At last week’s meeting of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors, they passed their tax rate and budget for the next fiscal year. This will result in a slight increase in total taxes collected by the county due to an increase in property values, but the county was able to pass a budget that worked without having to increase taxes or cut services in a time where inflation has made almost everything more expensive.

Navajo County Finance Director Jayson Vowell said, “The total budget for 2025 is $255 million, so, like I said, that’s a slight increase of about 1.3% made up of these four different categories: the general fund, special revenue funds, debt service funds and capital project funds.”

The general fund has a budget of $67.3 million, special revenue fund is $144.9 million, debt services fund is $2.4 million and the capital projects fund is $40.4 million. Of the $40 million for capital funds for 2025, 75% of it is budgeted for the Winslow Levee project, which is about $30 million. That is the county’s portion of the $100 million project that will be completed in 2029.

Supervisor Dawnafe Whitsinger addressed the room and spoke about how grateful she is that, despite having a flat budget with not a lot of wiggle room, they were fortunate enough not to have any tough conversations on what to leave out of the budget. Chairman Jason Whiting added to that sentiment by sharing his discussions with business owners about how hard inflation has been, which has forced them to raise prices. Whiting pointed out how impressive it is that the county was able to pull off the budget that they did.

Capital Projects Manager Grant Evans also provided updates on several capital projects the county has in the works. He discussed the new code enforcement building in Taylor, which is nearing the design finalization stage and will soon go out for bids. The new facility will be utilized by the sheriff’s office, health department and medical examiner’s office, and will include built-in space for potential future expansions, such as an x-ray room and a histology room. In the most recent draft of the design, the sheriff’s portion gained an evidence processing room and a more secure entrance for staff.

Next, Evans discussed the county complex upgrade project, which has seen improvements to four restrooms and the addition of a new employee break room connected to a kitchen area. A new badge control access point was installed next to the Board of Supervisors’ meeting room, with plans to upgrade eight additional bathrooms.

Lastly, Evans highlighted the progress of the broadband expansion project, where approximately 60,000 feet of duct has been laid, extending about 11.5 miles. The project is now progressing towards Snowflake, after the county received necessary approval for permits from the Arizona Department of Transportation. These infrastructure projects are crucial for enhancing the county’s facilities and services, ensuring continued growth and support for the community.

The county also heard a presentation from Government Relations Director Rochelle Lacapa about how the county has dramatically increased its forest treatment efforts. The number of treated acres has doubled from 8,000 acres to 16,000 annually. This increase reflects an urgency towards maintaining forest health and preventing the devastating impacts of wildfires. “Forest treatment and restoration efforts in Northeastern Arizona have largely been driven by ECO (Eastern Arizona Counties Association) through the leadership of Chairman Whiting and the other supervisors from Apache, Graham, Greenlee and Cochise Counties,” Lacapa explained during her presentation to the board.

Despite these achievements, the management of biomass remains a significant hurdle. Biomass, the residual byproduct left after timber harvesting, poses a severe wildfire risk if not properly managed. Lacapa told the board that, “For every acre of timber logged, approximately 17 tons of biomass are produced.” This accumulation creates potential fuel for wildfires, complicating forest management efforts and increasing the risk to local ecosystems and communities. The county is supporting managing this biomass with Novo Power Plant, which can convert biomass into energy which could be a win-win for the county.

In other business, the board:

*Designated Finance Director Vowell as Chief Financial Officer to submit the annual expenditure limitation report to the auditor general.

* Accepted assets, liabilities and current funding ratio in accordance with the county’s public safety pension policy.

* Authorized the reissuance of stale dated checks and the certificates of removal and abatement of record of tax.

* Accepted a $246,731 grant from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission for drug, gang and violent crime control.

* Approved an equipment transfer of 20 portable radios and 20 mobile radios from the sheriff’s office to Holbrook Police Department.

* Approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Sun Valley Fire District for dispatch services.

* Approved an IGA for the sheriff’s office to transfer one virtual training simulator to Northern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy.

* Approved an IGA between the City of Glendale and Navajo County for law enforcement, security, and traffic management services at the State Farm Stadium.

*Approved a mutual aid agreement with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement assistance.

* Approved an amendment to the contract with Wilson & Company for starlight pavement reconstruction design project to extend the contract one additional year.

* Approved a memorandum of understanding between the Navajo County Superintendent of Schools and the juvenile court judge to provide educational services to students placed in juvenile detention.

* Extended contracts one year with JWA Architects, LLC, Painted Sky Engineering & Survey, LLC for contracts regarding the Pinedale Elementary School renovation project.

* Approved resubmitting the environmental forms for the Joseph City Pedestrian Improvement Project.

* Authorized Deputy County Attorney Jason Moore to fill out participation forms for the state’s $68.5 million opioid settlement with Kroger Co.

* Approved the following 2025 budgets: Public Health Services District, Library District, Flood Control District, White Mountain Lakes County Recreation Improvement District, Silver Creek County Road Improvement District, Victory Heights Road Maintenance District, Porter Mountain Domestic Water Improvement District, Fawnbrook Domestic Water Improvement District, Joseph City Street Lighting District, Jail District, Timberland Acres Special Road District, White Mountain Lakes No. 2 Special Road District, and Silver Creek Flood Protection District.

* Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) Laboratory to provide lab services to the county at no cost.

* Approved an amendment to the IGA with AZDHS for the county to receive $229,907 for public health emergency preparedness.

* Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Food and Drug Administration to enter into a confidentiality agreement.

* Approved an agreement with Genasys, Inc. for use of software that aids in responding to emergency incidents at a cost of $27,500 annually.

* Approved the Navajo County multi-jurisdiction hazard mitigation action plan.

* Approved a contract with McCauley Construction and Trucking, LLC for Bourdon Ranch Road-Millet Swale drainage improvements in the amount of $785,362.

* Approved a contract extension with JE Fuller Hyrdology and Geomorphology, Inc to set up stations and cameras, and build a website to coordinate with the National Weather Service and Colorado Basin River Forecast Center to notify staff about heavy rain.

* Approved a contract with Painted Sky Engineering & Survey, LLC for the Buckskin Wash Floodplain Delineation study at a cost of $66,300.

The next meeting of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors was a special meeting held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 16, in the board chambers located at 100 E. Code Talkers Drive.