Recap of Pinal Partnership Government Relations Committee meeting: Southwest Gas, Census 2020, Pinal County elections & COVID-19 relief programs

The Pinal Partnership Government Relations Committee, led by Co-Chairs Rebecca Timmer with Wilson & Co and Ben Bitter with the Town of Florence, hosted their monthly meeting on August 25, 2020. Guests Walter Richter, Administrator/Public Affairs and Blaise Caudill, Analyst II/Public Affairs from Southwest Gas provided us with an update on recent activities in Pinal County, along with a general company update that includes community involvement, sustainability initiatives and capital investment. We also heard updates and discussed Federal Stimulus Packages (we’re tracking it and will continue to report on progress), elections, Census 2020 and impacts of Covid-19.

The presentation from Southwest Gas can be viewed here. Southwest Gas is based in Las Vegas and serves 28 markets in Arizona, California and Nevada. The company is demonstrating stewardship by reducing its carbon footprint and building a sustainable future between sustainable practices, compressed and renewable natural gases. Efforts include decarbonizing the pipeline and playing a role in the more sustainable world we’re all working towards.

The company recently completed a Casa Grande District Operations Center that has 3,000 square feet of dedicated training space and 40 employees. The building is extremely efficient and a great addition to the west side of Casa Grande!

Southwest Gas has two franchise elections on the ballot for 2020. Prop 445 in the City of Eloy was approved on the August 4th ballot while Prop 452 in the City of Maricopa will be on the November 3rd ballot. This will be the first franchise with the City of Maricopa and will formalize the current franchise with the City to help improve infrastructure.

For more information or questions regarding Southwest Gas, you can reach out to Walter Richter or Blaise Caudill directly.

Ben Bitter gave a Census 2020 update. Efforts are wrapping up at the end of September despite a hope Congress would extend the deadline. We urge you to make sure those in your community have filled out their census as each person counted brings approximately $3,000 per year to your community.

The nationwide response rate is at 64.4%, Arizona 60.8% and Pinal County 55.6%. Queen Creek is at 67%, Gilbert 75%, Apache Junction 51.9%, Florence 48.4%. Final numbers will be published and released around April 1, 2021 with redistricting numbers going to the states by March 31, 2021. To get more facts, response rates, etc, go to www.2020census.com where you can drill down to local or tract levels.

CALL TO ACTION: COMMUNICATE THE IMPORTANCE OF FILLING OUT THE CENSUS INFO TO YOUR FAMILY/FRIENDS/NETWORKS!

Ben then led an elections update. Committee member Senator Frank Pratt along with Representative David Cook will face Sharon Girard for two seats in Representative District 8; Representative TJ Shope won an unopposed race for the Senate in Legislative District 8, but could still face a write-in candidate. Another committee member, Mayor Craig McFarland is unchallenged for two more years as Casa Grande mayor. We are always so grateful to have our elected leaders join our committee meetings and share their insight as well as hear our concerns and ideas.

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors will have at least two new members in November. District 4 Supervisor and current Chairman of the Board Anthony Smith is not seeking reelection. Independent Marlene Pearce is running against Republican Jeff McClure for the seat. District 5 Supervisor Todd House lost to Apache Junction Mayor Jeff Serdy. He could face a write-in candidate for the seat. District 1 Supervisor Pete Rios, District 2 Supervisor Mike Goodman and District 3 Supervisor Steve Miller won their primaries but could face write-in candidates.

Apache Junction, Eloy and Kearny will have new Mayors while the current Florence Mayor will face a runoff in November. Several cities will have new council members. To see full Pinal County election results, you can click here.

Rebecca Timmer led a discussion on other updates from committee members as well COVID-19 relief efforts. Casa Grande and Queen Creek have giveaway programs in place to encourage residents to fill out their census, of which Casa Grande Mayor McFarland and Queen Creek’s Heather Wilkey told us they are seeing success.

According to Heather, Queen Creek has distributed about $200,000 to small businesses with their small business relief grant program, and would love more applications. You can find more information on that here.

Another update shared was from Bryan Seppala of Resolution Copper, which just pledged to donate $780,000 to help support organizations throughout the Copper Corridor during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. More information on this can be found here.

We urge anyone needing assistance during this challenging time to reach out to their local leaders or feel free to reach out to Pinal Partnership for guidance. You can also check out our comprehensive COVID-19 resources page.

The next Government Relations Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 22 from 8-9am via Zoom. Committee meetings are open to all members of Pinal Partnership. Please contact Melissa Johnson if you would like information to join the committee and/or as a member of the Partnership.