Budgets & Funding

Peoria’s $695M Fiscal Year 2022 tentative budget has been approved by City Council. The budget represents a 4.5 percent increase from FY 2021. Council will likely approve the final budget May 18th. The City’s $835.6M …

Yuma County’s proposed budget for FY 2021-2022 has come out as $464M, up 58 percent from the year before. No property tax increase was recommended. Assessed property values increased by $79M, up 6.15 percent. New …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News New PPP Extension Leads to Pushing for Bigger Loans The House last week passed the PPP Extension Act of 2021. If approved and signed into law, the measure will extend …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News Pinal to Get $90M in New Relief Funds The $1.9T American Rescue Plan will send more than $90M to Pinal County. Casa Grande, Maricopa and other cities will receive additional …

By Arizona Department of Transportation   Governor Doug Ducey today announced $230M in new transportation infrastructure investments that will enhance highway safety and meet the demand of new residents moving to Arizona.   The funding comes from transportation dollars, including higher …

Economic News  Shorter Leases = More Difficult Underwriting  Among the ongoing debates and difficulties facing the future of the office market in what wake of the ongoing pandemic, many tenants are opting for shorter lease …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News What’s in the New Relief Package? The recently signed 5,500-page-plus stimulus and relief measure includes another $284B in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans, new treatment for PPP expenses, simplified forms, grants for live events …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News Trump Signs Relief Package President Donald Trump has signed off on a $900B pandemic relief package. In addition to the COVID-related spending, the bill also includes $1.4T to continue government …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News Washington Finally Advances New Relief Following months of back and forth squabbling, negotiators in Washington announced an agreement to issue nearly $1T in new COVID-19 economic relief and stimulus. Included …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News  Glendale Wants to Use CARES Act Funds for Homelessness  Glendale’s Community Services Department has proposed a pilot program to curb homelessness by devoting $3.2M of a one-time grant fund through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News  Expiring Aid Could Create Eviction Explosion  An end to aid for renters could lead to a spike in evictions for Arizona renters. Maricopa County has run out of funds in its $30M …

Economic News  Good News in Affordable Housing  A recent report from MRI Software offers some hope for the affordable housing sector. Rent payments last month reached past 80 percent year-over-year for the first time since June. Payments rose to 82 …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News  Phoenix May Extend Sky Harbor Rent Relief  Having already reduced rents for concession companies at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport through the end of the year, Phoenix City Council wants to ensure companies are …

By Tasha Anderson for AZBEX  While the final results have yet to be confirmed, bond issues from Arizona’s November 3rd elections appear to be a mix of approvals and rejections. In all, approximately $361.1M in bonds are …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News  New Aid Announced as Eviction Ban Ends  Just as Arizona’s moratorium on tenant evictions ends, Gov. Doug Ducey’s office has announced $7M in new aid for renters and landlords. The Rental Property Owner Preservation …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News  Glendale Introduces Landlord, Tenant Relief  The Glendale City Council approved a program designed to help tenants and property owners apply for assistance if they’ve been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The Property Owner …

Economic News  Phoenix Commercial Leasing Remains Bogged Down  Phoenix CRE is slogging away amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with some deals continuing to move forward but many major deals remaining stalled. Andrew Cheney, principal for Lee & Associates, says almost any …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News  SBA Makes Some Smaller Loan Forgiveness Easier  The Small Business Administration released a streamlined Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness application for some loans under $50K — but small-business groups and experts say it still leaves …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News  Tempe Launches $1.1M Small Business Grant Program  The City of Tempe has allocated $1.1M to create the Tempe Small Business Grant Program to help businesses impacted by COVID-19. The program will assist small businesses with up to …

By Peter Aleshire for Payson Roundup  Gila County is seeking a bond issue to pay off a $15.6M debt to the state retirement system for sheriff’s deputies, detention officers and dispatchers, Supervisor Woody Cline told the Payson Tea Party during a …

Economic News  No-Anchor Retail Could Be Better Bet  Conventional wisdom would dictate that in times of economic turbulence, a retail landlord might prefer to have an anchor tenant that offers essential services, like a grocery …

By Tasha Anderson for AZBEX  Approximately $700M worth of Arizona K-12 school district bond measures will be on the Tuesday, November 3rd ballot, a significant decrease from the record-breaking $1.6B total request from 2019.  The largest bond requests are once again coming from Maricopa County, with Pinal County again at …

Budget, Policy & Stimulus News  Gilbert to Start Spending Relief Funds  Gilbert will begin spending some of its nearly $30M in coronavirus relief funding, three months after the town received the money. The Town Council will spend $18M …