By Melissa St. Aude | Casa Grande Dispatch
If the Pinal Local Water Group is successful in finding an alternative to an Arizona Department of Water Resources plan to end agricultural extinguishment credits, members are hopeful they’ll be united in their final recommendation to the water agency.
The group met Tuesday and members debated whether a simple majority of 50 percent plus one vote would be an acceptable outcome, once a recommendation is reached.
“Simple majority doesn’t sound very strong to me,” said group Chairman Steve Miller, who is a Pinal County supervisor.
While some members said a super majority representing two-thirds of the group would be acceptable, most suggested the final recommendation to the water agency should be a unanimous one.
“The more we can educate ourselves and unify ourselves, the better,” member Scott Riggins told the group.
Member Grant Ward said the original subcommittee that made the extinguishment credit phase- out recommendation to ADWR was unanimous in its opinion.
“It was decided early on with the last committee to be unanimous or walk away,” Ward said. The current group should also try to be unanimous, he said.
Member Dick Powell, a Casa Grande businessman and City Council member, said either a super majority or a unanimous recommendation would “convey strength of vote” and confidence.
The independent 15-member group is tasked with reviewing a controversial ADWR plan to gradually eliminate agricultural extinguishment credits. The credits represent groundwater and are held by farmers until farm land is retired. They may then be sold to housing developers and used to demonstrate a 100-year assured water supply.
