


On May 21st, 2026, the County Supervisors Association hosted our monthly learning series, giving county supervisors the opportunity to learn more about state functions, agencies, and departments from experts in the state. For this month's learning series, the Association was grateful to have Deputy Commissioners Jim Perry and Bill Boyd from the State Land Department provide a presentation about their zoning models, funding distribution methods, the auction process, and appropriate state land uses. They also discussed issues the Department is facing such as illegal dumping and trespassing creating public safety concerns. The supervisors asked engaging questions about ongoing projects in their counties and how counties and the Department can continue working together to ensure the best uses for state lands. Thank you Deputy Commissioners Perry and Boyd for joining us and lending your expertise to supervisors and staff!


Presentation from Director Torres: Learning more about the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management


On Thursday, May 21st, 2026, the Director of the Department of Forestry and Fire Management Tom Torres joined county supervisors from across Arizona to provide an update on the upcoming fire season, how the Department handled last year's fires, how they are preparing and using emerging technologies to address fires in the future, and how their achieving their priorities depends on collaboration with local, state, and federal governments. Director Torres discussed ongoing projects within counties for fire suppression and mitigation, how homeowners' insurance is impacted by increased fire risk, and how a recently initiated state task force is addressing fire concerns across the state. Supervisors asked thoughtful questions about how their counties could prepare for increased fire risk and how local governments can continue collaborating with the forest service. Thank you Director Torres for joining us!


Supervisors Discuss Priorities: Small County Caucus Meeting


On Wednesday, May 20th, supervisors from the small county caucus met in Phoenix to share a meal and discuss recent developments in their communities. This discussion included insights into their budget priorities for FY 2027, how recent superior court decisions impact local governments, and different economic development initiatives from renewal of fairgrounds to incoming mining projects. As rural Arizona continues to develop, supervisors have been working with leaders in energy, mining, housing, and economic development to increase services and opportunities in their counties. Additionally, supervisors received an updated about the current status of the state budget and county legislative and budget priorities.


Updates from the State Broadband Director: Medium County Caucus Meeting


On May 21st, 2026, the Association’s Medium County Caucus – led by Chairwoman Lena Fowler (Coconino County) and Vice-Chair Nikki Check (Yavapai County) – met to review recent developments in policy areas of importance, to plan ahead on the caucus’ next meetings, and to review the Association’s policy development timeline. The meeting began with a presentation by Nick Capozzi, the State’s Broadband Director. Director Capozzi noted the state’s long interest in broadband development – beginning with the Rural Broadband Development Grant, continuing with the Middle-Mile Program and the Arizona Broadband Development Grant, and culminating in the nearly $1 billion the state received from the federal government’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Grant.


Director Capozzi shared that, after the Benefit of the Bargain Round, the state will see $967 million of investment - $447 million from the federal government, $520 million in subgrantee match – that will result in more than 7,709 miles of fiber and 160,000 new broadband serviceable locations. Of the technology funded by BEAD dollars, 73% will be fiber, 21% will be fixed wireless, and 6% will be low earth orbit satellite. Director Capozzi shared that the agreements with subgrantees will be signed by summer 2026, with construction to start later in the year. The projects are projected to be completed in 2030.



Podcast Episode - Beyond Concrete: Innovating Flood Control in Pima County


Flood control is one of the many essential services counties provide to protect residents, infrastructure, and local communities. In this episode of Creatures of Statute, we take a closer look at how Pima County is innovating flood control through targeted infrastructure investments, stormwater management projects, and community partnerships designed to reduce risk, improve public spaces, and educate local students. Tune into the episode here.

 

  • Learn more about Pima County Green Stormwater Infrastructure here

  • To learn more about flood control districts, check out CSA's overview of special districts here


Updated CSA General Fund Revenue Dashboard 


We are excited to share an updated version of our General Fund Revenue Dashboard, now available at https://www.countysupervisors.org/csa-revenue-dashboard.  


