School District Won’t Seek Override In ‘08
School Board’s tie vote kills proposal for November ballot
By Meghan McCoy
The News
APACHE JUNCTION— The Apache Junction Unified School District (AJUSD) governing board could not come to an agreement over the issue of placing a Maintenance & Operations (M&O) Budget Override question on the November ballot for voters to address.
   At their monthly board meeting last Tuesday, June 10, 2008, the question resulted in a 2-2 tie vote regarding the adoption of a resolution for a special budget override election in November 2008. The tie vote means the issue failed and the question of the Override will not be on the ballot this year.
   The question failed following a lengthy discussion by board members at both the study session and regular board meeting last Tuesday. The failed item needed to be decided by July 7, 2008 according to state law. President Lucy Young and Board Member Pat McNamara School District Won’t Seek Override In ‘08 School Board’s tie vote kills proposal for November ballot were in favor of a M&O Budget Override being brought before voters in November, while Board Member Deborah Skinner and Vice President Wendy Moore voted against the issue. Board member Dan Scott was not present at the meeting.
   The M&O override was first implemented in 1999, after the district asked voters for help in downsizing classrooms that were averaging 40 to 45 students per class. In 2003 the M&O override was renewed by voters. In May and November of last year the M&O override was rejected by voters leaving the district to begin slashing the budget with a three-year phase out of $950,000 each year beginning with the 2008-2009 school year.

See A-1 and See Override A-3

Council To Hold Budget Hearing
Revenues down— City tightens belt
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
APACHE JUNCTION- The Apache Junction City Council will hold a public hearing this week regarding the proposed final budget for fiscal year 2008-2009. The Hearing will be held during a special meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 17. The regular City Council meeting will follow.
   As previously reported, even though city tax revenue declined 6.5% from $26.2 million to $24.5 million in the past fiscal year, Apache Junction city staff will see no layoffs or cutbacks in programs for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. However, they will not receive cost of living or step increases, according to the proposed budget.
   “The economy has suffered and this organization has not escaped what the larger economy is experiencing,” said City Manager George Hoffman during a special City Council meeting Tuesday, May 13. “The core objective of this proposed budget is to minimize the reduction in the provide to our citizens. As a service industry, we rely on people to provide programs and services.”
   During a June 3 special meeting, the City Council members thanked city staff for eschewing cuts in a tight budget year. Regular meeting
   The consent agenda for the regular meeting calls for the approval of Resolution No. 08-17: Authority to submit a Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) grant application. During the June 2 City Council meeting, staff was directed to begin preparation of a TEA-21 grant application for a landscaping and scenic beautification project on the Idaho Road exit of the Superstition Freeway/ U.S. 60.

See A-1 and See City Budget A-3

Final Segment Of Loop 202 To Open
Grand opening celebration July 15
By Jill Jones
The News
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) will be hosting the “Roundin’ Out the Red Mountain” grand opening celebration on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 signifying completion of the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) in addition to the conclusion of freeway projects funded by Proposition 300.
   The final segments of the Red Mountain Freeway between Broadway Road and University Drive and between University Drive and Power Road are in the final stages, with the rubberized asphalt being installed over the next few weeks.
   The new section of freeway between Power Road and University Drive will include exits at Brown; McKellips; and McDowell roads and will also include roundabouts at the McKellips and Brown road exits.
   The grand opening celebration will be held on Tuesday, July 15 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the nearly five-mile long section of freeway between Power Road and University Drive. Community members are invited to join in the festivities, which will include an opening ceremony and ribbon cutting along with an ADOT Fun Run/Bike Ride and ADOT Road Show. The public parking entrance to the event will be located at McDowell Road and Loop 202.
   The Red Mountain Freeway, along with the Loop 101, State Route 51 and the Loop 202 Santan Freeway, was funded through the Proposition 300 one-half sales tax approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985.
   Local businesses and organizations are encouraged to set up exhibits or donate services for the ADOT event. If you are interested in becoming an exhibitor or donor, please visit
http:// www.azdot.gov/Highways/ valley_freeways/Loop_202/ red_mountain/index.asp.
   For additional information on the freeway and the celebration visit the ADOT web site at www.azdot.gov/valleyfreeways.

AJ Summer Baseball Rolling With New Coach
By Chuck Baker
The News
The Prospector baseball team may have gotten a late start to the summer while the search for a new head coach was going on but they go things rolling this past week with scrimmage games against teams from Chandler Hamilton and Gilbert Perry.
   The new coach at AJHS, Preston English, was announced on June 6 in a press release issued by AJUSD and later that same day, English was out on the baseball field conducting a team practice.
   This past Tuesday, the AJHS baseball team played Hamilton and despite holding an early 3-2 lead, the Prospectors fell 10-7 as Hamilton came up with a six-run, fifth inning.

Nick Saathoff went 2-for-2 at the plate for Apache Junction and also reached base on a walk. Martin Fahey went 1-for-2 and drove in a pair of runs, Ryan Sparks went 1-for-4 and also knocked in two runs and David Sandoval added a single.
   Facing Perry on Wednesday of last week, Apache Junction was up 5-0 after scoring two runs in the top half of the fifth inning but Perry came back to score twice in the last of the fifth and then added five runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 7-5 lead.

See C-1 and see Baseball, C-3