Apache Junction council adopts resolution urging state to respect local control of municipal rules and taxes

The Apache Junction City Council unanimously approved Resolution 25-04 on March 18, urging the Arizona Legislature to “respect local municipal government independence” and refrain from enacting laws the city says would harm municipal finances and local land-use control.

The resolution, introduced by city staff and read into the record at the council meeting, lists a series of state measures the city says have reduced or could reduce local revenue and zoning authority. It cites the 2023 enactment the resolution identifies as Senate Bill 1131, which it says eliminated municipal transaction privilege tax (TPT) on residential rentals and cost the city "approximately $1,500,000 per year," and a proposed statewide measure the resolution describes as House Concurrent Resolution 2021 that the city says could eliminate local TPT on food purchased for home consumption — for which the resolution states the city charges 2.4% and would lose "approximately $3,500,000 per year" if approved statewide.

Why it matters: City leaders said the measures under discussion at the state level constrain local governmentsability to fund…