Opinion www.SanTanSun.com February 15 - 28, 2014 41 Community Commentary Elected officials should be accountable to constituents BY DENNY BARNEY One of the first commitments I made upon becoming chairman of the Board of Supervisors last month was to operate our government in an open, transparent Denny Barney. manner. When Submitted photo residents of Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe or Phoenix want to know how Maricopa County is spending their money, that information should be easy to find. You should be able to look up public records and documents from your home office, iPad, or even from your phone. Since openness is among my top priorities, the task should rightly start with me. So, I will be sharing my ideas, plans, hopes and even some frustrations each month in this space the San Tan Sun News has generously offered. If I might paraphrase Henry Ford, we in government should never lose sight that it is not our money we are spending, but that of the taxpayers. And our conversation will not be one way. In addition to community events, I can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (602) 506-1776. Now, county government work is not always the most glamorous. In fact, we often do the unpopular stuff: Alerting you when not to burn wood, calling you to jury duty and reminding you of your property tax bills. Yet, we also have critical responsibilities essential to public health and safety. Our mission is to do that work well, and to constantly try to do it better. This year, here’s where I want us to concentrate: • Regulatory Reform. There’s a natural friction between those who regulate and those who are regulated. And I have been on both sides of that debate. But we need to examine the regulatory process from the perspective of the citizen, the business, the applicant. Which rules, regulations and policies make sense, protect the public and which others just add time and expense? Sometimes, government will have to say “No.” But we ought to look for ways to say “Yes” as often as possible. After all, new development, new growth, new jobs all bring progress. • Fiscal Management. Obviously, this is the first obligation of the five supervisors. It is our job to set the property tax rate and to approve the budgets of all departments, even those of independently elected officers like the sheriff, the county attorney, and the 50-plus agencies we oversee directly. We don’t micromanage or set the spending priorities of the county elected officers but it is the board that has to make sure we spend only what the public can afford to pay. The budget takes months to put together. We’ve already started working on a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that we’ll ultimately adopt in late June. We’ve set some general guidelines to guide our departments in their budget submittals. From some departments we are requiring zero-based budgeting that will help us in setting priorities, not just go along on autopilot. This year managing our resources will require a delicate balancing act, careful planning and tough choices. The long recession has exhausted the reserves which the county spent more than a decade to build. And yet, we can’t afford to lose good professionals either. We can’t be a training ground for other governments to grab our best people. Like a private business, we have to make sound investments in both people and technology and infrastructure that will bring us a good return in efficiency, production and convenience for our citizens. • Economic Development. And by this I don’t mean handing out tax breaks and subsidies to any business that wants to take advantage of a free lunch and some gullible politicians. But ours is a regional government. We can put together partnerships with the state, the cities and business organizations to bring us new growth and jobs. We just did that recently in partnering with other jurisdictions to bring Apple and 700 new jobs to Mesa. • Strategic Planning. OK, strategic plans can be nothing more than bureaucratic jargon collecting dust on a shelf. I’m not interested in that. But, for the first time, the county has invited all our elected officials into a collaborative process where we can identify our main goals and top priorities and move the county toward accomplishing them. A road map that guides our work. That’s what I see as my role in county government. As an elected official I am responsible to you. I am accountable to you. I seek your advice and concerns, especially those of my own constituents in the East Valley. That’s why I attend so many public events, including Chandler Mayor Jay Tibshraeny’s State of the City Address, the Chandler Innovation Center grand opening, and the Chandler Unified School District Report Presentation. In the next few weeks, you are welcome to come hear me speak at Greater Phoenix Leadership on Feb. 20, the Chandler Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Meeting March 28, and an upcoming Legislative District 17 meeting. I hope this column will serve to inform and educate you on county government—as much as you can help me. Denny Barney is a Gilbert resident and chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Letters to the editor Thank you for supporting Operation Christmas Child BY RICK HOOVER SOUTHWEST REGIONAL DIRECTOR OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD I’m writing to thank Chandler residents for their generosity in helping thousands of suffering children worldwide this Christmas. Through their efforts, we were able to collect 3,650 shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items for Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind. These simple gift-filled shoeboxes communicate to needy children that they are loved and not forgotten. Although drop-off locations in Chandler are closed until November, shoebox gifts can be packed any time. Gifts are received year-round at Samaritan’s Purse (801 Bamboo Rd., Boone, N.C., 28607) or using the project’s online tool, where donors can virtually build a box. To get involved, visit www. samaritanspurse.org or call (303) 745-9179. Thanks again to everyone who participated in this project. A simple gift, packed with love, can communicate hope and transform the lives of children worldwide. Have a story idea or news tip? Know of an interesting photo opportunity? How about positive feedback or constructive comments? We’d like to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. 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Strickbine NEWS EDITOR PUBLISHER EMERITUS Tracy House Laurie Fagen WRITERS ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jane Meyer Debbie Jennings WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY Susan Kovacs, n-ergizing Kathryn Beck Lynette Carrington Seth Cox Max Kraust Beth Lucas Alison Stanton SCHOOL NEWS CONTRIBUTORS Jacqueline Bartrim Kristen Boyd Kathie Butters Wendi Olso Lynn Rennich Lora Robinson Carol Skocypec AD DESIGN Christine Bryner, Studio 509 LAYOUT DESIGN Eric Jelinek 42 February 15 - 28, 2014 Opinion www.SanTanSun.com (GDTWCT[ 1EQVKNNQ)QNH4GUQTV5%NWDJQWUG&T%JCPFNGT#<ROVQRO RIDOOSURFHGHVUDLVHGJRWRNHHS$=&DPS6XQULVH 0DUN/HZLV)RUPHU6SRUWVFDVWHUIRU&KDQQHO1HZV DQG.DWLH5DPO&KDQQHOZLOO0&WKHHYHQW RSHUDWLQJ 6SRUWVSOD\HUDSSHUDQFHVDVKRVWV 6LOHQW/LYH$XFWLRQIRRGGULQNDQGHQWHUWDLQPHQW For more information on the gala please contact Nick Keeslar at [email protected] and for more information on Southwest Kids’ Cancer Foundation visit swkidscancerfoundation.org.
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