The Arizona House has approved legislation that would bypass concerns from nearby towns to the incorporation of a growing Pinal County area known as San Tan Valley.
House Bill 2088 by Republican Rep. Eddie Farnsworth passed on a 40-20 vote on Tuesday. A Senate version of the bill is set for a committee hearing on Wednesday.
The bill removes a legal provision allowing an existing city or town within six miles of a proposed incorporation to block it. Farnsworth says opposition has kept the more than 100,000 residents in San Tan Valley from becoming a city.
Florence and Apache Junction and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns oppose the change. The League says the 6-mile rule keeps existing cities from being hemmed in and has worked well for decades.
