Mojave County officials this week seem to have agreed that the county needs to speak up in the state legislature about local water issues. I voted to continue my partnership with the political consulting firm High Ground.
On Tuesday, the Mojave County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 in favor of continuing the partnership with the Phoenix-based company under a contract that has been going on since 2017. Negotiate possible modifications to that $10,000 monthly contract.
“I think the Capitol needs lobbyists,” said Ron Gould, Mojave County Supervisor and former Arizona Senator. “We are the ones who oppose the rest of the state … I don’t think we should let the lobbying contract expire at this time of the year. It will conclude.”
More than 1,500 bills have been introduced in state legislatures this year. And with freshman lawmakers now making up more than 50% of the governing body after the 2022 election, Gould avoided the idea of changing horses along the way.
“We need representation there,” said Gould. “(The legislators) are very busy during the session…they have their hands full and their interests may not be the same as ours. I know that in many ways it wasn’t the same as the interest of the[Mojave County]Oversight Board — because I didn’t work for the board, I worked for the voters, so we It’s good to have your own people there.”
According to Mojave County Supervisor Travis Lingenfelter, local legislators have rallied for Mojave County’s interests on water issues and have worked closely with High Ground to pursue those interests.
For six years, HighGround has lobbied on state legislative issues specifically related to water rights and conservation in Mojave County.
Last year, HighGround helped the county pursue groundwater protection in the Hualapai Gorge Groundwater Sub-Bass. This basin was Kingman’s primary source of water, and was predicted to be unusable within the next 100 years. The basin was protected by state authorities last year as a no-irrigation extension area. This process was initiated by communication between HighGround and the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
The company also has a pending water transfer agreement that includes the potential transfer of more than 2,000 acre-feet per year of its fourth priority Colorado River water rights from Cibola-based GSC Farms to the city of Queen Creek in central Arizona. Lobbying against.
HighGround is currently pursuing multiple bills through the state legislature, including HB 2374, which was introduced by Mohave County Representative Leo Biasiucci. The measure is expected to generate revenue for Arizona’s waterway communities under the state’s Lake Improvement Fund.
The company will also lobby in favor of HB 2372 proposed by Biasiucci this year. This suspends all future proposed transfers of water rights to the Colorado River until Lake Mead’s water level rises above his 1,090 feet. As of Tuesday, these water levels remained at 1,047.64 feet, about 20 feet lower than the reading on February 21 last year.
A discussion Tuesday by the Mojave County Board of Supervisors was criticized earlier this month over how much the consultant’s services could justify the cost to county taxpayers. Mojave County Supervisor Buster Johnson said in a statement earlier this month that the county has spent nearly $1 million on his ongoing contract with HighGround, which has paid off little over the past six years.
At the board’s Feb. 7 meeting, supervisor Gene Bishop appeared to voice her own doubts about whether HighGround’s services are worth the $10,000 monthly cost to county taxpayers.
HighGround Senior Vice President Nick Ponder addressed the board of directors on Tuesday.
“There were 1,625 bills introduced this year,” Ponder said. “In the last three years, perhaps more bills have been introduced, submitted or proposed than ever before. It’s something we’re doing in a particular legislative session…but one thing I can say is that one of the issues that everyone cares about is water.”
When HighGround’s contract was last discussed by the county’s governing board on Feb. 14, Ponder says HighGround officials were speaking to Colorado River stakeholders on behalf of Mojave County.
“We’ve been doing county business,” Ponder said Tuesday. appreciate.”
HighGround has not always been successful in regulating or advocating water rights in Mojave County, but the county has a statewide reputation for its efforts to protect and maintain the Colorado River and its associated water rights.
“Whenever water, especially groundwater and Colorado water, is discussed, Mojave County is one of the first counties mentioned in the area,” said Ponder. “I think we are proud of what we have proposed. We will continue our efforts, and they are not in vain. But without advocacy in the Capitol, I think that’s a problem.”
The Mojave County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 in favor of continuing the county’s continuing contract with HighGround Inc at a board meeting in Kingman on Tuesday. The only person who opposed the decision was Lake Havasu City Supervisor Buster Johnson.
