Pinal Partnership gathers to discuss support for county’s future

Members of the Pinal Partnership gathered at the Global Water Center Thursday evening to ‘Meet your Partner.’

In 2005 the Pinal Partnership was formed to bring together people and ideas from both the public and private sectors. The purpose was to move Pinal County forward in areas such as infrastructure, natural resources and community development.

Thursday’s event, sponsored by the city of Maricopa, the Salt River Project and Global Water, was an opportunity for partners from county and city governments, education, business and industry to discuss and share ideas.

Maricopa Mayor Anthony Smith told the group, “Now would be the time for partnership as we compete for economic development.” He noted the importance of public and private partnerships as the city of Maricopa continues to grow.

“We currently have services for about 15,000 people, but our population is 38,000 now,” Smith explained. He added that passage of the CAC bond initiative would bring an expanded campus and additional jobs and educational opportunities to Maricopa while passage of the city’s Parks and Recreation bond would bring additional services to residents now and in the future.

Trevor Hill, CEO of Global Water, explained that the Global Water Center, the county’s first Leed-certified building, began as a place for customers to pay their bills, and then expanded into a museum with water-related educational exhibits. As a partner to the city of Maricopa, Global offered its meeting room, thinking someone might want to meet there. Since May 2007, when it opened, the room has hosted 121 city meetings. “This is partnership in action,” said Hill, who also offered support for both the CAC and Maricopa recreation services bonds.

Hill, who promised Global Water would “continue to support the county and this partnership in the best of times and the most uncertain,” noted some concerns about water.

“Although Pinal County is in good shape in terms of water, we need to practice conservation,” said Hill. “It will be necessary to meet our needs.”

CAC President Dennis Jenkins took the podium to promote the college’s bond initiative. Central Arizona College, the only community college in the county, relies on property taxes for funding. The bond would bring an expanded academic center to Maricopa since its population has now outgrown the current, storefront center. Jenkins also endorsed the city’s expanded services bond initiative.

Both the CAC bond and the city of Maricopa’s expanded recreation and services bond will be on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Photos by Joyce Hollis