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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Chandler Unified Board votes for $271.5M bond ask
A year after voters soundly rejected its request, Chandler Unified School District will ask its residents to authorize borrowing $271.5 million in a bond election this November. That number is about 56% of the $487.5 million that voters rejected by more than seven points in the November 2024 election. The CUSD Governing Board on June 11 also authorized asking voters to extend for another seven years a 15% override of its maintenance and operation budget in the same Nov. 4 election. CUSD board member Kurt Rohrs voted against the $271.5 million bond question. He argued for a strategy of asking for less money, and returning to voters every three years to ask for more. 'I think I like about the whole process is going to a three-year cycle instead of a five-year cycle,' Rohrs said. 'It's more likely to pass at $199 (million) than it is at $271 (million).' Traditionally, CUSD returns to voters about every five years to seek new bond authorizations to cover its capital needs. Rohrs moved to seek bond authorization for $199.4 million, which was option 3 from the citizen bond committee. That motion died for lack of a second. Rohrs also argued voters may be overwhelmed by ballot questions this election. In addition to the two that CUSD is putting on the ballot, City of Chandler voters will be considering six questions from the city, four of which total a $475 million bond request. The other two questions deal with amending the City Charter. Board Member Ryan Heap made the motion to ask for $271.5 million. 'In considering the difference between (options) two and three, what I noted … is there's opportunities to do reimagining (projects),' Heap said. The district has been reimagining education spaces at some of its older schools. Heap said he recently toured some of those spaces and was impressed by the changes and how they are getting students motivated to learn. Heap said he wants to make sure the right schools are being reimagined, meaning schools that face competition from nearby charter schools. Board member Barb Mozdzen said the deciding factor for her was the technology budget. She said she saw a noticeable difference between what was offered in the $271.5 million option over what they would get in the $199.4 million option. 'We have not kept up with our technology or device refreshes and a lot of the infrastructure that is needed in these … schools to have adequate bandwidth for all students being on their devices and all teachers being on their devices during the school day,' Mozdzen said. Board President Patti Serrano said the deciding factor for her was that the larger amount helps the district's Title I schools. Those are schools that receive federal funding to support low-income families. 'That was something that really caught my attention,' Serrano said. 'We are putting ourselves accountable to what we need to do for our Title I schools to provide the appropriate support, driving — and I want to emphasize this — every decision we make is in good faith driving our student outcomes.' Another reason she pointed to was that there is money to reimagine Santan Junior High School in the larger option. She said that's important because a new housing development has been approved near Perry High School. Once built, those families would be in the Santan Junior High area. Board member Claudia Mendoza did not make any comments explaining why she preferred the higher option. Lana Berry, the district's chief financial officer, said they heard from voters and why they rejected the bond request last year. She said a key factor is that they want any money borrowed to be used in the classroom. The $271.5 million would be split in three categories. There is $4 million for transportation, $80.7 million for furniture, equipment and technology for instructional purposes and $186.8 million for maintenance, improvements and renovations to school facilities, including security enhancements, acquisition of land and new construction. No money would go to furniture, equipment and technology for non-instructional purposes. The board did not consider a fourth option that the citizen bond committee gave it, which was essentially a duplicate of the $199.4 million option with one major difference. It did not include the rebuild of Hartford Elementary School, CUSD's second oldest campus. That option was for $154.4 million. Residents within CUSD's boundary pay back the money borrowed through bonds with their property taxes. The district says their tax rate will not increase. If they vote to authorize the 15% override, they will also pay that money through their property taxes. Voters approved the override in the 2021 election. District voters have only rejected it twice in 10 elections. Those came in 1988 and 2012. In both cases, they approved it the following year. The override is good for seven years, but begins to lose value in Year 6. For that reason, the district asks voters to renew the override authorization every four years. That gives them the ability to ask again the following year if it fails. If it fails two straight years, then the district will lose a third of that money in Year 6, and two-thirds in Year 7.
