The Winslow City Council approved two agreements last week, advancing the planning for the I-40 TradePort Corridor during its July 14 meeting, including acceptance of a federal grant agreement supporting the regional project.
The council authorized City Manager David Coolidge to sign a Regional Infrastructure Accelerator cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation in a final form approved by the city’s legal counsel. It also authorized the city to accept an agreement for a $15 million federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant.
The grant is for the broader I-40 TradePort Corridor project and is not a direct $15 million allocation solely to Winslow. Project documents identify Winslow and Albuquerque as planned TradePort sites. Kingman was included in the original grant application but the sites originally proposed there have since been removed from consideration.
The grant-funded work includes administration, component planning, environmental review, financial planning and implementation planning. The project will also examine infrastructure, utilities, workforce needs, private investment and the potential integration of technology and automated freight systems.
Project documents state that the planning process will analyze how proposed TradePort operations align with surrounding communities and will continue efforts to confirm sites and prepare them for future development. The documents estimate that a fully developed Winslow TradePort could support up to 1,700 jobs, depending on the project’s final design and buildout. Both agreements were included on the consent calendar and approved unanimously without separate discussion.
The council later unanimously adopted its annual property tax levy for fiscal year 2027. The city’s primary property tax rate will be $1.2658 for every $100 of assessed valuation, producing an estimated $512,068 for city operations.
Coolidge explained that the levy equals approximately $126.58 for every $100,000 of applicable assessed value. The comparable amount last year was $124.10, resulting in an increase of $2.48 per $100,000.
“The important thing is just to reiterate to the community that it’s not a new tax,” Mayor Roberta “Birdie” Cano said. Coolidge clarified that the amount represents only the city’s portion of a property owner’s overall tax bill. Property taxes collected for Navajo County, school districts and other taxing jurisdictions are separate.
“That’s our portion of the property tax,” Coolidge told the council. “If you’re paying $126.58, that comes to the city for every $100,000. But your property taxes, if it was $100,000, are actually greater than that because you’re paying for things such as schools, county and all kinds of things that are covered under property tax.”
Coolidge said the city is required to adopt the levy annually and that the rate is calculated using the assessed value of taxable property within the city. Although the tax rate is lower when expressed as a percentage than it was previously, rising property values allow the city to collect the maximum levy permitted by state law.
“Our tax levy went up $2.48 per $100,000 from last year,” Coolidge said. “That’s what comes to the city, which comes out to a total of $512,000 for the year. It’s a very small piece of revenue for the city, but much needed.” The council adopted the levy and declared an emergency, allowing the ordinance to take effect immediately. All members voted in favor.
The council also unanimously allocated $10,000 for community special events during fiscal year 2027. The largest allocation was $3,600 for traffic control during the Christmas Parade. The Just Cruis’n Car Show was allocated $2,000, while Standin’ on the Corner and the Pow Wow were each allocated $1,500. Clear Creek Cowboys and Because We Care each received $500, with the remaining $400 reserved for miscellaneous requests.
Coolidge said the city is no longer listing the annual fireworks show as a special-event allocation because the city now carries the show under its insurance program. Volunteers will continue raising money for the fireworks themselves, while the city covers approximately $3,300 in insurance costs.
“We’re still providing that value to them there,” Coolidge said. “On average, we’ve usually given right around $4,000. The insurance was like $3,300, so it’s pretty comparable to what we were providing prior as an appropriation.”
Councilmembers supported setting the allocations at the beginning of the fiscal year rather than considering funding requests individually throughout the year.
“I like the direction because it enables us to avoid any problems with the gift clause,” Vice Mayor Jim MacLean said. “Often people don’t understand government money and the gift clause, and we just don’t want to get into that and invite anything that might lead us to litigation.”
Winslow Justice and Municipal Court judge B.J. Little also presented its quarterly report covering April through June. The Justice Court reported 744 civil traffic filings, 117 criminal traffic cases, including 50 DUI cases, and 480 criminal misdemeanor filings. Those misdemeanor cases included 53 property crimes, 30 crimes against people and 397 other offenses. The court also handled 88 initial appearances, nine small-claims cases, 380 civil lawsuits and 19 eviction actions. Little said civil lawsuit filings had increased substantially during the quarter.
The council postponed a proposed softball field renaming while the city reviews its process for naming public facilities. Councilmembers said the city should establish consistent criteria before considering an individual name.
“There is a naming policy in place, but there is nothing in city code regarding the naming of facilities,” Coolidge said. Cano said standards would help the council evaluate future requests fairly and recognize residents who have made significant contributions to Winslow. The council unanimously tabled the proposal and will reconsider it after reviewing the city’s naming policy.
The council also directed Coolidge to develop a policy for forming an animal advisory committee. The committee would assist the city as it considers limits based on the number of animals kept at a residence, property size, kennel permits and the distinction between personal pets, foster animals and commercial operations.
No new animal limits were adopted during the meeting. Coolidge will consult with animal control, review ordinances used by other Arizona communities and bring a proposed committee policy back to the council.
In other business, the council:
*Approved past meeting minutes and the check register. The council also approved the check register, minutes from two June 23 meetings, the city’s amended Title VI transportation plan and changes to zoning requirements for recreational marijuana facilities as part of the same vote.
* Approved designating Daniel Hendrix as the Chief Fiscal Officer in order to submit the annual audit to the state auditors.
* Approved the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Title VI plan for Winslow.
* Approved changes to the zoning code to allow recreational marijuana in the commercial zoning. This allows recreational marijuana sales to have the same regulations as a business in the commercial district without having to meet extra requirements.
