Talk of the economy followed Gov. Jan Brewer wherever she went Tuesday as she met with community leaders in Coconino and Navajo counties.

Everyone from the Coconino County Board of Supervisors to Northern Arizona University President John Haeger wanted answers to the state's floundering economy.

With details of the federal stimulus still emerging and the 2010 state budget still being hammered out, Brewer conceded answers are in short supply right now.

"Our office is monitoring (the federal stimulus package) between the feds and the state to see what is coming our way. At this time we don't have a lot of detail on it," Brewer said.

One aspect, Brewer said, would be better understood after President Barack Obama unveils today in Phoenix a $50 billion program to modify mortgages for troubled homeowners. Arizona has been one of the states hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis.

"We will learn a little bit more about the stimulus package, at least in the housing aspect," Brewer said.

The governor continues to be wary of accepting the federal funds without reviewing the terms. She suggested the conditions in accepting the stimulus might cost the state more than the money is worth.

"We know money is coming and it will be appropriated equally by whatever formula the federal government comes up with," Brewer said. "However, it is very much encumbered — there are strings attached. We must be very careful of how and what we do with that money."

Brewer wouldn't say whether that might include the state refusing portions of the stimulus package.

"I don't want to comment on that right now — I think I need to look at it right now and see exactly what it is," she said. "I am open to the stimulus money — there are people that aren't — but I think it is something we need to look at."

Brewer predicted the federal bailout would not be enough to make up for the state's estimated multimillion-dollar budget short fall in the next fiscal year.

"We have a 3-point-something, maybe $3.5 billion deficit, of which the stimulus dollars won't address at all," she said. "We cannot count on the stimulus package to bail us out of this."

The Republican remains committed to at least reviewing the option of a temporary one-cent sales tax, despite resistance from her own party. She said the budget crisis was too severe to dismiss any idea and said the state cannot rely solely on budget cuts.

"Every option is on the table. We are going to either cut severely services to people, programs people depend on and education or we come up with another solution," Brewer said. "There are possibilities that people will bring innovative ideas up to the table. But I am saying at this point and time, as the leader and the governor of the state, that I will listen to all possible remedies."

Locally, Brewer met at noon with county supervisors, members of the Flagstaff City Council, the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce and NAU's Haeger, as well as the Flagstaff 40, a local business group.

Haeger met with Brewer privately for 20 minutes, primarily discussing remedies to the current budget.

"We talked about working our way through the budget stimulus problems," Haeger said. He did not elaborate.

Brewer followed her meetings with a tour of the Joy Cone Ice Cream manufacturing plant.

Her day started with a breakfast meeting in Show Low with elected officials from Navajo County, including city and town council members, the county board of supervisors and members of the Northland Pioneer College Governing Board.

Joe Ferguson can be reached at jferguson@azdailysun.com or 556-2253.