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Payson council narrowly endorses League of Arizona Cities and Towns legislative priorities, 4–3
Summary
The Payson Common Council adopted Resolution 2026‑005 to endorse the League of Arizona Cities and Towns’ 2026 legislative priorities and core principles. Some members said the League’s priorities are too broad or oriented to larger cities; staff said the resolution is nonbinding and helps towns coordinate at the state level.
The Payson Common Council voted 4–3 on Feb. 11 to adopt a resolution endorsing the League of Arizona Cities and Towns’ 2026 legislative priorities and core principles.
Opponents said the League’s positions are broad and sometimes reflect big-city priorities rather than rural needs. “I’m not in a position where I want to authorize anybody to take any action or other such actions to advance priorities… that I do not agree with,” said Committee member (S5) during debate. Other council members and staff countered that the resolution is nonbinding, helps the town be represented at the state level and provides staff authority to speak on general municipal issues when appropriate.
Staff explained the practical benefits of the League’s advocacy, citing the Wayfair sales-tax issue as an example where League advocacy helped protect municipal revenue. “So if it's something that we think is gonna be a problem for us, we’ll go in a comment… and I can understand totally where you're coming from,” staff member (S3) said, describing how the League aggregates municipal priorities and offers training for elected officials.
After a period of discussion, Council member (S12) moved to accept the item from the consent agenda; the motion carried 4–3. The resolution is nonbinding and staff told council they would still consult the body before taking action on specific local issues.
Next steps: The resolution allows town staff to align with League positions on statewide issues when authorized; any specific local action or formal lobbying would be returned to council for direction.
