CSA Weekly Update (09.04.2026)
On the September 4th, 2026, edition of the CSA Update:
Happy Labor Day! Have a Great Long Weekend
County Outreach Continues: Pima, Apache, and Pinal Counties
Policy Refresher: Counties and the Long-Term Care System
22nd Annual CSA Policy Summit: Roadmap to the Summit
AI Professional Development: NACo's AI Leadership Academy
Lifelong Learning: Upcoming NACo Webinars
Happy Labor Day! Have a Great Long Weekend
County Outreach Continues: CSA Goes to Pima, Apache, and Pinal Counites
CSA staff continues their road trip to each of the 15 counties who participate in the Association! The legislature may not be in session currently, but there's still an importance to provide in-person updates to supervisor's and their staff.
Association President and Apache County Supervisor Alton Joe Shepherd and staff visited their eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth counties this summer: Pima, Apache, and Pinal Counites (Already Visited: Coconino, Navajo, Yavapai, Gila, Yuma, Cochise, La Paz, Graham, Greenlee, and Santa Cruz). We look forward to joining the remaining counties over the next few weeks - Mohave County is up next!
Thank you to all of the counties that have hosted our team so far!
Policy Refresher: Counties and the Long-Term Care System
Mandated payments to the Arizona Long-Term Care system are one of the biggest expenditures in county budgets, totaling over $450 million annually. To learn more about counties and the long-term care system, visit our website at https://www.countysupervisors.org/healthcare.
With our Policy Summit on the Horizon, it's never a bad time to brush up on some of the issues we know are crucial to counties! Check out our older Creatures of Statute podcast - Counties and the Long-Term Care System - as well as support documents below!
To view our primer on ALTCS, click here.
22nd Annual CSA Policy Summit: Roadmap to the Summit
As the legislative session draws closer, the Association has begun preparations for the 22nd Annual Policy Summit. The Association’s Policy Summit is where the state’s collective county supervisors decide on their legislative, budget, and research priorities for the upcoming year. In preparation for the summit, the Association has prepared 6 resolutions that, if approved, will serve as guiding documents for staff in the upcoming year. Additionally, the counties have submitted a combined 31 policy and resolution proposals that will be deliberated by the Board to determine the Association’s legislative agenda for 2027.
To see where we are on the road to CSA’s annual policy summit, please see the graphic below!
NACo AI Leadership Academy
The NACo AI Leadership Academy is an innovative, completely online 6-week program created to equip frontline county government leaders with the knowledge and tools they need to understand and utilize AI to create higher levels of operational efficiency, organizational effectiveness and value for those they serve.
This robust curriculum, developed by the Professional Development Academy in partnership with NACo, provides lessons and insights from highly effective government leaders, proven industry executives, researchers and professors from top universities and subject matter experts. These professionals, along with an online Leadership Coach, address pressing issues facing county leaders today: understanding the power of AI, mitigating the risk of AI and navigating the complexity of cascading change occurring because of AI.
The leadership coaches facilitating this program will demystify AI with practical, relevant and immediately actionable cases, frameworks and tools for existing and emerging leaders in government. The work of government leaders has never been more challenging. This program addresses the challenge head-on and provides participants with engaging content that will increase confidence to lead with AI for good governance.
Schedule:
First Quarter Cohort Start Date - January 27
Second Quarter Cohort Start Date - April 7
Fourth Quarter Start Date - November 3
For more information, please click here.
Lifelong Learning: Upcoming NACo Webinars
From Data to Decisions: Using AI to Improve Digital Government Services
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 | 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Government agencies have more data than ever before, but turning that information into clear priorities and measurable outcomes remains a challenge. Disconnected systems, competing demands, and limited resources can make it difficult to know how to improve resident experiences.
Join Granicus for a discussion on the challenges and opportunities of measuring and improving digital experiences and engagement, along with a look at how agencies can use AI-powered insights to make smarter decisions for their community.
During this session, attendees will learn how to:
Identify where digital experiences are breaking down
Turn fragmented data into prioritized actions
Focus resources on the improvements most likely to drive impact
Measure progress and demonstrate outcomes over time
You'll also get an inside look at the new Government Experience Insights (GXI) by Granicus and see how AI helps agencies move from data collection to decision-making so they can deliver more effective services for their communities.
Speakers:
Santiago Arenas, Digital Media Supervisor, Collier County, Fla.
Ashley Hill, Manager, Experience Partners, Granicus
Hannah Burn, Product Director, Granicus
Colleen Fueglein, Product Marketing Manager, Granicus
NACo Policy Insider Webinar Series: Understanding the Federal Landscape for Counites
Thursday, September 10, 2026 | 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
Last year's Inside Washington series is now NACo Policy Insider, a bi-weekly webinar offering an overview of the full federal policy landscape impacting counties, as well as deeper dives into specific policy areas, equipping county leaders with insights, context, and strategies to engage effectively on key issues from transportation and infrastructure, to public lands, to health and human services, and more.
To register, click here.
Data Center Series: Water Use and Cooling
Friday, September 11, 2026 | 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. ET
As the third session in NACo's Fall Data Center Series, this call will focus on understanding water use and cooling of data centers.
Subject matter experts and local leaders will break down the fundamentals of data center water use by explaining common cooling technologies, the sourcing of water and approaches that counties can use to inform local decision-making. The session will pair expert presentations with facilitated Q&A while setting aside time for counties to connect and share experiences.
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