By Jeremy Duda | Arizona Mirror
A proposal to split up Maricopa County got unanimous Republican backing in a House of Representatives committee, but doesn’t have the support of the most important GOP vote in the chamber — House Speaker Rusty Bowers.
Bowers is skeptical about House Bill 2787, which would carve Maricopa County into four new counties. He called the proposal a “cumbersome thing” that will need a lot of work and time.
“It would be rather disruptive in the short term, and I do think that having everybody discussing it will be critical to make it effective, if it ever were to happen,” Bowers, a Mesa Republican, told the Arizona Mirror.
Bowers expressed consternation about the lack of input from Maricopa County officials and the “enormous amount of change and expenditure and building new facilities” that would be required in a short amount of time. He wouldn’t say whether he’ll block the bill from coming up for a vote on the House floor, and even left the door open to supporting a future dismantling of the county.
But for now, there are too many unanswered questions for his liking.
