Councilman Greg Stanton's
Arcadia News Column
January 2003
Protecting State-Shared Revenues Keeps Important Services in our Community
As your councilman, my highest priority is ensuring that the city provide essential services that we rely on — police and fire protection, libraries, parks and much more. A portion of our city budget that is used to provide these services comes from a partnership between the city and state — this partnership is called state-shared revenues.
Every Arizona city and town relies on state-shared revenues to deliver services to the citizens of their communities. Arizona voters, through a series of initiatives dating back to the 1940s, decided that certain tax revenues should be shared with cities and towns. Their rationale was that a fixed percentage of their total tax dollars should go back to the local community that delivers the services they use the most, such as police, fire and parks. This is why they are called "state-shared" rather than "state aid." In exchange for this sharing arrangement, cities do not collect a local income tax or local luxury tax. State-shared revenues represent 34 percent of the city of Phoenix budget.
It is critical that as the state Legislature moves forward with its budget cycle that it does not harm the city's ability to provide essential services. Our community is fortunate to be represented at the Legislature by Rep. Deb Gullett. Rep. Gullett and I have been having on-going discussions regarding state-shared revenues and she agrees that state-shared revenues signify an important partnership between the state and cities. She states, "The city provides so many important services and I think the state should look elsewhere to make cuts."
State-shared revenues return your tax dollars back to the community and allows for the best uses of these funds. I will continue to work with other city officials and the Legislature to do everything I can to keep the services that add value to your lives and your community. Please support Rep. Gullett by contacting other members of the Legislature by urging them not to cut state-shared revenues.
As always, if you have comments or concerns you would like to discuss with me, please feel free to call my office at 602-262-7491 or send e-mail to greg.stanton@phoenix.gov.
