Arizona State Budget

Arizona agencies get creative to cope with budget cutbacks

by

[Source: Mary Jo Pitzl, Arizona Republic] –  Since mid-2008, legislators have cut $3.4 billion from state spending.

Most of the cuts were lump-sum reductions. Rather than get into the nitty-gritty of myriad state programs, lawmakers left the details to state agencies. And those agencies responded to the smaller budgets in a variety of ways – from imposing fees on users to ending some services.

The agencies also had to adjust to the consequences of programs being terminated, from juggling lawsuits to referring people to non-profits or other groups that might be able to fill the gaps.

The following examples detail ways state government has responded to a budget that is 20 percent smaller than what it was four years ago [to read the full article click here].

Misconception hurts state parks

by

[Source: Arizona Republic Editorial] – The struggling state park system isn’t suddenly and magically awash in cash. But there’s a pernicious misconception that it is because the Arizona State Parks Board approved more than $40 million in grants for two cities to buy state trust land. This is not park money.

The board happens to be, under the terms of a voter-approved referendum, the gatekeeper for funding to preserve trust land. The parks don’t get one penny.

It’s a lot like the state treasurer. The office manages billions of dollars a year. But that doesn’t turn Treasurer Doug Ducey and his staff into billionaires.

This kind of misunderstanding – whether willful or careless – may be one reason legislators have so blithely undermined Arizona State Parks. They cut off all state support in 2009. Since then, they’ve reached right into the till, diverting money that the parks themselves earn through entrance fees and concessions. This is not only wrong but also profoundly disingenuous from legislators who want agencies to act more like businesses.

As Arizona heads into yet another challenging year for the state budget, we can’t make smart decisions without looking at the numbers in context. All dollars aren’t the same. Some funding has legal constraints. Some spending has broader benefits beyond the immediate budget line.

Take that $40 million. It’s from the Growing Smarter fund, which voters approved in 1998. The ballot measure required the state to put aside $220 million, over the course of 11 years, to be used as matching money to preserve state trust land. (Trust land cannot be set aside for conservation outright but must be bought or leased.) Scottsdale just got approval for a $36.2 million grant to help expand its mountain preserve.Phoenixis getting $4.18 million to put toward buying land for the Sonoran Preserve.

Given the well-established value of open space – from tourist appeal to recreation to wildlife habitat – those are farsighted moves that will benefit all Arizonans in the long run.

It gets better. The dollars actually do double duty, helping Arizona schools, as well. Money from the sale of trust land is put into a permanent fund, with the interest going to education and a few other public purposes. Because of the matching requirements, the Growing Smarter grants will end up putting more than $80 million into the permanent fund. The story is far more complex than a single figure on a balance sheet.

Strong civic spirit saves our state parks

by

[Source: Arizona Republic Editorial] –  A cavalry of volunteers, local communities and non-profit groups rode to the rescue when more than half of the state park system was on the verge of shutting down. They’ve done a heroic job of keeping the doors open at historic sites such as FortVerde, scenic wonders such as PicachoPeak and recreational playgrounds such as Sedona’s Red Rocks. The value of volunteer work alone was an amazing $5.5 million last fiscal year, which ended June 30. Some parks run on reduced schedules, and some close seasonally. But only one of 27, Oracle State Park, is closed (and there’s a move to provide limited access).

We applaud not only the civic spirit but the financial good sense of those rallying behind Arizona State Parks. In a state that depends heavily on tourism, these are valuable assets with long-term potential. Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, for instance, had a $3.56 million economic impact in fiscal 2007. It’s so important to the region that the communities of Payson and StarValley, plus a “friends of” group, held fundraisers and chipped in cash and labor to keep it running. The rescue efforts are critical stopgaps. But Arizona State Parks must still become financially solid for the long haul. Maintenance and capital projects cannot continue to be neglected.

Step 1 is for legislators to stop emptying the till. They cut off all state support years ago, and now, they’re sweeping up the dollars earned through admissions and concessions. Thanks to all the help, Arizona State Parks ended last fiscal year with a $1.7 million operating profit, but it was siphoned into the state budget, plus an extra $400,000. Besides stopping the revenue raids, Arizonans need to figure out a steady revenue stream for park maintenance and improvements. The cavalry needs permanent reinforcements

Arizona parks rescued by communities and non-profits

by

[Source; Megan Neighbor, The Arizona Republic] –  In the depths of the recession, state budget cuts made it seem almost certain that the gates to manyArizonaparks would remain padlocked. But local communities and non-profit organizations have banded together to keep 14 of the state’s most financially vulnerable parks open by providing more than $820,000 to the cash-strapped Arizona State Parks agency.

For example, the Friends of Tonto Natural Bridge State Park and the towns of Payson and StarValleyare helping provide $35,000 in funding to the namesake park inGilaCounty. Through a contract with Santa Cruz County, the Tubac Historical Society is helping keepTubacPresidioStateHistoricPark’s doors open by providing both funding and operational support.RedRockState Parkin Sedona is being aided byYavapai Countyand the Benefactors of Red Rock State Park. All but one of the state’s other 13 parks remain open, albeit seasonally in some cases, because they take in enough revenue to stay in the black and fund their own operations.

Local authorities and non-profits say they decided to cast a financial lifeline to the more vulnerable parks because they recognize their value – their rich history, intense beauty and, perhaps most importantly, their economic impact. Today, less than two years after major closures seemed certain, 26 of Arizona’s 27 parks are open, although many have abbreviated schedules [to read the full article click here].