CSA Weekly Update (10.16.2026)

3 days ago

7 min read

Updated: 13 minutes ago

On the October 16th, 2026, edition of the CSA Update:

Celebrating the 2026 Policy Summit!
CSA Resolutions: Video Explanations
Rural Transportation Advocacy Council: Arizona Transportation Policy Summit
Finance Advisory Committee: October Update
Creatures of Statute: Recapping Our 2026 Policy Summit
NACOG: Road Safety Champion Program (RSCP) Elected Officials Pilot Program
Lifelong Learning: Upcoming NACo Webinars

Celebrating the 2026 Policy Summit!

Last week, the County Supervisors Association completed our 22nd Annual Policy Summit! The Association would like to thank Coconino County, as well as the Legislators, supervisors, and ALL attendees for helping to create such a productive and successful Policy Summit. We're ready to hit the ground running with the legislative priorities this event has produced!

Reminisce with us, and check out some photos from the Summit:

CSA Resolutions: Video Explanations

In addition to county submitted proposals, the Association has its own ongoing resolutions which help shape how staff engages with the issues facing the counties. This year, we recruited a few familiar faces to help us explain these resolutions:

STATE - COUNTY PARTNERSHIP

Hear from CSA President, Supervisor Shepherd, to learn more about CSA's State-County Partnership Resolution:

TRANSPORTATION FUNDING

Hear from Supervisor Scott to learn more about CSA's Transportation Resolution:

PUBLIC PENSIONS

Hear from Supervisor Lesko to learn more about CSA's Public Pensions Resolution:

COURT FUNDING

Hear from Supervisor Mallory to learn more about CSA's Court Funding Resolution:

For more information on any of these topics, please visit our advocacy page by clicking: here.

Rural Transportation Advocacy Council: Arizona Transportation Policy Summit

This week, city, town, county, and state elected officials and their professional staff attended the Rural Transportation Advocacy Council's Arizona Transportation Policy Summit. The event served as an opportunity to educate lawmakers and locally elected officials on rural, state, and federal transportation policy needs. Presentations included an overview of gas taxes nationwide, analytical tools being developed to investigate funding options for transportation, advice on how to successfully pursue a ballot referral, and insights from legislators on the transportation goals of state elected officials.

Additionally, the County Supervisors Association was awarded the Northern Arizona Transportation Champion Award for the Association's contributions to improve transportation infrastructure. CSA President and Apache County Supervisor Alton Joe Shepherd accepted the award on behalf of the Association and thanked the RTAC and Northern Arizona Council of Governments for hosting the event and presenting the Association with this award. Thank you RTAC and NACOG for hosting this wonderful event!

Finance Advisory Committee: October Update

Last week, the state’s Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) met to review the October General Fund budget update, including revised revenue and expenditure projections through FY 2030. While the state is projected to maintain positive balances under baseline assumptions, the lowest projected ending balance stands at $52 million in FY2029. This represents a narrow margin for new legislative spending initiatives within the three-year budget window.

For context, when the state enacted its budget in June, the lowest projected ending balance was $27 million in FY 2028. The October update increases that balance to $61 million, with the lowest balance now occurring in FY 2029. These projections account for statutory funding formula growth but exclude the state’s $1.6 billion rainy day fund.

JLBC cautioned that the baseline forecast does not account for several expenditures that have been treated as one-time costs but funded repeatedly in recent years. These include state employee health insurance subsidies, school facility repairs, DES childcare subsidies, and DCS congregate care funding. Continuing these expenditures at recent levels would cost approximately $590 million in a single year and could create a shortfall in the state budget, absent any changes to revenues or spending.

State employee health insurance remains a particular concern, and JLBC cautioned that addressing this issue will likely require a combination of solutions which could include increases in employee premiums, increased employee cost sharing, or structural changes to the insurance plan itself.

On the revenue side, annual General Fund growth is projected to remain relatively stable at approximately 4% through FY 2030. For FY 2027, sales tax revenues are expected to grow by 3.9%, individual income tax by 4.8%, corporate income tax by 5.6%, and insurance premium taxes by 5%. Year-to-date General Fund revenues are up 5.2%, or approximately $81 million above the enacted budget forecast.

JLBC’s revised expenditure estimates reflect changes to statutory funding formulas and follow the guidance established in the Legislature’s enacted three-year budget plan. The update also incorporates a new federal requirement under H.R. 1 that could create significant costs for Arizona. Beginning in FY 2028, states will face penalties for SNAP error rates exceeding 6%. Arizona’s FY 2026 error rate will determine its penalties for FY 2028 and FY 2029. The preliminary error rate of 7.9% would result in an estimated $180 million penalty. This amount is included in the baseline forecast, although JLBC has not made assumptions about the state’s FY 2027 error rate.

