PIMA — Pima Town Manager Vernon Batty had bad news, good news and wishful news for the town during Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.
The bad news was that attempts by U.S. Senators Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., to get $1 million in discretionary funding to the town for a road to the new high school had not succeeded.
The wishful news was that U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., was making an attempt at the discretionary funding in the House, his second attempt after his request was cut from this year’s budget.
But the good news came courtesy of two representatives of Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, who attended the ribbon-cutting for the improvements to 8th Street in Thatcher on Aug. 4.
“They told me that I should be getting an e-mail soon with documents to sign, to make it official that the Governor’s Office will kick in $1 million for the school road,” Batty said.
The funding will come through the Rural Fire Capacity Grant Program.
It’s the second large grant Hobbs secured for Southeastern Arizona. Last week, she was in San Simon to present a grant for $1.5 million for a new well to ensure the community has reliable access to water.
– Contributed Photo/Arizona Governor’s Office
Batty added that the plans for the sewer lines to serve the new high school are complete and the project will soon go out to bid.
Classes started last week at the new high school on Ash Creek near U.S. Highway 70, and the opening will be celebrated with a Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting Friday, Aug. 15, at 9 a.m.
