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Thursday, May 22, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Registration Opens
8:00 AM

JLBC – State Budget Update/State Planning
9:00 AM - 9:50 AM | 1 CPE

This session will be about the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC), state budget planning, and resources available to local governments. 

Speaker:
Benjamin Beutler, Assistant Director, Joint Legislative Budget Committee

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Benjamin Beutler

Assistant Director, Joint Legislative Budget Committee

Benjamin Beutler, has worked in government finance for 14 years. He has worked for Peoria, Tempe and Glendale and is currently employed as an Assistant Director for the state Legislature’s budget office.

He is a GFOA certified public finance officer and holds degrees from Brigham Young University and University of Utah.

Benjamin has recently explored new passions such as becoming a sworn police officer for the City of Phoenix in September 2024, graduating top of his police academy class, and finishing the Hoag OC marathon at the beginning of May in under 5 hours.

Benjamin has 4 adorable children. He and his wife, Shonalee, just celebrated their 20th anniversary in April.

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Lee Grafstrom

Tax Policy Analyst, League of Arizona Cities and Towns

Lee Grafstrom, provides guidance to cities and towns on all local TPT (sales tax) issues, as well as helping with budget and finance matters. He represents municipalities before the Municipal Tax Code Commission regarding changes to the Model City Tax Code (MCTC); prepares ordinances, resolutions, and council memos for tax issues; and acts as the cities’ liaison to the Arizona Department of Revenue. Lee is a member of the City Tax Administrators Council and chairs the MCTC Review Committee working to simplify and modernize the MCTC. During the legislative session, Lee protects the financial interests of cities by analyzing bills to determine their potential impact on city revenues and procedures, preparing position papers for the League’s legislative team, testifying as a technical expert before legislative committees, and negotiating amendments and final language for tax and finance bills. Lee was the Tax Audit Supervisor for the City of Chandler for more than 14 years before joining the League in 2014. He began his career in state and local tax in 1991 as a sales tax auditor for California in their Chicago office. Lee is an Air Force veteran with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Illinois, earning his Master of Public Administration from Arizona State University.

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Jacob Johnson

Emergency Manager, Scottsdale

Jacob Johnson, As the Emergency Manager for the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, Mr. Johnson brings over 24 years of leadership in emergency management, public safety, and military operations. His expertise spans operations, planning, training, and strategic coordination in diverse environments, including local government, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Army. A certified Associate Emergency Manager®, he is skilled in developing innovative policies, training programs, and operational strategies that balance risk while achieving organizational objectives and leadership expectations.

He participated in emergency preparedness and response efforts for large-scale events such as Super Bowl LVII and the Waste Management Phoenix Open, serving as Planning Section Chief and Emergency Operations Center Manager. He is committed to fostering collaboration between city departments, public safety agencies, and community stakeholders to ensure resilience and preparedness.

Lauren Buseman

Emergency Manager, Scottsdale

Lauren Buseman, is an Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Scottsdale, where she oversees special event planning, coordinates Incident Management Team training and exercises, manages the Continuity of Operations Program, and facilitates emergency operations organization and collaboration across all city departments.

Prior to joining Scottsdale, Lauren served as an Environmental Quality Specialist with the City of Phoenix Aviation Department, focusing on regulatory compliance and environmental safety. Earlier in her career, she was a Marine Science Technician in the United States Coast Guard, responding to major oil and chemical spills across U.S. navigable waterways.

Lauren holds a master’s degree in emergency services management and has extensive Incident Command System qualifications.

Erika Coombs

Finance Manager, Scottsdale

Erika Coombs, has more than 20 years of experience in government finance, previously providing underwriting, financial advisory, placement agent and consulting services to municipalities and school districts. She joined the City of Scottsdale in fall of 2024 as the Division Finance Manager. She oversees the debt operations of the city as well as accounts payable. She is a past board member of Women in Public Finance (WPF), Arizona’s Women Leading Government, past president of the Mountain Region Chapter WPF, a board member of National Federation of Municipal Analysts MARMOT Chapter, a member of the GFOA Committee of Economic Development and Capital Planning (CEDCP) and is an active member of the programming committee for GFOA Women in Public Finance Network (WPFN). She is a graduate of Valley Leadership Institute Class 38 and Scottsdale Leadership Class 32.

Coombs is a graduate of the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree. She also holds a master’s degree in public administration from Arizona State University.

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Rob Woods

Director, Arizona Department of Revenue

Rob Woods, was appointed as Director of the Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) in March 2021, having joined the Department in January 2020 as Deputy Director. Before coming to ADOR, Rob founded the Government Transformation Office (GTO) for the State of Arizona. He led the development of the Arizona Management System (AMS) and a culture of continuous improvement across state agencies.

Prior to joining state government, Woods was a vice president at JP Morgan Chase for seven years. Rob's primary focus at Chase was driving operational improvements across several lines of business.

He has over 20 years of experience across several industries, including non-profit, financial services, and government.

Rob has an MBA from Arizona State University with a concentration in Supply Chain Management.

Travis Gallegos

Deputy Assistant Director of Processing, Arizona Department of Revenue

Travis Gallegos, currently serves as Deputy Assistant Director of Processing for the Arizona Department of Revenue, where he has spent the past eight years in a variety of roles, including Treasury Administrator, Administrative Services Officer II, and Administrative Services Officer I. His career has grown within the agency, driven by a strong commitment to public service. He is a passionate and energetic leader, focused on developing people and improving outcomes within state government.

Karen Jacobs

Acting Deputy Assistant Director, Office of Economic Research and Analysis, ADOR

Karen Jacobs, is Acting Deputy Assistant Director for the Office of Economic Research and Analysis (OERA) at the Arizona Department of Revenue. She has been employed with the State of Arizona since 1991 and has been with OERA for over 30 of those years. Karen is a member of the JLBC Finance Advisory Committee and past President of the Arizona Economic Round Table.

Christie Comanita

Deputy Assistant Director for Taxpayer Executive & Legislative Issues, ADOR

Christie Comanita, is the Deputy Assistant Director for Taxpayer Executive & Legislative Issues. Christie, a native of Ohio, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Otterbein University in Westerville, OH and a Juris Doctorate from the Ohio Northern University, Claude W Pettit College of Law, in Ada, OH. Christie began her career at the Department of Revenue in the Tax Policy Section in 1989 serving in various roles before departing to serve as the Director of Research and State Compliance for the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board from 2018 to 2024. Christie returned to the Department in her current position in 2024.

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Timothy A. Stratton

Managing Partner, The Stratton Law Firm, PLLC

Timothy A. Stratton, is an AV-preeminent rated Attorney focused on working with public entities on financings and election law for cities, counties and special districts as bond counsel. Tim also serves as underwriter counsel and bank counsel. Tim has expertise in section 103 tax controversy and municipal securities disclosure, including the preparation of Blue Sky Memoranda and disclosure policies. Tim is also a member of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools having been appointed to that office by Governor Doug Ducey. Tim has also served as a member of the State of Arizona Board of Bar Examiners.

Information

This training is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 22 at Ottawa University Arizona in Surprise (15950 N Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, AZ, 85374).

5 CPE's

$45 Members
$60 Non-Members

**includes 5 CPE credits, coffee in the morning and lunch. Parking: Included. All cancellations submitted by Friday, May 16, 2025, will receive a partial refund. All refunds will be charged a $5 cancellation fee. Please submit cancellations in writing to league@azleague.org.