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NAVAJO COUNTY — Assistant Navajo County Manager Bryan Layton gave a brief recap of the upcoming financial challenges facing the county, not just with the loss of coal power but also the possible loss of inmate revenues as well as additional expenses for the state retirement system during the Jan. 22 Navajo County Board of Supervisors meeting.
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“We are looking anywhere from $2.6 million to $5.2 million loss for the next couple of years,” said Layton. “In the last meeting, we also talked about how we had a strong state economy for the last couple of years, which allows us to take a strategic approach to this.”
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The county staff is now implementing the administration reduction plan, which will save nearly $300,000. As Layton said, “There is no reason to wait as we will utilize some vacancies and begin restructuring roles and responsibilities within the administration department.”
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In review of the potential of bringing the jail district tax measure back to the voters, Layton noted that his office had received an opinion from the Navajo County Attorney’s office stating that the county could, in fact, reintroduce the proposal to the voters in 2019.
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Layton said that discussion is ongoing to review the ballot language used as some voters interpreted the language to mean the county was building a new jail, “when, in fact, we were using the jail district as a tool to allow monies to be spent in other areas besides the jail,” continued Layton. “The language of the ballot is still under review.”
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“Lastly, we were asked to speak with our partner cities and towns regarding what it looks like moving forward without the jail district tax,” said Layton. Meetings were held with city and town managers as well as the police chiefs.
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“Everyone is very concerned about how to budget for the unexpected medical costs. It is the emergency medical that is daunting to us as a county and to our partner cities and towns,” shared Layton. “We never know when that emergency will happen. A flight to Flagstaff or to Phoenix can get very expensive very quickly.”
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Vice Chairman Jason Whiting said, “I know when we did the jail district in the past we did say that services would be impacted if it didn’t go through. We don’t have money to do what we need to do, so the services will be provided at a much different level. The citizens need to be aware of what that will look like and what each of the departments will be looking to do.”
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Chairwoman Dawnafe Whitesinger awarded Ty Stirling, senior road maintenance equipment operator and the Public Works team the “We Are Your Neighbors” award for all the efforts that went into helping a Show Low couple have a safe delivery of their baby during the storm that hit the White Mountains on New Year’s Eve.
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According to Whitesinger, a member of the Public Works Team received a call that Marcia Bennett, a Show Low resident, was in labor and their car was stuck in the snow. Stirling was dispatched to handle the call, clearing the snow, cindering the road and then guiding the Bennett’s all the way to Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center, where their baby was safely delivered, becoming the first baby born at Summit in 2019.
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Whitesinger also recognized and thanked the 27 employees of the Public Works team that handled snow response duty during the storms; spending 415 hours working to clear the roads and spreading 1,720 tons of cinders, while helping to insure the safety of the residents.
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In other business, the board:
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* Approved the Navajo County Education Service Agency agreement with the Governor’s office for the Healthy Families Healthy Youth Program.
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* Approved a request for transfer of prior year 2017 grant funds of the Northeastern Arizona Innovative Workforce in the amount of $15,000 from the Dislocated Worker Program to the Adult Program due to the average participant enrollment being 62 percent adult and nine percent dislocated worker. This is a federally funded program with no impact to the county finances.
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* Approved the annual appointment of Justice’s of the Peace pro tempore: Yvonne Hunt, Jeanne Boyce, Anna Lesperance, LuAnn Garbini, Kathy Swietanski, Krista Wilkinson, Joseph Hull, Rebecca Taylor and Stephen Price.
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* Approved the annual appointment of juvenile hearing officers to include magistrate judges, Boyce Little, Fred Peterson, Shirley Patterson, David L. Widmaier, Evelyn Marez, Susie Nelson and the Justices of the Peace Pro Tempore: Yvonne Hunt, Jeanne Boyce, LuAnn Garbini, Stephen Price, Anna Lesperance, Kathy Swietanski, Krista Wilkinson, Joseph Hull and Rebecca Taylor.
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* Approved the six back tax land parcels sold over the counter in the amount of $3,560. The parcels included Assessor Parcel Number: 105-27-103; 105-53-070; 105-53-336; 105-58-085; 105-62-378; and 105-64-056.
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* Approved the acceptance of the back tax land list and authorization to publish the notice of the same scheduling the 2018-2019 Back Tax Land Online Auction to begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 11.
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* Approved the annexation of APN 103-01-011 into the City of Winslow. The original annexation area includes 265.42 acres owned by John F. Long, within the annexation area is 10 acres owned by Navajo County and currently used as a road yard. The Long property is being offered for sale for industrial development. The annexation would not affect the current tax-exempt status of the county owned property until the County chooses to sell it to a private entity.
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* Approved the name of an existing unnamed road in the Heber area as “Edgewood Way” in Section 25, Township 12 North, Range 16 East.
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* Approved a minor update on the new hire policy to include a few more positions under the extended new hire probation period in the County Personnel Policy Manual.
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* Adopted the resolution to approve the Nationwide/Arizona State Retirement System 457 Plan option to the current deferred compensation plan offered by the county to give county employees more options in planning their retirement.
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* Authorized the Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AAGO) to represent Navajo County in a new tax appeal filed by Transwestern Pipeline. There has been ongoing litigation for years in regards to the valuation of the pipeline, which in part runs through the county. The pipeline property is centrally assessed by the Arizona Department of Revenue rather than the Navajo County Assessor. The AAGO traditionally provides counties with legal representation in cases involving centrally assessed properties.
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* Approved the award of invitation for bid to Tate’s Auto Center for seven 2019 Dodge 1500 crew cab SSV patrol vehicles and one 2019 Dodge 1500 quad cab SSV constable vehicle in the amount of $247,162. The county received one bid from Tate’s and it met all the requirements. During Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, the Navajo County Jail housed an unusually high number of paying inmates, enabling the Sheriff’s Office to dedicate a one-time revenue to a one-time capital expense in FY 2019. The seven vehicles will update the patrol fleet, enabling old and high mileage vehicles that are no longer safe or cost effective to be retired. The total amount to the NCSO is $219,382. The constables received a grant from the Constable Ethics and Standards Training Board to purchase one vehicle to support their operations. The total grant award of $27,779 will cover the entire cost of the vehicle.
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*Approved the renewal of the contract for Eugene Beaudoin for the amount of $41,500 plus travel to support the wildfire mitigation projects.
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* Approved Arizona Health Zone Grant Amendment Two, clarifying wording on civil rights assurances and subcontracts.
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* Approved the Healthy People Healthy Communities Agreement Price Sheet.
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* Approved Task Agreement Number Seven to the Memorandum of Agreement between the Hopi Tribe’s Division of Transportation and Navajo County for the funding of materials and parts for Hopi Department of Transportation’s heavy equipment to maintain their inventoried routes within the Hopi Reservation. The total amount will not exceed $18,000, with $16,000 coming from the District II Special Road Projects and $2,000 from the CIP Hopi Tribe funds.
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