ARIZONA TOWN HALL

Blueprint for Arizona's Future

At the conclusion of each of the two Town Halls held in 2006, the Town Hall participants were asked to rank their priorities for Arizona with respect to topics discussed during the Town Hall.

Participants of the spring 2006 Town Hall ranked priorities in the areas of land use, water resources, transportation, air quality, energy resources and affordable housing. Those who participated in the fall 2006 Town Hall created priorities in the areas of workforce development; education; health care; public safety; and the arts, culture and recreation. While the priorities are listed in each category, the purpose of the 2006 Town Halls was to develop an overall blueprint of what Arizona needs to do to build the best possible state for the future.

Land Use

1. Use an integrated approach to regional and corridor planning.
2. Implement state trust land reform to promote desirable growth and conservation strategies.
3. Establish sustainable and flexible zoning codes.

Water Resources

1. Maximize conservation strategies and efforts.
2. Develop strategies for sustainable future water supplies.
3. Develop measurement and regulation of resources, particularly outside Active Management Areas.

Transportation

1. Develop collaborative, inter-regional planning for multiple modes of transportation.
2. Increase assured dedicated funding.
3. Integrate transportation and land use planning.

Air Quality

1. Meet and surpass existing standards through Arizona Department of Environmental Quality enforcement and adequate funding.
2. Reduce auto emissions through incentives, transportation planning and stricter regulations.
3. Utilize incentives to reduce all forms of air pollution, including coarse particulates (PM10).

Energy Resources

1. Develop clean and renewable energy sources.
2. Increase reliance on nuclear energy, incorporating environmentally responsible plans for waste disposal.
3. Increase conservation and demand-side management programs.

Affordable Housing

1. Plan for full range of housing opportunities.
2. Use incentives for developers and employers.
3. Encourage density and urban infill.

Workforce Development

1. Create partnerships between educational institutions and businesses to better align education with workforce needs.
2. Increase access to career and technical education.
3. Have a Joint Technological Educational District (JTED) in each county.

Education

1. Reform the formula for funding education and increase teacher pay.
2. Align educational curriculum and standards to better meet workforce needs and the global economy of the 21st century.
3. Develop individual education plans for students.

Health Care

1. Access to quality, affordable health care for everyone in Arizona.
2. Provide incentives for healthy lifestyles, prevention and wellness.
3. Tort reform.

Public Safety

1. Establish programs to reduce recidivism.
2. Increase substance abuse prevention and treatment measures
3. Ensure adequate funding and incentives to aid in the recruitment and retention of public safety employees.

Arts, Culture and Recreation

1. Ensure adequate funding for arts, culture and recreation in preK-12 schools.
2. Include arts, culture and recreation in economic development activities.
3. Increase collaboration among government, nonprofit organizations, schools and private entities.

Additional Services

1. Affordable child care.
2. Services to an aging population.
3. Poverty.

Supporting Revenue Sources

1. Capture share of federal money.
2. Tax reform.
3. Public-private partnerships.

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