Newsweek
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Republicans Turn on Each Other in Arizona
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Republican officials in control of Arizona's electoral systems have taken a disagreement over how elections should be managed to the courts. Maricopa County recorder Justin Heap sued his fellow Republicans on the county's board of supervisors on Friday, after a monthslong battle over which powers his position holds. Newsweek has contacted Heap and the board of supervisors for comment on the situation via email. The Context Heap, a former Republican state representative, was elected to the recorder position in 2024, and has consistently clashed with the Republican-controlled Maricopa County board of supervisors since. He says that the board has taken control of his position's election duties, a charge that the board has dismissed as "irresponsible and juvenile." What To Know The dispute evolved into a legal matter on Thursday after Heap announced he was suing the board. In the filing for the lawsuit, which was brought to the county's superior court, Heap said that the board was "engaged in an unlawful attempt to seize near-total control over the administration of elections." Traditionally, the management of elections is split between the board and the recorder, with a "shared services agreement" (SSA) allocating the different duties, such as handling voter registration, counting ballots, managing early balloting and running mail balloting. A vote sign outside the polling location at the Burton Barr Central Library on November 5, 2024, in Phoenix. A vote sign outside the polling location at the Burton Barr Central Library on November 5, 2024, in Phoenix. Getty Images In response to the lawsuit, Maricopa County board chairman Thomas Galvin and vice chairwoman Kate Brophy McGee said in a statement: "From day one, recorder Heap has been making promises that the law doesn't allow him to keep. "Arizona election statutes delineate election administration between county boards of supervisors and recorders to ensure there are checks and balances, and recorder Heap clearly doesn't understand the responsibilities of his position." What People Are Saying Maricopa County recorder Justin Heap said in a statement on the dispute: "For weeks, since before being sworn into office, I've sought reasonable, common-sense solutions with my fellow Republicans on the board, only to be ignored. Maricopa County elections need a practical, workable SSA to ensure efficient, accurate elections; however, the Supervisors' refusal to engage in honest dialogue risks a crisis in our upcoming elections. "With an election less than 90 days away, the supervisors' unwillingness to address these concerns will force me to take legal action against the board to restore this office's full authority, and deliver the results voters elected me to achieve." What Happens Next The lawsuit will be heard at the Maricopa County Superior Court in the coming months. The results will determine how powers are shared between the recorder and the board for elections at the congressional midterms in 2026.
14-06-2025
- Politics
Lawsuit centers on power struggle over elections in Arizona's most populous county
PHOENIX -- The top elections official in one of the nation's most pivotal swing counties is suing the Maricopa County governing board over allegations that it's attempting to gain more control over how elections are administered. County Recorder Justin Heap filed a lawsuit Thursday in state court with the backing of America First Legal, a conservative public interest group founded by Stephen Miller, who is now the White House deputy chief of staff. Heap, a former GOP state lawmaker who has questioned election administration in Arizona's most populous county, has been at odds with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for months over an agreement that would divide election operations between the two offices. After taking office in January, Heap terminated a previous agreement that was reached between his predecessor and the board. He claimed in his lawsuit it would have restrained his power to run elections by reducing funding and IT resources for the recorder's office. Last year's agreement also gave the board authority over early ballot processing, which drew criticism from Heap in his lawsuit. Heap is asking the court to undo what the lawsuit calls 'unlawful' actions by the board and to issue an order requiring the board to fund expenses he deems necessary. 'Despite their repeated misinformation and gaslighting of the public on these issues, defending the civil right to free, fair and honest elections for every Maricopa County voter isn't simply my job as county recorder, it's the right thing to do and a mission I'm fully committed to achieving,' Heap said in a statement Thursday. The board's chair and vice chair have called the legal challenge frivolous, saying Heap is wasting taxpayer money by going to court. Negotiations between the offices have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and the board said in a statement that it appeared things were going well after a meeting in April. It was only weeks later, the board said, that Heap came back with what he called a final offer that included dozens of changes. Heap claims in the lawsuit that the board rejected his proposed agreement in late May. In a statement, America First Legal says the board separately voted on a tentative budget that shifts Heap's key duties and underfunds the recorder's office. 'From day one, Recorder Heap has been making promises that the law doesn't allow him to keep," Board Chairman Thomas Galvin said. "Arizona election statutes delineate election administration between county boards of supervisors and recorders to ensure there are checks and balances, and Recorder Heap clearly doesn't understand the responsibilities of his position.' Following President Donald Trump's 2020 loss, Maricopa County became an epicenter for election conspiracy theories. Heap has stopped short of saying the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, but he has said the state's practices for handling early ballots are insecure and has questioned how ballots are transported, handled and stored after they are submitted. Last year, Heap proposed an unsuccessful bill to remove Arizona from a multistate effort to maintain voter lists. Heap's predecessor, Stephen Richer, was rebuked in some GOP circles for defending the legitimacy of the 2020 and 2022 elections, in which Democrats including former President Joe Biden and Gov. Katie Hobbs won by razor-thin margins. Trump won Arizona in 2024, along with the other battleground states.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawsuit centers on power struggle over elections in Arizona's most populous county
