The budget process is a collaborative effort between all County offices and departments. The Office of Management and Budget, Human Resources, and the Maricopa County Elected Officials, the Judicial Branch, and Appointed County departments all participated fully. Negotiation sessions were held with all parties to discuss their base budget and budget issues. Detailed reviews of the budgets occurred prior to the negotiation sessions, and allowed a fruitful discussion to transpire. Many departments were able to fund their compensation or other budget concerns within their base budget, thereby offsetting the need for new funding.

The Countywide Strategic plan is a comprehensive planning document that organizes County government’s long-term vision into 10 strategic priority areas and 29 strategic goals. The Strategic Priorities outlined in this document were established to help maintain a focus on the most critical issues facing us as a local government over the next five years. They provide focus for policy and funding decisions and, where appropriate, provide guidance in the reallocation of existing resources. The accomplishments listed in the annual reports are reflective of the actions departments are taking to contribute to the overall success of achieving the goals in the plan.

In step with other organizations, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (the Valley’s regional public-private economic development organization) published a comprehensive 10-year economic development strategy that codified its change in direction to quality economic development in aerospace, bio-industry, advanced business and financial services, technology, and software. In early 2004, the Governor’s Council on Innovation and Technology issued Building Arizona’s Knowledge-Based Economy with scores of recommendations on venture capital, higher education, collaboration, workforce development, and other topics. Separately, each of these items would have been notable. Taken together, they demonstrate a strong commitment to the growth of a knowledge economy and to the multifaceted approaches needed to develop it.