It has been an incredibly busy couple of months at Maricopa County. I’ve worked hard to stay focused on the issues you care about and always appreciate your feedback. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Denny Barney, District 1
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
www.maricopa.gov/dist1/
602-506-1776

New County Manager

Last week the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed Joy Rich as the new county manager following a nationwide search that began in February. Rich most recently served as deputy county manager providing strategic leadership for Planning and Development, Department of Transportation, Air Quality, Emergency Management, as well as several other departments. She has been with the county since 1997. Joy is an outstanding manager and public servant and I know she will serve the citizens of Maricopa County well. I look forward to continuing to work with her in this new capacity.

A Big Thank You to Tom Manos

Tom Manos, our outgoing county manager, will be sorely missed but his legacy will live on through the “Tom Manos Outstanding Service Award”. The Arizona Republic wrote a great article highlighting his years of service. I encourage you to read the article.

Board Approved Tentative Budget

My colleagues and I unanimously adopted a $2.35 billion tentative budget for fiscal year 2017. Over half (53.45%) of the budget will go to public safety and criminal justice, including a new Juvenile Court to address the increasing number of juvenile court cases, and 13 additional adult probation staff. Several capital improvement projects were also included in the budget such as continued funding to replace the aging Durango Jail and intake center, which will reduce time and costs of inmate transfers and relocations. Four courtrooms will be added to the East Court Building and construction on the Southwest Regional Justice Center will finish this Spring. An adaptive reuse project on the Madison Street Jail is also planned for FY 2017.

Additionally, while we were grateful for slight relief from the legislature, the state budget required the county to include over $31 million in our county FY 2017 budget to pay for state expenses such as housing juveniles at the AZ Department of Juvenile Corrections, AZ Department of Revenue, AZ Superior and Justice Court salary increases, and requiring Maricopa County to pay 31% of the cost of treatment and confinement for Sexually Violent Persons (SVP) at the AZ State Hospital (ASH). The Board of Supervisors will vote on the final budget on June 20.

San Tan Park Goldmine Trailhead Improvements

In partnership with Pinal County, our Parks and Recreation Department and the Town of Queen Creek invite the community to an open house on Thursday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the San Tan Mountain Regional Park nature center, 6533 W. Phillips Road. Attendees will receive information about planning efforts for the Goldmine Trailhead parking area improvements and are encouraged to provide input. Goldmine Trailhead is the park’s northern access point near Skyline and Wagon Wheel roads. We are very excited about this partnership effort to improve this regional asset and look forward to getting additional feedback at the Open House.

Tempe Town Lakes Dam Dedication

The county’s Flood Control District (FCD) has been working with the city of Tempe to shore up Tempe Town Lake’s levees. While Tempe Town Lake was empty for construction of a new dam, FCD examined the levees and made repairs. I was excited to see the collaboration between the municipalities.

Smart Justice Update

People on probation often struggle to successfully re-enter the workforce. These struggles often lead to former inmates returning to jail. Maricopa County's new "Clean Start" program provides women an opportunity to work in the jail laundry. In addition to gaining occupational skills training, they will receive help with cognitive behavioral change training and job placement assistance through our Workforce Services Dept. I am grateful to our Smart Justice team for this innovative idea!

Another Smart Justice win is that graduates of our jail substance abuse program (ALPHA) now have the opportunity to leave jail with healthcare reducing the likelihood of their returning to jail. This helps both individuals and taxpayers.

Maricopa County Reads Starts June 1

Maricopa County Reads is a fun, online, summer reading adventure for children and adults of all ages! Participants earn points, unlock badges, and win prizes. You can also attend events at your local library and earn secret codes for even more badges! The goal of the program is to help maintain and improve literacy skills. Every participant that reaches 1,000 points will earn a free book!  And after reaching 500 points, you can pick up a Chipotle Free Food Coupon. And remember to ask for my personalized reading list! To register, click here.

Employee Spotlight: Shelby Scharbach

This newsletter, I’d like to highlight Shelby Scharbach, Assistant County Manager and Chief Financial Officer. Shelby was recently named “Outstanding CFO” by the Phoenix Business Journal. She also served briefly as interim county manager during our recent county manager search. She is a true professional and I have the upmost confidence in her abilities. Shelby joined Maricopa County in 1993. In her current role, she oversees Maricopa County’s Department of Finance, Office of Enterprise Technology, Parks and Recreation Department and the Maricopa County Stadium District. Shelby also serves as executive director of the County’s Industrial Development Authority (IDA). Shelby holds a Bachelor’s in Accounting and a Master’s in Public Administration. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Government Financial Manager. When she’s not crunching numbers, you can find her at a golf course, NASCAR race, Cardinals game, or checking into a flight.

In the District