This latest version represents a significant step forward in how we present and interact with revenue data. Here's a quick look at what's new: 


  • Refreshed Look & Feel – A modernized design that makes navigating the dashboard more intuitive and visually engaging. 

  • Streamlined Filtering Capabilities – Easily drill down into the data that matters most to you, with faster filtering options. 

  • Enhanced Local Excise Tax Insights – Deeper visibility into local excise tax classification performance, giving you a clearer picture of revenue trends across classifications. 

  • New Economic Activity by County Type Page – A brand-new page dedicated to exploring economic activity broken down by county type, providing valuable context for revenue performance with the ability to easily copy and paste data directly. 

  • More User-Friendly Interface – An overall improved experience designed to surface revenue performance insights more quickly and efficiently. 


Where's the Budget? Legislative Update


Hoping to spur further negotiations on the budget, Governor Hobbs announced a bill moratorium – where nearly any bill sent to her desk would meet with her veto - in mid-April. Though the Legislative Majority did bring a budget forward - which funded nearly full tax conformity with repeals of tax credits, sweeps of state funds, and broad agency cuts - it was vetoed on May 5th and, presumably owing to the lack of dialogue between the Governor and Legislative leaders, was not sufficient to lift the moratorium. To better facilitate that conversation, the House adjourned until June 1st. The Senate opted to come in once weekly to make what progress they could (essentially, advancing bills until the stage immediately prior to them being sent to the Governor). 


Governor Hobbs lifted her bill moratorium last Friday, May 15th, but the change did not spark a rush back into Phoenix to process legislation. Rather, the House is still expected to come in on June 1st, and State Senators will make their once-weekly journey to the Capitol on May 26th. While there are still a number of bills to process – one Senator said around 150 - the Senate will come back to process just nine bills.


This, coupled with information we received indicating attendance issues in late June, points to an early-June chock-full of bills, a budget, and decisions on ballot referrals.


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


Save the Date: CSA Annual Policy Summit


In October 2026, Supervisors from across the state will meet in Coconino County for the Annual CSA Policy Summit. The 61 county supervisors use this event to vote on the Association's 2027 legislative, budget, and research agendas. Registration details will be out soon. Looking forward to seeing you all there!



Where to Watch: Upcoming Live Proceedings


The Legislative Session has reached a critical point in the session timeline - committees are no longer meeting. 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.


Lifelong Learning: Upcoming NACo Webinars


From Classroom to County: Leading with High-Performance Results

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 | 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EST


How do county leaders move from theory to transformative action? This webinar features a panel of graduates from the NACo High Performance Leadership Academy who will share real-world examples of the program's 5 essential skills.  


  • Lead: Fostered cultures of accountability within their local governments

  • Organize: Managed complex organizational change

  • Collaborate: How they’ve broken down departmental silos

  • Deliver: Drive better community outcomes

  • Communicate: How to effectively speak the language of the organization across diverse stakeholder groups


Attendees will gain actionable insights on how to apply these high-performance strategies to their own organizations. Whether you are an emerging leader or a seasoned executive, join us to discover how to bridge the gap between leadership potential and measurable impact.


This webinar is brought to you by NACo EDGE, establishing people, purchasing, and performance cost-saving solutions that can be applied to counties nationwide. EDGE is owned by NACo, advised by county leaders and 100% focused on solutions for U.S. Counties. Learn more about NACo EDGE here.


To register, click here.


Grassroots Advocacy Series: Unlocking Tools to Tell Your County Story

Tuesday, June 2, 2026 | 3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. ET


Join us for the first webinar in NACo’s new Grassroots Advocacy Series, developed in response to County Pulse survey feedback and the creation of NACo’s grassroots advocacy role. This session will highlight how county leaders can leverage NACo tools and resources to effectively engage in federal advocacy. Attendees will receive a practical overview of existing platforms and features that support outreach and engagement, with guidance on how to use these tools to elevate county priorities at the federal level.


To register, click here.

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