District 1 Newsletter | April 2023

Maricopa County, Arizona sent this bulletin at 04/27/2023 02:45 PM MST

April 2023

Around the District

Not only has spring sprung, our temps are getting into the 90s, and it will soon get even hotter. Brush up on your heat safety knowledge to make sure you're prepared. Learn the warning signs of heat illness and find heat relief stations at Maricopa.gov/Heat.

And now, here's what's been happening around the County and District 1 in April.

The Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, and Arizona Defense & Industry Coalition presented an interesting discussion on securing America’s critical mineral supply chain. The keynote speaker was Senator Krysten Sinema.

At a Greater Phoenix Leadership meeting there were great updates from our Maricopa County Leadership Team. I also had an opportunity to talk about how important a timely passage of Proposition 400 extension is for our economic future.

Prop. 400 has provided funding for almost every major transportation project in metro Phoenix. As the fastest growing county in the nation, we need to invest in more freeways, roads and transit to keep up. We also need to invest in public transportation to meet federal air quality standards.

Youth Mental Health was the timely topic at this year’s Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. It was good to see our community coming together to discuss solutions for this critical issue.

I chaired an information-packed Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Transportation Policy Committee Meeting that focused on the impacts caused by the delay in extending Prop 400. There was also a comprehensive update on the I-10 Broadway Curve project.

The Chandler Chamber of Commerce had an outstanding presentation on water sustainability with an exceptional group of speakers. The City of Chandler is a model for municipal water management along with great collaboration with Intel.

Highlights from the annual Statewide Transit Conference in Mesa included Governor Hobbs' keynote address and the Champion of Transit Award presentation to Eric Anderson from the Maricopa Association of Governments. There was also a great panel discussion on the Future of Transportation Funding in Arizona.

Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department partnered with the City of Chandler at its Nature at Night event on April 1. Over 300 people attended this interactive event.

Around the County

Board Outlines Appointment Process for Legislative Vacancies

The Board of Supervisors is tasked with filling vacancies in Legislative District 13 and Legislative District 26 according to a process dictated by state law.

Republican precinct committeemen (PCs) in LD-13 nominated Liz Harris, Julie Willoughby, and Steve Steele to fill the vacancy created when Liz Harris was expelled by the House of Representatives.

Democratic PCs in LD-26 nominated Cesar Aguilar, Flavio Bravo, and Quantá Crews to fill the vacancy created when Raquel Terán resigned from the Arizona Senate.

ARS 41-1202 outlines what must happen, and directs the Board of Supervisors to select from the names nominated by PCs.

Consistent with how the Board has approached other appointments of this nature, we plan to conduct background checks and interviews prior to taking any action.

Maricopa County Increases HVAC Fund

The HVAC repair and replacement fund that helps Maricopa County homeowners with the cost of energy efficiency home improvement projects has been increased by $10 million.

To date, the County’s Home Improvement Program has completed 299 projects to help eligible households. With the additional funding, the County estimates that up to 600 households will be supported with HVAC repairs and/or full system replacements.

The $10 million boost in funding comes from the County's allocation of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which are being used to address issues facing families and households as the community recovers from the effects of the pandemic and navigates budget-busting inflation.

In addition to the $10 million increase in the HVAC repair and replacement fund, the Board of Supervisors had previously allocated $3.65 million, bringing the total funding to $13.65 million. This funding will be used to help income-qualified households with repairs and replacements to their air conditioning and other energy-related needs to ensure the health and safety of everyone in the home.

To apply, and for more information on this and other support programs available to Maricopa County residents, visit Maricopa.gov/HelpWithBills.

Independent Election Report Completed

Former Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ruth McGregor has completed her independent investigation into the printer issues that affected some Maricopa County Vote Centers in the November 8, 2022 General Election. The investigation included extensive interviews with County staff and contractors followed by the printing and tabulating of 9,100 ballots on randomly selected printers and tabulators in February and March 2023.

Among the key findings:

94% of Election Day ballots printed correctly.
"Equipment failure" (not fraud or wrongdoing) was the primary cause of the tabulation issues experienced at approximately 70 Vote Centers.
One type of printer that performed well in the August Primary Election and passed November pre-election stress tests could not consistently print ballots dark enough to be read by the on-site tabulators, due to heavier paper and a longer General Election ballot.
Ballots that could not be read on-site were tabulated at the Elections Department. All legal votes were included in the official results.

Read the report and recommendations

Another Fentanyl Bust

Our detention officers continue to make safety and wellbeing a priority in the jails. Over the last few weeks, they have seized 440+ pills suspected to be fentanyl and other drug paraphernalia during the booking process at the Intake, Transfer and Release facility (ITR) and other county jails.

Learn More

Help for Kids with Asthma

Our Air Quality Department (AQD) wants you to know about a summer camp for kids with asthma. The quality of our air has a disproportionate impact on people with breathing difficulties, and AQD is excited to partner with Camp Not-a-Wheeze to provide Clean Air STEM Project Kits for campers. Send an email to request a free STEM project kit.

Join the 1,000 Books Club

Maricopa County Library District (MCLD) has a new reading program for children ages 0-6 years old. 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten challenges caregivers to read at least 1,000 books with their children before they enter kindergarten. By tracking books online, children receive prizes at different milestones throughout the program.