TO: Mayor Collins and Town Council Members
FROM: Kevin Burke, Town Manager
Dawn Marie Buckland, Deputy Town Manager
DATE: October 26, 2017
DEPARTMENT: Town Manager
Staff Contact Dawn Marie Buckland, 480.348.3555
End
AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Recognition of State Legislators for the 2017 Legislative Session
Body
Council Goals
Strengthen relationship with the State Legislature
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
In the 2017 legislative session, 1,079 bills were introduced in the Arizona Senate and House. 355 of these were passed and sent to Governor Ducey, and 344 were signed into law. The League of Arizona Cities and Towns estimates that more than 25% of these affect cities and towns.
Our State Legislature is tasked with the unenviable responsibility of balancing many diverse, and at times conflicting interests amongst a variety of stakeholders. Often legislation is introduced to resolve a problem, yet careful consideration is required to ensure that the resolution of one problem does not result in the creation of another.
The Town of Paradise Valley is in Legislative District 28 (LD28). The LD28 delegation, comprised of Senator Kate Brophy McGee, Representative Maria Syms, and Representative Kelli Butler, reflected great credit upon themselves and the community that they serve. They were earnest, diligent, and judicious in their efforts not only to pass legislation that was in the best interests of Paradise Valley residents and resorts, but also to ensure that the right stakeholders were at the table to develop and implement mutually beneficial solutions.
Senator Kate Brophy McGee, well known for her commitment to families, education, and healthcare, fought tirelessly to protect cities and towns from both intentional and unintended consequences in innumerable bills, including those related to construction sales tax, photo radar, state shared revenue, small cell and other right of way issues, unfunded mandates, and consolidated election requirements. She worked closely with bill sponsors, other legislators, and stakeholders to ensure that language meant to resolve specific issues did not in turn cause harm to cities and towns. In the midst of the final moments of the session, Senator Brophy McGee offered an elegant plea to her colleagues to fully engage cities and towns in the development of legislation from its inception, affirming that it falls to the cities and towns to truly provide essential public services.
Representative Maria Syms facilitated meetings with key legislators to ensure critical Paradise Valley interests were taken into consideration in the development of new legislation, particularly related to construction sales tax. When legislation was introduced that would prohibit the use of photo enforcement as a public safety tool, Representative Syms, while acknowledging her personal distaste for photo enforcement, responded to the feedback from her district by voting no, and emphatically addressed her commitment to the constituents she serves.
Representative Kelli Butler studiously analyzed countless bills, ensuring she thoroughly understood the impacts each would pose. She was a key player and contributor in many areas, particularly education and healthcare. Empathetic to the well-being of first responders, she also displayed great courage in questioning presumptions of causation for cardiac and cancer events to ensure a balanced perspective was represented.
These few examples are indicative of the daily commitment the delegates of LD28 displayed throughout the legislative session. The cumulative result of these efforts are bills that were passed into law without many of the intended consequences that had threatened key attributes of Paradise Valley quality of life.
The Mayor will read a common proclamation (Attachment 1) to the LD28 representatives and present each with an individualized version of the proclamation (attachments 2-4) during the presentation.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Proclamations