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Visit the Knowledge at W.P. Carey website for additional information on their recent 2030 Growth Panel, including the challenges of growth, innovative thinking to meet Arizona's growth challenges, and a message from former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta.
NACo Conference Focuses on Health Care, Solar Energy
The National Association of Counties (NACo) brought its Board of Directors to Arizona this week. NACo President and Maricopa County Supervisor Don Stapley, along with Supervisors Liz Archuleta (Coconino) and Tom White (Apache), represented Arizona at the event. The conference opened Wednesday with a forum on health care reform, where county officials from around the U.S. came together to discuss the challenges faced by counties as they interact with the nation's health care system. President Stapley opened the forum by welcoming the participants and saying he was "proud of what we have accomplished in health care reform in Maricopa County." The forum covered a wide range of topics, from efficiencies and patient satisfaction to universal health coverage and electronic medical records.
On Thursday, the conference focus turned to green government initiatives. Maricopa County Planning and Development Director Joy Rich and Sustainability Coordinator Jonce Walker showcased the steps the county has recently taken to make the county "as a business, and as a government, more green and more efficient." Ms. Rich began by describing the county's solar energy initiatives, stating "Our direction has been to help create the most consumer-friendly environment around for solar, and streamline the permitting and planning processes as much as possible." Mr. Walker went on to describe the county's broader sustainability plan, which includes steps to green the counties practices in planning, solid waste, transportation and many other departments. Mr. Walker reported that from increasing hazardous waste disposal opportunities for residents to switching to a biodiesel transportation fleet, the county had made great strides in improving both the efficiency and the environmental footprint of Maricopa County. Maricopa County representatives also said that supervisors were considering a plan, much like the one already passed in Boulder County, Colorado, to make financing available to people wishing to install solar on their homes.  Maricopa County Manager David R. Smith was recently elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), and was inducted into the Academy on November 20."This is a great honor and is a well-deserved recognition of Mr. Smith's work," said Maricopa County Chairman Andy Kunasek. "We're proud of him and glad to have him honored nationally by his peers."
Smith has served as Maricopa County Manager since 1994, and moved the county from dire financial straits and a reputation for ineffective government to one that has high bond ratings and is more responsive to the needs of its citizens. Under the direction of the board of supervisors, his leadership led to the creation of the Human Services Campus, which provides Phoenix's growing homeless population with access to resources for housing, health care, and employment.
The National Academy of Public Administration Fellows are the Academy's primary vehicle for addressing emerging issues and contributing to the intellectual and popular discourse on government. The principal criterion for selection is a sustained and outstanding contribution to the field of public administration through public service or scholarship.
Click here to see David Smith's recent appearance on PBS' Horizon.
Top Despite numerous rumors that a special legislative session would begin next Monday to address the ongoing state budget deficit, a budget agreement has not been reached and legislators have been told they are not required to travel to the Capitol, after all. Budget negotiations continue, however, and many believe a special session to address at least a portion of the projected $1.2 billion deficit is still likely sometime before the end of the year.
Though a budget solution has not been agreed upon, legislative leaders have taken steps to prepare for the 2009 regular legislative session. Senate President-elect Bob Burns (R-9) released the membership rosters for Senate standing committees this week, and House Speaker-elect Kirk Adams (R-19) announced House committee memberships today.
Among the most notable developments on the Senate side is President-elect Burns' decision to chair the Rules Committee himself, and the elimination of the Senate Transportation Committee.
The elimination of a separate committee for transportation issues led Senate leadership to indicate that transportation-related proposals may be directed through the new Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Public Debt Committee, which will be chaired by Senator-elect John Nelson (R-12).
The Senate Appropriations Committee will be chaired by Senator-elect Russell Pearce (R-18), and the membership will be composed of seven Republicans and four Democrats. There have been signals that this year the Appropriations Committee will assume more responsibility in creating a budget for consideration by the entire Senate.
The House committee assignments provided few surprises, and are structured very similarly to last year's committees.
 An editorial in today's Arizona Republic says that Click here to read the editorial.
 A new report from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) continues the dismal picture of state revenues: October collections were $600 million lower than they were in October of 2007, and came in at $121 million below initial forecasts. Local governments are watching these numbers closely since the state trend largely reflects the downturn they are seeing in their own excise taxes. A recent press release from the League of Arizona Cities and Towns expressed concern regarding the decreasing income tax revenues; counties will also feel the impact of the shortage in sales taxes. State sales taxes were $56.6 million below forecasts in October alone, marking the tenth consecutive month of decreases.
Arizona Lottery ticket sales did show a slight increase, however, coming in 6 percent higher than October of 2007. The state general fund is expected to receive $57 million in lottery revenues in FY09, which will be appreciated as state leaders grapple with the projected $1.2 billion deficit.
Counties to Courts: Local Costs Up, Revenues Down
Leaders from across the state gathered this week for a discussion on the potential impact of state budget problems on court systems. The event was hosted by the Arizona Supreme Court and featured a number of experts, including Coconino County Manager Steve Peru and Maricopa County Deputy Budget Director Chris Bradley. Mr. Bradley summarized the overwhelming size of the budget shortfall in Maricopa County: sharply decreasing revenue numbers that are far below even the most conservative projections but increasing costs and demands on the county court system. Mr. Bradley reported that all county departments had been asked to prepare for budget cuts of up to 20 percent, but expressed concern that those cuts could still not be enough if the state cuts funding streams designed to support local courts in order to balance the state budget. (Click here for the Maricopa County presentation.) Mr. Peru continued the story of the county situation, stating that counties need more resources to continue funding the court system appropriately. "We also need to communicate more effectively with our constituents about the role of the court system," he stated. "Most of them don't think about it until they are somehow impacted by it." Peru predicted a tough year for county courts, with possible cuts in state and federal funding as well as increased costs for counties associated with the photo radar system. "We need to continue to create a more efficient criminal justice system and to develop outcomes that the public can understand and support," Peru summarized.
NACo has launched the application process for 2009 Achievement Awards. Since 1970, the annual Achievement Award Program is a non-competitive awards program that recognizes innovative county government programs. Awards are given in a number of program categories such as arts and historic preservation, children and youth, community and economic development, jails-corrections, county administration, emergency management, environmental protection, health, human services, libraries, parks and recreation, transportation and volunteers.
Applications for this NACo awards program are now available, and the application deadline is Feb. 13, 2009. For more information, contact Kathryn Murphy at (202) 661-8806.
Registration for the NACo Legislative Conference, which will be held March 7-11, in Washington, D.C., is now open. To register online, click here.
Visit the CSA Calendar of Events at www.countysupervisors.org/calendar for more opportunities and county events.
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County Supervisors Association of Arizona
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