Year in Review
It’s hard to believe it has been almost a year since I was sworn in
as Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. At the
beginning of 2017, I made my priorities clear: a balanced budget; regulatory
and personnel reforms that help businesses thrive and families flourish and more
evidence-based justice initiatives that reduce repeat offenders and lower the
cost of criminal justice.
Now that we are in the final month of the year, I’m happy to
report success on all fronts.
BUDGET: We balanced our budget and kept the tax rate
flat, even as we made significant investments in future growth.
REGULATION: We want to make it easier than
ever to do business in Maricopa County. This year, we rolled out a new
way for builders and developers to file documents online, which can save time
and money. We have updated processes and put additional resources toward efforts to improve plan approval times.
EMPLOYEES: To provide
exceptional customer service, we need to have an accountable, outcome-driven
workforce. I’ve supported the work done by county leadership this year to
design specific performance metrics that apply across all departments so the
best employees are rewarded and those who are underachieving are not allowed to
continue doing so.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: It is
unacceptable to me that more than 50% of Maricopa County inmates return to jail
within 12 months of release. So I have been a tireless advocate
for smart justice initiatives like the recently-expanded MOSAIC substance abuse
program, which help us rethink our approach to incarceration.
The goal is a leaner, more
nimble, more service-oriented government. 2017 has moved us closer to
our goals and I look forward to making more progress in the coming
year. Thank you for the opportunity to serve.
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Demolition is underway to repurpose
the former Madison Street Jail. My collegues
and I participated in the ceremonial demolition of the former jail which, once
remodeled, will provide the County Attorney’s Office with 263,595 square feet
of finished office space.
We spent several
months evaluating all of the options before deciding to move forward on this
project. Right now, the County Attorney’s Office is spread out over
several locations in downtown Phoenix. Now they can all be together,
right next to the courts. This creative repurposing will reduce the number of
buildings the county leases over time ultimately benefitting the bottom line,
and taxpayers.
The
project is expected to be finished in late 2019 or early 2020.
Stepping Up Peer
Exchange
More than two dozen county leaders from across the country came to
Maricopa County to learn about best practices
for reducing the number of people behind bars that have mental illness. During
the two day National Association of Counties (NACo) “Stepping Up” Peer
Exchange, we discussed difficult
issues such as homelessness, the opioid crisis, and helping the seriously
mental ill (SMI) population. Click on the above video to learn more.
Gilbert Chamber of Commerce
Speaking with my colleague Supervisor Steve Chucri at
the Gilbert Chamber of
Commerce Good Government Breakfast Series.
East Valley Partnership
With other East Valley elected officials at the East Valley Partnership December
Board Meeting.
 Jamie Jackson
On December 13th,
my colleagues and I honored Jamie Jackson, one of our county Public Defense
attorneys, for his heroic actions that helped save a life during the Las Vegas
shooting in October.
Jamie and his wife were at the music festival when a gunman opened fire
on the crowd. Jamie saw a young woman, Addison Short, with a boot soaked
in blood. He helped control the
bleeding, picked her up and delivered her to an off-duty police officer who put
her in a taxi to the hospital.
Later
Jamie and his wife visited Addison at a Las Vegas hospital. Click here
to see their emotional reunion.
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