CHAMBER BUSINESS ADVOCACY Arizona $11.8B FY2020 Budget Good for Northern Arizona By: Joe Galli The Greater Flagstaff Chamber has long been a champion of funding local schools. Just this past week, the Arizona Legislature wrapped-up work on the State’s annual budget concluding with $11.8 billion in expenditures for fiscal year 2020 beginning July 1. The Greater Flagstaff Chamber signed a letter in favor of the budget passed by the Republican-led House and Senate, and signed by Governor Doug Ducey, which provided extraordinary funding for our Arizona education system. This budget provided the following for:
K-12: • • • • • • • •
$165 million to fully fund 20 percent teacher pay raises by school year 2020 $136 million to speed up the restoration of recession-era cuts to District and Charter Additional Assistance $88 million for school building renewal $76 million for new school construction $30 million in new dollars for high-performing schools through results based funding $20 million to hire more school counselors and cops on campus $10 million to grow Career and Technical Education programs at public high schools $1.5 million in permanent funds for Foster Youth Education
Higher Education: • • • • • •
$35 million in funding for Arizona’s three public universities, ASU, U of A and NAU $15 million in permanent, ongoing funds to expand the Arizona Teachers Academy $14.2 million for rural community colleges outside of Pima and Maricopa County $1 million for Diné College, a community college on the Navajo Nation $1 million for the National Guard Tuition Reimbursement $500,000 for Northern Arizona University’s Freedom School
Infrastructure & Economic Development: • • • • • • • •
$130 million over three years to expand Interstate 17 $95.3 million for targeted priority infrastructure projects $11.3 million to eliminate counties paying for a share of operating costs at the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections $3 million to expand broadband services in underserved rural areas $2.2 million for the Arts $1.1 million to promote tourism $1 million for a business one-stop, helping entrepreneurs furthering Arizona’s economic growth $700,000 for a Mariposa Port of Entry Cold Inspection Facility
We are proud of the great work done in Phoenix by our LD 6 representatives Walter Blackman & Bob Thorpe, and Senator Sylvia Allen who fight tirelessly for rural Arizona each session at the Arizona Capitol.
JOIN FLAGSTAFF YOUNG PROFESSIONALS! As a division of the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, FYP comes together to influence the professionals ages 21-39 of the Flagstaff Community. For more information, or to sign up, visit: www.FlagstaffYP.com
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7000ft | JUNE 2019 | VOL 5, ISSUE 6 | GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
