US border-security cash leaves towns on the hook
Brady McCombs and Stephen Ceasar
The Arizona Star
November 16, 2009
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Federal grant money from Operation Stonegarden may seem like a windfall for the cities and counties that have eagerly accepted it.
But the funds have not been totally free — and in some communities taxpayers will be obligated for decades.
City and county governments had to foot the bill for mileage and maintenance — and employee-related expenses in some cases — during the first two-year grant cycle. Officials at the 10 state agencies included in the Arizona Daily Star’s investigation couldn’t provide actual costs and declined to estimate, but it likely cost an estimated $910,000 statewide, according to calculations done by the Star.
November 16, 2009