ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
schools; energy savings
calculation
Purpose
Repeals the section of law
that allows school districts to budget for energy reduction adjustments.
Background
State law allows school
districts to request energy reduction adjustments when implementing energy
conservation measures that result in a reduction to the district’s excess
utilities expenditures. The budget
year’s excess utilities are required to be less than the base year’s excess
utilities in order for districts to include the energy reduction adjustment as
part of their budget. The base year is
defined as the year immediately prior to the year in which conservation
measures were implemented. One-half of
the reduction can be added to the school district’s general budget limit, which
applies to the base year and the year prior to the budget year; the remaining
one-half of the reduction is required to be used to offset local property taxes
within each district.
Twenty-three school
districts in Arizona budgeted for the energy reduction adjustment for FYs 2000
and 2001, totaling a budget request to the Department of Education of
approximately $1.6 million. The
Department of Education eliminated some of the requesting districts from
receiving additional monies since eligibility requirements were not met in all
cases. As a result, the actual amount
for those qualifying districts is approximately $659,000 for FY 2001.
There is no fiscal impact to
the state general fund associated with this bill.
Provisions
1. Repeals the section of law that allows school districts to budget for energy reduction adjustments.
2. Makes a conforming change.
3. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
January 23, 2001