Economist Jim Rounds provided a broader economic outlook, raising the question of whether the economy may already be entering a downturn. He noted that while the addition of $16 trillion in national debt over the past decade has helped smooth business-cycle volatility, borrowing has shifted costs into the future rather than generating new economic resources. Consumer confidence continues to decline, inflation remains elevated, and higher prices have contributed to a widening gap between lower- and higher-income households. Rounds also highlighted record-high diesel prices, which increase costs across the economy.

Despite these pressures, Rounds emphasized Arizona’s strong long-term economic growth potential. While the state’s overall growth has flattened somewhat, substantial manufacturing activity remains ahead as large-scale projects continue through the construction phase.

For more information, materials from the FAC meeting can be found here.

Creatures of Statute: Recapping Our 2026 Policy Summit

This week, the CSA team recaps the County Supervisors Association’s 22nd Annual Policy Summit, held in Coconino County. Each year, the Summit brings together county supervisors and leaders to discuss shared challenges, exchange ideas, and establish the policy priorities that will guide CSA’s advocacy during the upcoming legislative session.

A special thank you to Coconino County for hosting this year’s Summit, as well as our legislative panelists, county supervisors, and all of the attendees who helped make it such a productive gathering.

Learn more about CSA’s 2027 legislative priorities and advocacy:

NACOG Road Safety Champion Program Elected Officials Pilot Program

Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) launching the Road Safety Champion Program for Elected Officials training program later this month, in partnership with national experts in roadway safety! The program is designed to strengthen elected officials' understanding of roadway safety and equip them with practical tools to help advance safety improvements in their communities.

This pilot program is a free, practical training opportunity designed to help Arizona elected officials better understand roadway safety and their role in advancing safer communities. Developed by the NCRRS, the pilot will offer five virtual “Roadway Safety 101” modules covering roadway safety fundamentals, human factors, traffic safety culture, collaboration among transportation, public health and law enforcement, and how to identify roadway safety issues. Elected officials who complete all five modules will receive a special Road Safety Champion Elected Official certificate.

Registration for the modules is now open: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/A8gF-J13Sz2fjO77e6tDxg

Lifelong Learning: Upcoming NACo Webinars

NACo Public Promise Procurement Launches New Amazon Business Contract

Thursday, October 22, 2026 | 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET

Learn how your county can access over 300 million products and hundreds of thousands of third-party sellers through this new, nationally solicited Amazon Business contract, featuring fixed-term price ceilings across eight categories to keep your everyday purchasing compliant and cost-effective.

This contract works alongside your county's existing Amazon Prime membership, not in place of it, and activates through your current Amazon Business account executive; no new relationships required. You'll also get tools to customize how your county spends, including the ability to prioritize local and in-state businesses.

Hear directly from Douglas County, Neb., the Lead Public Agency behind this solicitation, on how the contract came together and learn how NACo's member-governed, peer-reviewed process gives your county confidence in every purchase.

Panelists:

Eric Carlson, Director of Purchasing, Douglas County, Neb.

Michelle Horton, Assistant Director/Purchasing Agent, Douglas County, Neb.

Paul Terragno, Managing Director, NACo EDGE

Anthony Chapman, National Director, Public Promise Procurement, NACo EDGE

Cathy Muse, National Director, Public Promise Procurement, NACo EDGE

Ken Moore, Sr. Government Sales Manager for Local Government, Amazon Business

To register, please click here.

NACo Policy Insider Webinar Series: Understanding in the Federal Landscape for Counties

Thursday, October 22, 2026 | 3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET

Last year's Inside Washington series is now NACo Policy Insider, a bi-weekly webinar offering an overview of the full federal policy landscape impacting counties, as well as deeper dives into specific policy areas, equipping county leaders with insights, context, and strategies to engage effectively on key issues from transportation and infrastructure, to public lands, to health and human services, and more. To register, please click here.

Countdown to LUCA: Practical Strategies for Local, Tribal and State Governments

Wednesday, October 28, 2026 | 1 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. ET

The 2030 Census Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) operation may seem distant, but preparation begins well before the official launch in May 2027. Join NACo and the National League of Cities (NLC), in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, for the first webinar in a series focused on practical steps communities can take to prepare for effective participation.

LUCA is the only opportunity for local, Tribal and state governments to review and correct the Census Bureau’s residential address list before the census begins, a critical step to ensuring an accurate and complete count. An accurate count directly affects the distribution of federal funding for programs and services for the next decade.

This webinar will feature Census activities currently underway in rural communities, urban neighborhoods and Tribal Nations. Speakers will demonstrate what effective early preparation looks like, share lessons learned and discuss strategies that leaders can use to improve address data, engage stakeholders and position their communities for a successful LUCA operation.

In addition to highlighting promising practices, the webinar will help lay the groundwork for a peer-to-peer support network where local, Tribal and state leaders can connect, exchange ideas, and provide assistance throughout the LUCA process.

Whether you are new to LUCA or beginning to organize your community's census preparation efforts, this session will provide practical insights and resources to help you get started.

Speakers: