Pima County’s HURF monies swept away
For years, Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry and the Democrats on the Pima County Board of Supervisors have complained that Arizona’s Republican-controlled legislature has “swept” HURF funds away from struggling counties leaving them with little to maintain their roads, when in fact, only 4% of those funds have actually been swept away by the legislature since 1997. This has been a convenient excuse for the Pima County Board of Supervisors in order to hide behind their neglect of one of the most basic services of county government.
They were swept away, but not by the Legislature.
HURF funds are gas tax dollars set aside for road repair and maintenance across Arizona. While those funds are shrinking due to better fuel economy in newer vehicles and the rising popularity of electric vehicles, over $841 million in HURF revenue has been received by Pima County since 1994. Of this, only $34 million total was swept by the state legislature over the last 12 years. This amounts to a drop in the bucket relative to the funds received.
Chuck Huckelberry and the Board of Supervisor’s solution to this problem….pass a resolution to increase your gas tax by 10 cents a gallon. District 1 Supervisor Ally Miller was the lone vote against this gas tax.
To read more: Pima County’s HURF monies swept away, click here.