During the Navajo County Board of Supervisors regular meeting on Tuesday, the supervisors received a budget presentation from Finance Director Jayson Vowell for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 General Fund revenue projections. “The general gist of the presentation is that revenues are strong and robust and we’re pleased with where we’re sitting at as a county,” stated Vowell.
He noted that in the 2024-25 fiscal year general fund, the county budgeted approximately $45.3 million, but with the audit the total revenues came to $48.6 million. For the 2025-26 fiscal year, revenues were budgeted at approximately $48.1 million. Now halfway through the current fiscal year, that amount is expected to increase to $50.5 million.
“Both the previous year and the current year are looking well as far as where we have been historically,” stated Vowell. The majority of the county’s general fund, 79%, comes from various tax revenues, such as sales taxes and property taxes. The remaining 21% is made up other smaller sources, including vehicle license tax, intergovernmental contracts, services, fines and permits.
Regarding shared sales tax, starting in FY 2021, the county budgeted conservatively due to the pandemic but since then year after year the amounts increased from approximately $15.3 million in FY 2021 to approximately $18.7 million in FY 2025. The forecast for FY 2027 is currently at $19.4 million in state shared tax revenue. For sales tax, the revenue in 2026 is projected to be approximately $11.2 million, which will be a five-year increase of about 7.5%.
“There are some affordability concerns throughout the state, specifically with housing and people’s saving not being quite what they were,” noted Vowell. He added that most of the revenues generated through sales tax is reliant on retail and remote sales, meaning that the county is more exposed to swings in consumer spending.
Vowell stated that the county is proposing to keep the same property tax rate as the current year at 0.8114. “The assessment that we’re looking at is about $9.3 million, which is about $408,000 over what we would assess in the current fiscal year,” stated Vowell.
During call to the public, Donna Sherwin once again requested the county disengage with Real AZ, an organization that promotes economic development in both Navajo and Apache counties, and to pause all projects relating to “wind, solar and battery storage” in the county. Last month, The Tribune published a story on Real AZ, outlining its purpose and pointing out that the organization receives no funding from the county and is supported by organization membership dues. Kelly Meixler also spoke in agreement, demanding that Resolution 17-2025, which pertains to the county’s renewable energy ordinance, be rescinded, she also expressed her opinion for a small modular reactor at Cholla Power Plant and different protective ordinances. Joan Lewis also spoke against the county’s renewable energy ordinance. Chairman Seymore notified those who spoke that the topic of Real AZ will be addressed in the next meeting on March 24.
The board approved a Proclamation for National Nutrition Month 2026, honoring the Navajo County WIC team. The board also approved a proclamation in support of the Joseph City sesquicentennial commemoration with the celebration to be held in the community the weekend of March 20.
Public hearings were held for the consideration of two liquor license applications for Patricia Jean White, agent for Dollar General, with two locations at 8086 White Mountain Lake Road and 1008 Lone Pine Dam Road, both in Show Low. No one spoke and the applications were approved.
Board member Fern Benally was absent from the meeting.
In other business, the board:
* Approved a professional services contract with Benjamin Brewer for misdemeanor indigent defense services, signed by the county manager.
* Approved FY 2027 re-appointment of Michael Penrod as judge pro tempore to serve in the Superior Court for a term beginning July 1 to June 30, 2027.
* Approved contracts signed by the County Manager for the WLB Group contract extension from May 14 to May 13, 2027 and with Mark Rogers Architect, PLLC for architectural design services.
* Approved moving the scheduled meeting on July 21 to July 14 due to the Primary Election occurring on July 21.
* Approved an amendment extending employee benefits consultant contract with the Mahoney Group for one additional year to March 31, 2027.
* Approved renewing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) for data sharing capabilities. The sharing of information includes but not limited to record management systems, computer aided dispatch system, automated license plate readers, intelligence management systems, jail management systems and law enforcement data sharing systems. The HHIDTA is a multi-jurisdictional public safety program that was established to reduce drug trafficking and production in the United States. This MOU shall remain in effect and reviewed every five years.
* Approved a contract for professional services between Navajo County and Hope Lives. Hope Lives – Vive La Esperance will provide forensic peer support in the Navajo County Adult Detention Center. This contract will be valid for one year and may be renewed for up to four additional one-year terms. The cost of this contract is not to exceed $65,000 as payment in full for all services rendered by the consultant and shall be invoiced monthly. Funding for this consultant has been encumbered out of the Opioid Settlement funds received by Navajo County Sheriff’s Office Detention and will have no fiscal impact on the jail’s operating budget.
* Approved an update to personnel policy on probation policy.
* Approved the appointment of Amber Kay Harston, Steven R. Carvajal, Michael Jay Piha, Cheryl Ann Piha, Sheryl Ann Johnson and Lawrence Johnson as Republican precinct committeeman for their respective precincts. Appointment valid through Oct. 1.
* Approved 180 properties sold as auctioned on the back tax land online auction and allowed the clerk of the board to sell the unsold properties over the counter for the amount due. At the close of the auction, the 180 parcels were sold for a total amount of $241,272.
* Approved a resolution authorizing staff to request no more than $50,000 from the Arizona Route 66 Grant Program for development of designs and architectural drawings for restoration of the Navajo County Historic Courthouse in Holbrook.
* Approved a resolution authorizing staff to request FY 2027 Congressionally Directed Spending funds for Navajo County Fairgrounds facility renovation.
* Approved a resolution authorizing staff to request no more than $850,000 from FY 2027 Congressionally Directed Spending funds for development of a jail-based pre- and post-release support program.
* Approved letters of support for the City of Show Low and Winslow Memorial Hospital, doing business as Little Colorado Medical Center, which is seeking legislative appropriation to construct the East Woolford Road Extension.
* Approved awarding the supply of various roadway materials contract to Dyna Rock LLC, Perkins Aggregates, Inc., Perkins Cinders, Inc. and Schuck Development effective March 28.
Convening as the Navajo County Public Health Services District, the board:
* Approved a medical examiner case web-based software subscription between Navajo County Public Health Services District-Medical Examiner and VertiQ. The software will transition the program from outdated paper processes to a modern, secure digital platform. This technology will significantly improve report quality and consistency by standardizing data entry and documentation across all cases. The software subscription is approximately $3,600 a year.
* Approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) amendment between the Arizona Department of Health Services and Navajo County Public Health Services District for the overdose data to action IGA.
* Approved an MOU between Pima County Health Department and the Navajo County Health Service District Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Program to provide breastfeeding peer counselor services to WIC participants in Navajo County.
* Approved a rental agreement between Randox Laboratories-US Limited and Navajo County Public Health Services District to rent an in-house toxicology analyzer on a monthly basis.
Convening as the Navajo County Flood Control District, the board:
* Approved an amendment to the Woodruff Drainage Improvements Final Design Professional services contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. This amendment adds driveway design services, including the preparation of design profiles for up to seventeen driveways within the Woodruff community, and incorporates these elements into the final construction plan set. This amendment increases the contract by a not-to-exceed amount of $9,890, resulting in a revised total contract amount of $168,655.
