The Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties for Stable Economic Growth (Coalition), a non-profit corporation, is made up of five counties in Arizona: Apache, Cochise, Gila, Graham, and Greenlee; ten counties in New Mexico: Catron, Chaves, Eddy, Harding, Hidalgo, Lincoln, McKinley, Sierra, Rio Arriba, and Roosevelt; and has representation from the timber, livestock, mining, small business, farming, sportsman, trapping and outfitter industries. Representation currently exceeds 425,167 in population. The objectives of the Coalition are: (1) to address erosion of private property ownership and rights; and (2) to reduce the loss of multiple use lands to single use management. Through these objectives, the members of the Coalition can protect their citizens and their economic base. The Coalition has given countless training sessions on land use planning, the NEPA, ESA, Forest and BLM land use planning. In addition, the Coalition provides regular assistance to member counties, when requested, for ordinance drafting, land planning, federal and state agency actions and lobbying efforts.
Gila County joined the Coalition in 1994 and began paying membership dues each year up through 2019. From 1994 through 2016, Gila County was a voting member on the Coalition. In 2016, Gila County stopped being a voting member because the Intergovernmental Agreement was not signed by Gila County.
On July 1, 2016, four counties in Arizona and eight counties in New Mexico entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement entitled "Intergovernmental Agreement Regarding the Exercise of Joint Powers for the Operation of the Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties for Stable Economic Growth" (IGA) in order to coordinate mutual efforts to preserve and protect the viability of local economies and to take legal or other steps necessary to protect local economies in rural counties of Arizona and New Mexico. At that time, Gila County, Sierra County and Rio Arriba County did not execute the IGA; however, Sierra County and Rio Arriba County are in the process of getting the IGA signed. The term of the IGA began on April 1, 2016, and expires on December 31, 2025.
Each year, members of the Board of Supervisors are provided the opportunity to serve on other boards, committees and organizations by virtue of their membership on the Board of Supervisors. They are elected/appointed by their peers to represent the interests of Gila County, including representation on the Coalition.
On April 16, 2019, this agenda item was presented to the Board of Supervisors to approve the IGA. At that time,
County Manager James Menlove mentioned that he placed the item on the meeting agenda late in the process, so the County Attorney's Office has not had sufficient time to thoroughly review the IGA and staff report to give an opinion for approval or disapproval. He suggested that the Board may want to table this item to the May 7th Board meeting to allow the attorneys ample time to review the IGA. The Board unanimously voted to table approval of the IGA to the May 7th Regular Meeting. |