Apache Junction seeks to continue to swap years it receives CDBG funding
Arianna Grainey
The Apache Junction City Council is to vote on the agreement at the Tuesday, March 17, meeting. It begins at 7 p.m. in the council chambers 300 E. Superstition Blvd.
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CDBG funding
Community development block grants funds support low- and moderate-income residents. The grants address slum and blight, and meet urgent community needs.
Funds proposed to be used for projects in fiscal year 2025 were:
• A nuisance abatement program with property cleanup and remediation to address blight and safety risks.
• Apache Villa subdivision pedestrian rehabilitation for ADA-compliant sidewalk and ramp upgrades for accessibility and safety.
The city of Apache Junction is slated to enter into an agreement with Gila County to alternate funding years for community development block grants.
Alternating the grant cycle with the county allows the city to apply for a larger combined allocation in a single year. In fiscal year 2025, the city received $156,000 in CDBG funds, Grants Manager Jeremy Johnson told the council March 3.
It is the third such two-year agreement the city would have with Gila County to alternate the grant cycle, he said.
Central Arizona Governments, which distributes the grants in Gila and Pinal counties from the Arizona Department of Housing, has authorized the procedure for switching funding years, it states in a proposed resolution document.
“This allows one jurisdiction to apply for one combined allocation in a single year rather than getting funds annually,” Johnson said.
Under the proposed arrangement, the city applied in fiscal year 2025 and Gila County would apply in fiscal year 2026, he said.
“So this benefits the city. It allows us to apply for a larger amount of funding. It’s a stronger and more competitive application process,” Johnson said.
The Apache Junction City Council is to vote on the agreement at the Tuesday, March 17, meeting. It begins at 7 p.m. in the council chambers 300 E. Superstition Blvd.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.
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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