CORRECTION: Maricopa Currents: County News for You

Maricopa County Internal sent this bulletin at 08/22/2022 08:47 AM MST

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COUNTY NEWS ROOM | August 22, 2022

Meaningful Work, Impressive Impact

We're getting our first big picture look at how much of an impact we've made in our community over the past year.

Budget & Finance just sent a year-end report to the U.S. Treasury Department, detailing how Maricopa County used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to improve lives. Here are some highlights:

Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance: 8,700 unique households helped
Small business owners were vulnerable to the financial impacts of the pandemic. We've assisted small businesses by giving out $30 million in grants to help them survive and thrive during the pandemic.
We also made sure that while families faced tough situations like job-loss during the pandemic, they didn't go hungry. We gave out $2.4 million in nutritious food.
Using ARPA funds, we've been able to partner with local organizations to offer job training and connect people with in-demand jobs.
Finally, many of our Public Health employees were on the frontlines fighting the pandemic, with ARPA funds we were able to offer them premium pay.

Read the press release >

Read the full report >

HEADLINE STORIES

The NACo Awards Are Back!

The hard work you put in to help residents recover from the pandemic is being noticed. This year, county programs are being honored with 43 NACo National Achievement awards! We'll be holding an awards ceremony for teams that won awards this week, and we'll share video of the ceremony with all of you in the next issue of Currents, right after Labor Day!

Need a COVID-19 booster? We've got ya covered!

Banner Occupational Health will be administering Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters on Wednesday, August 24th from 8 am until 2 pm on the second floor of the Administration Building (301 W. Jefferson). The clinic is open to employees and their immediate family members. Banner Health will not be mixing vaccine boosters. If you received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine previously, they will not give you a Pfizer Vaccine Booster. Employees and their family members who plan to get the booster must present their vaccine cards.

Success Stories

Animal Care and Control has taken in more than 12,000 pets since the beginning of the year, finding good outcomes for more than 95% of them. Here are a few of our many happy tails!

AROUND THE COUNTY

Board of Supervisors Canvasses Maricopa County Primary Election Results

On August 15th, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors canvassed the primary election results, certifying that the results are accurate. Election workers conducted an automatic recount of the West McDowell Precinct Justice of the Peace Democratic Primary Contest because the two candidates were separated by just three votes.

Learn more about recounts here >

WATCH: Recorder Richer's TikTok message about misinformation >

Office of Procurement Recognized with Prestigious Award!

Maricopa County has been awarded the prestigious 2022 Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement from the National Procurement Institute. The AEP Award is earned by public and non-profit agencies that demonstrate a commitment to procurement excellence. This annual program recognizes procurement organizations that embrace Innovation, Professionalism, Productivity, Leadership and e-Procurement. For 2022, there were 171 successful applicants including 36 counties. Congratulations, Maricopa County procurement team!

Nominate Someone for a Climate and Health Champion Award

The Maricopa County Climate and Health Champion Awards were established in 2017 as part of the Bridging Climate Change and Public Health (BCCPH) Strategic Plan to build community awareness and knowledge about climate health and share information about successful interventions. These awards recognize local youth, individuals, businesses, organizations, and researchers that are taking steps toward implementing sustainable solutions, ecofriendly practices, or policies aimed at improving health and/or improving health equity that are at risk of climate-sensitive hazards.

Nominate or Apply >

Rain + Mosquitoes = Trouble

An active monsoon means more standing water and more mosquitoes. Do your part to prevent West Nile Virus and other mosquito-borne illnessness by remembering the four R's to fight the bite.

SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

#TurnAroundDon'tDrown

We've been getting a lot of rain lately! On Facebook, we reminded residents that driving through flood water is the #1 cause of death during flooding. So don't do it.

Sign up for daily weather updates >

Deer Valley Road Bridge Ribbon Cutting

The 711 ft. Deer Valley Road Bridge is now open to drivers! On Twitter, we shared the good news from MCDOT about a new connection in the Northwest Valley.

CAPTION CONTEST

Congratulations, Naomi Bardsley!

According to Naomi Bardsley from the Human Services Department, this cute cat has high-class taste and is hoping the Board of Supervisors might consider funding something fishy for lunch!

Thank you, Naomi, and everyone who submitted a caption!

Now for this issue's photo...

Submit your caption online

The photo of this fluffy "legal assistant" with gorgeous golden locks was submitted by Deborah Johnson from the Clerk of the Court. Have a caption for it?

Send it our way using the link above, or email us your favorite pet pic and we may use it in a future issue of Currents.