PHOENIX (AP) — The top elections official in one of the nation's most pivotal swing counties is suing the Maricopa County governing board over allegations that it's attempting to gain more control over how elections are administered. County Recorder Justin Heap filed a lawsuit Thursday in state court with the backing of America First Legal, a conservative public interest group founded by Stephen Miller, who is now the White House deputy chief of staff. Heap, a former GOP state lawmaker who has questioned election administration in Arizona's most populous county, has been at odds with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for months over an agreement that would divide election operations between the two offices. After taking office in January, Heap terminated a previous agreement that was reached between his predecessor and the board. He claimed in his lawsuit it would have restrained his power to run elections by reducing funding and IT resources for the recorder's office. Last year's agreement also gave the board authority over early ballot processing, which drew criticism from Heap in his lawsuit. Heap is asking the court to undo what the lawsuit calls 'unlawful' actions by the board and to issue an order requiring the board to fund expenses he deems necessary. 'Despite their repeated misinformation and gaslighting of the public on these issues, defending the civil right to free, fair and honest elections for every Maricopa County voter isn't simply my job as county recorder, it's the right thing to do and a mission I'm fully committed to achieving,' Heap said in a statement Thursday. The board's chair and vice chair have called the legal challenge frivolous, saying Heap is wasting taxpayer money by going to court. Negotiations between the offices have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and the board said in a statement that it appeared things were going well after a meeting in April. It was only weeks later, the board said, that Heap came back with what he called a final offer that included dozens of changes. Heap claims in the lawsuit that the board rejected his proposed agreement in late May. In a statement, America First Legal says the board separately voted on a tentative budget that shifts Heap's key duties and underfunds the recorder's office. 'From day one, Recorder Heap has been making promises that the law doesn't allow him to keep," Board Chairman Thomas Galvin said. "Arizona election statutes delineate election administration between county boards of supervisors and recorders to ensure there are checks and balances, and Recorder Heap clearly doesn't understand the responsibilities of his position.' Following President Donald Trump's 2020 loss, Maricopa County became an epicenter for election conspiracy theories. Heap has stopped short of saying the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, but he has said the state's practices for handling early ballots are insecure and has questioned how ballots are transported, handled and stored after they are submitted. Last year, Heap proposed an unsuccessful bill to remove Arizona from a multistate effort to maintain voter lists. Heap's predecessor, Stephen Richer, was rebuked in some GOP circles for defending the legitimacy of the 2020 and 2022 elections, in which Democrats including former President Joe Biden and Gov. Katie Hobbs won by razor-thin margins. Trump won Arizona in 2024, along with the other battleground states.
Hamilton Spectator
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Lawsuit centers on power struggle over elections in Arizona's most populous county
PHOENIX (AP) — The top elections official in one of the nation's most pivotal swing counties is suing the Maricopa County governing board over allegations that it's attempting to gain more control over how elections are administered. County Recorder Justin Heap filed a lawsuit Thursday in state court with the backing of America First Legal, a conservative public interest group founded by Stephen Miller, who is now the White House deputy chief of staff. Heap , a former GOP state lawmaker who has questioned election administration in Arizona's most populous county, has been at odds with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for months over an agreement that would divide election operations between the two offices. After taking office in January, Heap terminated a previous agreement that was reached between his predecessor and the board. He claimed in his lawsuit it would have restrained his power to run elections by reducing funding and IT resources for the recorder's office. Last year's agreement also gave the board authority over early ballot processing, which drew criticism from Heap in his lawsuit. Heap is asking the court to undo what the lawsuit calls 'unlawful' actions by the board and to issue an order requiring the board to fund expenses he deems necessary. 'Despite their repeated misinformation and gaslighting of the public on these issues, defending the civil right to free, fair and honest elections for every Maricopa County voter isn't simply my job as county recorder, it's the right thing to do and a mission I'm fully committed to achieving,' Heap said in a statement Thursday. The board's chair and vice chair have called the legal challenge frivolous, saying Heap is wasting taxpayer money by going to court. Negotiations between the offices have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and the board said in a statement that it appeared things were going well after a meeting in April. It was only weeks later, the board said, that Heap came back with what he called a final offer that included dozens of changes. Heap claims in the lawsuit that the board rejected his proposed agreement in late May. In a statement, America First Legal says the board separately voted on a tentative budget that shifts Heap's key duties and underfunds the recorder's office. 'From day one, Recorder Heap has been making promises that the law doesn't allow him to keep,' Board Chairman Thomas Galvin said. 'Arizona election statutes delineate election administration between county boards of supervisors and recorders to ensure there are checks and balances, and Recorder Heap clearly doesn't understand the responsibilities of his position.' Following President Donald Trump's 2020 loss, Maricopa County became an epicenter for election conspiracy theories. Heap has stopped short of saying the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, but he has said the state's practices for handling early ballots are insecure and has questioned how ballots are transported, handled and stored after they are submitted. Last year, Heap proposed an unsuccessful bill to remove Arizona from a multistate effort to maintain voter lists. Heap's predecessor, Stephen Richer , was rebuked in some GOP circles for defending the legitimacy of the 2020 and 2022 elections, in which Democrats including former President Joe Biden and Gov. Katie Hobbs won by razor-thin margins. Trump won Arizona in 2024, along with the other battleground states. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
