MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2023   AACo Bulletin  Advancing Arizona's Counties since 1968

Today marks 64th day of session. Committee agendas were light last week and several committees are not meeting this week. Rumors have been swirling that committee hearings will be extended for an extra week given crossover week lasted an extra week but that rumor has not been confirmed. The next significant deadline is March 24th, as it is the last day for bills to be heard in committee in the opposite chamber.

County Government Platform Update

Check-in with AACo each week to learn how the components of the 2023 County Government Platform are advancing with state policy officials. 



Visit the Advocacy Center of our website for detailed information about AACo's bills.

Following up on Executive Order 2023-03 from January 6, 2023, Governor Katie Hobbs announced the membership of the Governor’s Bipartisan Elections Task Force on March 8. The 17 members named are from a wide variety of backgrounds and many of them we are proud to note have had interactions with or are alumni of the Arizona Association of Counties.

Pima County Recorder Gabrielle Cázares-Kelly, Yavapai County Recorder Michelle Burchill, Maricopa County Elections Director Scott Jarrett and Santa Cruz County Elections Director Alma Schultz all have been members and participants in our constituent affiliate organizations for the Recorders and the Elections Directors. Alongside Maricopa County Recorder’s Office Information Security Officer Michael Moore, we applaud these dedicated public servants for taking on this additional role looking at improvements to our elections system.

Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (formerly Maricopa County Recorder), former Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell and former Pima County Elections Director Brad Nelson all also have lent their expertise in the past to our organization and are once again serving the public in studying this vital topic.

Other members of the task force include State Senator Ken Bennett, State Representative Laura Terech, City of Scottsdale Clerk Ben Lane, Election Security Expert Ken Matta, Director of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Indian Legal Clinic Patty Ferguson-Bohnee, All Voting is Local’s Arizona State Director Alex Gulotta, Carter Center Representative Don Herringer, Arizona Center for Disability Law Senior Staff Advocacte Renaldo Fowler, and former Arizona Elections Director Christina Estes-Werther. The Task Force will be chaired by the Governor or her designee.

We are proud to see the strong representation by county public servants on this task force and look forward to watching and reporting on their work. 

Check-in with AACo every Monday to learn how the components of the 2023 County Government Platform are advancing with state policy officials and what is happening at the state legislature. The video will be posted to our Twitter account and the homepage of our website, check it out here.

Applications are now open for the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2023 Achievement Awards! We invite you to join us in celebrating 53 years of county innovation by applying today.

Since 1970, the NACo Achievement Awards have recognized outstanding county government programs and services. Through a non-competitive application process, noteworthy programs receive awards in 18 categories that cover a vast range of county responsibilities.

By participating, your county can earn local and national recognition. Achievement Award winners have been featured in local media, in County News, and at NACo's Annual Conference. Eighteen "best of category" winners will receive special recognition, and all winners will receive a customizable press release to share the good news.

We encourage all counties, parishes and boroughs to apply.

REGULAR APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 7, 2023

For more information, please review the Achievement Awards online guide, or email awards@naco.org with any questions.