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Representatives from Governor's Office Inform Yuma Residents on Budget

Victor Calderón/KAWC
Matthew Gress, Director of Gov. Doug Ducey's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting, presents Ducey's Executive Budget for fiscal year 2020 at Yuma City Hall on Friday, Feb. 1, 2019.

Representatives from Governor Doug Ducey’s office were in Yuma on Friday to present area residents with details of his proposed budget for fiscal year 2020.

The governor’s budget calls for increasing the Rainy Day Fund to $1 billion, while allocating $164.7 million to fulfill and protect 20 percent teacher pay raises by 2020.

The budget also invests $637 million new dollars into K-12 public schools.

Matthew Gress, the Director of the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting, met with members of the public at Yuma City Hall.

“The governor wants us to get out to all of our Arizona counties to share what’s in his executive budget," Gress said. "The idea here is to get feedback and take it back to Phoenix and see how the budget development process unfolds.”

Gress added that the budget maintains a structural balance with a surplus of $244 million.

It now goes to the state legislature for approval.

Victor is originally from West Sacramento, California and has lived in Arizona for more than five years. He began his print journalism career in 2004 following his graduation from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Victor has been a reporter for the following daily newspapers: The Monterey County Herald, The Salinas Californian and the Reno Gazette-Journal, where he covered stories including agriculture, education and Latino community news. Victor has also served as a local editor for Patch, a national news organization with hyperlocal websites, in Carmichael, California in the Sacramento area. He also served as the editor for The New Vision, the newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, which includes Yuma and La Paz counties. Victor lives in Somerton. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends and following most sports.
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