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I am pleased to share
with you that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has adopted the final
budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. First and foremost, our $2.2
billion general fund operating budget is actually lower than last year’s, by some $89 million. Secondly, it comes with an actual reduction in county-controlled property taxes, roughly $32 million less than what the
county collected last year.
Arizona’s economic
outlook continues to improve with retail sales, housing values, and other key
components of our economy on the rise. However, county revenues – more
dependent on property taxes – are only marginally higher. There is much to
celebrate about Arizona’s continued comeback, but we must remain cautious and
responsible when planning for the future.
That is why county
leaders have launched a top-to-bottom review of our current programming and
capital needs. I believe Maricopa County government has many positive
attributes, but any business must constantly measure itself and compare its
performance against the highest and best, public or private. That’s how we get
better. And in today’s world, if you’re not improving, you’re falling behind.
So for this upcoming
fiscal year, we kept the county lean, focused on our core functions and doing
them well, addressed the needs of public safety and our long-term fiscal
health. This way, we will have our county well-positioned for the future, whatever
it may bring.
Our fiscal conservatism
and business-minded approach did not blind us to a troubling turnover issue. It
is important to note that since 2007, Maricopa County has trimmed its staff by
more than 1300 full-time employees and imposed hiring and wage freezes. The
salary and hiring freezes put greater pressure on our top-performing
professionals – especially on public safety, which comprises more than 50
percent of our budget.
We made a good first
step in ensuring we retain the best of county talent by including performance
and market based adjustments in critical areas for the first time in six years.
When you run any business, the principles remain the same – the lynchpin of
success is the quality of talent that business employs. This same philosophy is
true for the county: I believe that our best employees are the ones who adhere
to the fundamental premise that the taxpayers of Maricopa County always come
first.
We will continue the
detailed review of operations, especially at our regulatory agencies. We have
to make sure our processes are not overly burdensome on businesses or confusing
to citizens.
These were not easy
budget decisions to make, but the finished product is one that keeps vital
services intact without increasing the overall property tax rate on homeowners
and businesses. With your help and input, I will continue to put my shoulder to
the wheel to do my part in making Maricopa County “Best in Class.”
Sincerely,
Steve Chucri, District 2
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
www.maricopa.gov/steve
602-506-7431
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