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Good morning,
The Pima County Board of Supervisors approved the Prosperity Initiative at our December 5, 2023 meeting. Much has happened since then, but much more remains to be done. Pima County’s commitment to this work is strong and unwavering, but we know that nothing meaningful nor sustainable will be accomplished without that “necessary community wide scope” I cited the day of our vote. We need everyone in Pima County to be “all in” on this worthy endeavor. I believe periodic updates are essential in keeping the community informed in the initiative's progress. On January 21, 2025, the Board received the annual update, and I wanted to share it with you.
The Prosperity Initiative represents much more than our board merely adopting a set of policies and the means for implementing them; it is a moral undertaking. If we do this right, we can help to improve the lives of thousands within our community, especially its children. We should enact these policies, get to work and keep our focus on those who will benefit from our efforts.
If you visit the page on the county’s website devoted to the Prosperity Initiative, here are the first two sentences you will read:
The Prosperity Initiative is a regional partnership working to reduce generational poverty. Our vision is that every child in every community of Pima County reach adulthood with the skills, tools, and resources for economic stability.
Prior to my service as a supervisor, I worked as a teacher and administrator in our public schools for almost 30 years. It makes me proud to read what that second sentence says about our goals for “every child in every community of Pima County.”
Last month, a trade delegation from Japan visited our region. In remarks at a reception welcoming them, I said the following:
As you get to know us, you will quickly see that the people of Pima County will be delighted to welcome you and to share everything we love about our home. It will also be evident that our greatest desires, our most fervent hopes, are invested in the potential and futures of our children. What we strive for on behalf of our posterity is deeply cherished amongst all the world’s peoples. It should serve to build meaning, understanding and purpose. As we seek to build new partnerships, let us use what we want for the children we love to find ways to move forward together.
A source of inspiration and guidance for the crafting of the Prosperity Initiative has been the county’s achievements with our Pima Early Education Program scholarships, known by the super-cute acronym, PEEPs! We have been able to enroll thousands of children in preschool over the last four years. I have often said it is the most important expenditure in our budget because of what it accomplishes on behalf of the children served, their families and the well-being of our entire community. It has produced in the two areas that our county administrator has cited as the best measures of success for the Prosperity Initiative: increasing the household assets and decreasing the household liabilities for families in poverty.
The vote by the Board of Supervisors marked the end of the policy development phase of the work on the Prosperity Initiative and began the work in the policy implementation phase. If you want to dive deeper into the full 25-page document, visit the links below.
Board Policy: Adopted December 5, 2023
Website: The Prosperity Initiative | Pima County, AZ
Prosperity Initiative (Full Version)
Prosperity Initiative Statement (12/5/2023)
January 21, 2025-Annual Update
Have a great weekend,
Rex
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