MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2020   AACo Bulletin  Advancing Arizona's Counties since 1968
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Legislative & Budget Update
On Monday, March 30th, Governor Ducey issued a statewide Executive Order titled ‘ Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected ’, following the national trend of states ordering residents to shelter in place.
The order requires Arizonan’s to limit their time outside of their home to the best of their ability. Residents may pick up essentials, like groceries and medication, care for elderly or disabled family members or friends, and continue to go to work if they are employed in a profession deemed essential, like those in the medical industry. The order asks people to avoid public transit to the best of their ability and for those experiencing homelessness to seek appropriate shelter, if possible. The order defines shelter to include hotels, motels and shared rental units. The order also encourages people to continue to be active outdoors, while maintaining an appropriate distance, and maintain social bonds. On Wednesday, April 1 st , the Governor issued an Executive Order allowing the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Board to establish reasonable parameters, including record keeping practices, for the delivery of telehealth services to pets and livestock. On Thursday, April 2 nd , the Governor issued an Executive Order allowing pharmacists to dispense 90 day emergency refills of maintenance medications with the option to issue additional 90, if needed. The order specifically addresses medication prescribed to a patient who tested positive for Covid-19, only allowing a person to receive a 14-day supply upon the presentation of a valid prescription. The order also eliminates certain electronic prescribing requirements and eliminates permitting requirements for companies that are changing their operations to produce hand sanitizer. 

The Governor hosted a tele-townhall earlier in the week and fielded many questions regarding the closure of salons, barber shops, and nail salons. As anyone who has every had a pedicure or a haircut knows, it is very difficult if not impossible to maintain appropriate social distancing. On Friday, the Governor updated his list of businesses considered essential to clarify that beauty services are not essential. Finally, while the state and income tax deadline has been pushed back till July 15th, the deadline to make charitable contributions is still April 15th. More information can be found here .

In addition to the various Executive Orders issued last week, the Attorney General issued several opinions. On March 27 th , the Attorney General issued an opinion clarifying that state and local governments may share non-identifying information regarding employees who test positive for Covid-19 with those who may have been exposed for the purposes of mitigating the further spread of the virus. Of course, this must be done in a manner that is consistent with the confidentiality requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. On March 31 st , the Attorney General issued an opinion that local law enforcement and county Sheriffs have statutory authority to enforce provisions of lawful emergency declarations issued by cities and towns. In exercising this authority, law enforcement officials must continue to be mindful of constitutional rights and should execute their duties in a manner that promotes justice.

AACo staff will continue to monitor legislative activity and keep members updated as well as advocate for your priorities.
County Government Platform Update
Check in with AACo each week to learn how the components of the 2020 County Government Platform are advancing with state policy officials. 
Visit the Advocacy Center of our website  for detailed information about AACo's bills.
National County Government Month
In honor of April being National County Government Month, AACo will be posting interesting facts about Arizona counties every day on social media to help bring awareness to all the services and benefits counties bring to the state and its people! Make sure to check out AACo's  Facebook  and follow us on  Twitter @AZCounties . Additionally, as echoed by NACo's message below, this year's messaging about county services will have an emphasis on public health and the cornavirus pandemic.

"There is no clearer demonstration of this year’s National County Government Month (NCGM) theme — Counties Matter — than the public health emergency we are facing across the country. More than ever, our residents are seeing firsthand the essential functions counties perform," stated NACo President Mary Ann Borgeson

The coronavirus pandemic highlights the importance of county government. Counties are on the front lines protecting our communities from coronavirus and other illnesses that have the potential to become a pandemic. Counties support over 900 hospitals and operate over 1,900 public health departments, which are the ground troops in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Local health departments are working to protect public health by communicating with transportation officials, educating health care providers and communicating to the public best practices to reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
For additional resources, check out NACo's website and their 2020 theme for county government month, " Counties Matter ".
NACo Leadership Academy Update
A brief update regarding the January NACo Leadership Academy that launched with nearly 400 county leaders:

When Covid-19 began to have an impact on our lives, we asked participants what they would like to do regarding their participation. The far majority requested that we continue forward because “we need this right now.” We received overwhelmingly positive feedback about how the topics around positive mindset during challenging times, and how to be an effective leader for your team and community, might be more applicable now than ever before.
 
