Arizona Daily Independent
The Arizona Attorney General, in response to a question from Senator Bob Worsley, has issued an opinion that the controversial district is exempt from the state’s gift clause. The decision paves the way for the Rio Nuevo Board to spend money at will.
Worsley, ice-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has earned a reputation for finding creative uses of public resources for private purposes, was advised of the finding in a letter on Tuesday. Attorney General Mark Brnovich wrote Worsley: “There is no statutory limitation, nor is there any provision in the authorizing agreements [1] related to the Rio Nuevo District, that affect its otherwise clear status as a “tax levying public improvement district.” Therefore, the Rio Nuevo District is subject to exemption from the Gift Clause pursuant to the Exemption Clause.”
