Maricopa County's offer to pay the state $30 million in exchange for new tax referendums is a deal that appears to be without recent precedent in American governmental history.

The county is offering to help Arizona with its deficit crisis with a one-time gift of $30 million. In exchange, it wants permission from the state to ask voters to extend a one-fifth of a cent jail tax to the year 2027, as well as a sales tax referendum to fund a new hospital district and integrated health care system.

The controversy surrounding Gov. Jan Brewer’s recommendation to expand health-care coverage to low-income Arizonans could leave a casual observer with the impression that she is proposing a massive public-policy change.

Arizona’s tax burden appears to be easing this year, even as the national tax bill rises, according to a new study.

Arizona’s “tax freedom day” arrived five days earlier this year, on April 5, than it did in 2012, the Tax Foundation reported. The nation’s tax-freedom day comes five days later this year, on April 18, the Tax Foundation reported.

PHOENIX – When Alexis Bristor graduates from Arizona State University in December with a degree in film and media production, she plans to pack her bags and head straight to Hollywood.

“There’s a few editing places around Arizona, but they aren’t really doing the kind of things I want to do with my career,” Bristor said. “They’re usually focusing on family films or promotional videos kind of a thing for local companies and stuff like that, whereas I want to be making films.”

Hoping to lure more movies, TV shows and commercials, state lawmakers are moving to once again provide income tax credits for those who produce them in Arizona.

The legislation unanimous adopted Wednesday by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Energy and Military would provide up to $70 million a year to companies that spend at least $250,000 on productions. They could get credits equal to at least 20 percent of what they spend, with bonuses for using state-certified production facilities and for wages paid to Arizona residents.

The debate over Maricopa County’s fiscal 2014 budget and property taxes has begun, with the new Board of Supervisors seated and already delving into budget issues.

As those discussions unfold — the new county budget will be adopted in June and the property-tax levy set in August — county supervisors must start to weigh the political consequences of raising the property-tax rate, cutting the county budget or doing a little of both.