So, with that, we want to make sure all counties are aware the  April 20 cohort will continue forward as well. If the timing does not work (for obvious reasons) there will be other opportunities later in the year and we look forward to working with you when that time comes.

The on-boarding session for the April cohort is  April 8. For more information about the program and to see what scholarship are available, contact Kevin Darrow: 503-765-5153 or  kevind@pdaleadership.com.

Additional Resources:  High Performance Leadership Schedule
Arizona Responds to COVID-19
Updated State Response

  • On April 2, Governor Ducey issued a new Executive Order that allows pharmacists to dispense emergency refills of maintenance medications for a 90-day supply and an additional 90-day supply if needed. Under the order, Arizonans would be able to receive a refill on their medication for up to 180 days, while avoiding the trip to the doctor. View the order here.

  • On March 30, Governor Ducey announced and issued an Executive Order is titled "Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected," and unique to Arizona, includes a strong focus on mental health. The order encourages Arizonans to participate in outdoor activities, as long as they are accompanied by social distancing measures. Additionally, it stresses the need for "social connectedness" -- a concern of public safety and public health officials, especially among our senior population and those struggling with depression and suicide.

  • On March 28, Governor Ducey signed an $11.8 billion budget that includes economic aid for those who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The state legislature passed the "skinny" budget last week and sits adjured until April 13th. 

For more information on state action please visit AACo's COVID-19 webpage .
Helpful Resources:
Federal Legislative Update - COVID-19
On March 27th, President Trumped signed into law the 3rd coronavirus relief bill, a historic and record-breaking $2 trillion stimulus package. The massive rescue package — the biggest in U.S. history — would provide hundreds of billions of dollars in loans and grants to major industries and small businesses, direct cash payments to taxpayers and significantly expand unemployment benefits. Most importantly, it provides additional resources that counties can use toward response efforts.  View NACo’s full analysis here .

Social Distancing Timeline Extended
On March 29th, President Trump announced that the White House would be extending its social distancing guidelines through April 30th, from an initial 15-day timeline when they were implemented on March 16th. 
NATIONWIDE - COVID 19 RESOURCE CENTER
As communities manage impacts related to the pandemic, many non-profit organizations stand on the front lines, providing basic necessities, wellness services, and support to those in need.
Finances, staffs, programs and resources are being stretched as these non-profits not only serve their communities but feel the impact themselves. During these challenging times, we each have a responsibility, when we can, to lift those around us. As such Nationwide is providing a temporary resource center and building a website "The Hub" that will provide all the latest information on Nationwide and COVID-19. 
This Resource Center houses a few new features that have been prepared in the past week:
  • New “self-service” tutorial videos that serve as a reference that we can point participants to from the IVR to mitigate some of the top call reasons – setting up an account, navigation and using tools for modeling and exchanges.
  • Participant Webinars – facilitated by Nationwide Field Team on participant education topics.
  • A message from our president, Eric Stevenson addressing the market, emotional investing and our commitment to extraordinary care.

The Hub! (Coming Soon) 
A central location for the most relevant and up-to-date information from Nationwide. The Hub has dedicated areas that will help to address the immediate concerns of our participants, including:
  • Timely operational updates
  • Content/videos addressing market volatility and emotional investing
  • Self-service tutorial videos to help with account creation and password updates, as well as navigating their account
  • Access to existing education content, on-demand
  • Ability to register for live webinars on hot topics

For more information, visit AACo's dedicated webpage for Nationwide updates , it includes helpful document links such as a Financial Market Volatility Guide and Strategy from Nationwide.
2020 Arizona County Government Salary and Benefit Survey is Available
Now available on the AACo's website is the  2020 Arizona County Government Salary and Benefit Survey.

This portion of the Salary and Benefit Survey only includes information on Arizona Counties.

For more information on the survey please contact  Gideon Wagner , our Communication & Education Manager.