County manager previews CDBG opportunity and local capital projects

Dustin Welker, Graham County manager, told the board the county will soon begin the local process for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) award administered regionally and that a SEGO (Southeastern Arizona intergovernmental organization) representative will present details at the board’s February meeting.

Welker said the regional CDBG program supports public infrastructure (water, wastewater, streets), community facilities (parks, clinics, libraries, senior and youth centers), housing and public services, and typically targets financially disadvantaged communities or ADA‑qualified projects. "We'll get about $201,291,000," Welker said at the meeting; the figure was presented verbally during the update.

Welker also reported local economic indicators: county sales tax receipts in January were up 12.4% year‑over‑year and state‑shared revenues were up about 16.4% year‑over‑year. He provided brief operational updates on county projects including a walk‑in freezer and cooler at the jail (panel delivery delay), bid results for the commons building (two bids received, both under budget), an upcoming bid for a shade structure at the fairgrounds and conduit work for LED lights at field 3.

Welker said the next step for the CDBG effort is a kickoff brainstorm at the February meeting, when SEGO will outline eligible projects and the schedule. The board did not take final action on CDBG at this meeting.