The city of Apache Junction is seeking a $10 million loan from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona and a $10 million loan from the Greater Arizona Development Authority to address Weekes Wash drainage issues and acquire property.
The Apache Junction City Council voted unanimously Nov. 5 on a consent agenda with other items to approve the two loan resolutions.
WIFA is an independent state authority authorized to finance construction, rehabilitation, acquisition and improvement of water infrastructure throughout Arizona. The authority is governed by its board consisting of nine voting members appointed by the governor and legislative leadership and nine nonvoting ex-officio members representing legislative leadership and relevant agency heads, according to https://www.azwifa.gov.
GADA, established in 1997, is a financing program that leverages private financing to assist rural communities and tribal governments with the development of public infrastructure projects, according to https://azgovernor.gov.
The Apache Junction City Council discussed during an Oct. 14 work session a resolution authorizing the city to submit an application for a WIFA loan and declaring the city’s intentions to reimburse certain expenditures related to the project from loan proceeds or another source of financing.
The $10 million loan would be from WIFA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The loan could be paid back with excise taxes and state-shared revenue, according to the resolution.
The city of Apache Junction learned in 2023 that a bipartisan infrastructure law provided the city with $44.43 million in federal funds to build a flood-control facility on Weekes Wash.
The water-detention facility would be constructed near Lost Dutchman Boulevard and Goldfield Road, according to a fact sheet at the city’s website.
The WIFA funding would be used to purchase about 75 acres of state trust land for the Weekes Wash retention project, Assistant City Manager Matt Busby said during the Oct. 14 work session.
“We anticipate this portion of state land that we need to buy for the project to go to auction in the first quarter of 2025 and WIFA is an option that we’ll have to use to finance the purchase of it. This resolution authorizes up to $10 million for that purchase,” he said.
The city is also looking at other funding options to purchase the land, such as from the Greater Arizona Development Authority, Busby said.
“Without the land, there’s no building this project,” he said.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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