Tom Dorn, the council's lobbyist, summarized key themes from the governor's state of the state and what he said to expect as the 2026 Arizona legislative session begins. Dorn told the council the governor "called for a middle class tax cut" and recommended consideration of extending "Proposition 123." He said the governor also proposed a "$3.50 tax per night on short term rentals" intended to help affordable housing, and flagged education savings account (ESA) guardrails and rural health initiatives as topics to watch.

Dorn told council members he expects water issues, including an AMA in La Paz County, and interest in new measures targeting data centers, saying lawmakers discussed repealing certain tax credits and placing a fee on data centers "to help be put into the Colorado River Litigation Fund and any other water needs." Dorn also flagged fiscal pressures in the budget process and said the executive budget would be released this week; he advised staff will provide a summary when it is published.

The council asked how to present Kingman's priorities to the delegation. Several members called for concise one‑page packets that outline the steps and funding requests for local projects — specifically the Flying Fortress interchange, phase 2 of the city's industrial park and Kingman Crossing. Dorn recommended framing those projects as regional or statewide in significance so they attract attention from the Arizona Commerce Authority, ADOT and appropriators.

Manager Walsh and council members discussed monitoring bills that could preempt local decisionmaking — for example, ADU and short‑term rental policies enacted statewide in prior sessions. Dorn said the League of Arizona Cities and Towns and coordinated local advocacy can push back where appropriate.

No formal action or votes were taken during the work session; staff said they would prepare materials and follow up with the delegation and with the council as the budget and bill drafts become public. The council also asked staff to track any proposed legislation that could affect municipal finances or local control and to return with recommended positions and draft language when warranted.