Supervisor Ally Miller's District 1 Quarterly
Fall 2013
Greetings!  

I can hardly believe we're well into the Fourth Quarter of 2013! It's amazing how quickly times flies when you're having fun. Below are a few highlights of what we've been working on in the 3rd quarter of 2013:

 

Connecting with Constituents

  • What a wonderful time at the Ground Breaking of the Ann Kathryn Schmidt Kickin' It Clubhouse! I did not know Ann but am proud to have participated in honoring her memory with a wonderful clubhouse for our young soccer players in Pima County. This is a great addition to the Brandi Fenton Park.
  • I organized and participated in two Open Houses to hear your concerns on major projects going on in District 1.
  • I enjoyed a wonderful evening at the 21st Annual Minority and Small Business Alliance Awards Celebration.  ASBA is a local nonprofit lead by community leaders to support local businesses.
  • I presented to local groups including the Oracle Foothills Neighborhood Association, the North Stake division of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and the Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute.
  • I attended the Grand Re-Opening of the Catalina Community Center. I would like to extend a big Thank You to the Pima County Staff and residents of Catalina who participated in making this happen. What a wonderful resource for the residents of Catalina!
  • I attended the Beat Cancer Boot camp Resource Center Grand Opening at Brandi Fenton Park. This important program was created to help survivors stay active during cancer treatment and beyond!  A special Thank You to Anita Kellman for her dedication to this program.
  • In an effort to improve transparency, I hosted my first of three Town Halls in Catalina at the Golder Ranch Fire District. Thank you to all the citizens who took time out of their busy schedules to attend this meeting.

Focusing on the Youth of Pima County

  • I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon speaking with first-generation college students participating in the Upward Bound program.
  • I visited with school officials at Polytechnic High School for a tour of this top performing school in Pima County to learn more about what's working well for our students. Thank You to Superintendent Calvin Baker and staff for the invitation to visit your school.

Media Outreach

We have received overwhelmingly positive support for our outreach via the media. These are ways you can hear about what is going on in Pima County on regularly scheduled engagements I have on two radio programs:

  • "Miller Time" is a new weekly segment at 5p.m. on the James T. Harris Show, 104.1 FM The Truth. We discuss the weekly board meetings and other important issues facing Pima County.
  • Wake Up Tucson on 1030 KVOI With Chris DeSimone and Joe Higgins. We have a standing monthly segment discussing the highlights for the month in Pima County.

I also have an active YouTube page where I upload full Board of Supervisor meetings as well as clips of important information.  Here is a clip from the September 17th meeting where I asked questions regarding the tax case against Raytheon.

Raytheon Tax Court Case - Update

As you can see, it has been a busy quarter. My staff and I will continue our hard work on your behalf. Board of Supervisors meetings are held the first three Tuesdays of the month and we hope you have an opportunity to attend. Agendas are available online and can be found here.

 

I will continue to advocate for what I promised on the campaign trail: transparent government, fiscal responsibility, repairing our roads, as well as attracting and retaining high-paying jobs in Pima County. We have a lot of work to do. Many of you have asked how you can get involved or how you can help; contact my office if you'd like to volunteer for an event or project, continue to educate yourself, friends, family, and colleagues, forward my newsletter to your email contacts, ask them to sign up!, "Like" and Share my Facebook page, and contact my office along with the other four Pima County Supervisors to let us know what is important to you!

 

Respectfully,

signature

Ally Miller, District 1 Supervisor

Pima County Board of Supervisors

Helping Hands
This weekend I will kick off my Helping Hands Program; a program designed to make Pima County cleaner, more beautiful, and welcoming for all while helping those in need. 

Join me this Saturday, November 2, 2013, from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. for a morning of volunteer yard work for a senior citizen.  We will meet at Catalina Community Services at 3535 E Hawser St in Catalina where shuttles will be provided to the job site a few blocks away.

Volunteers will be weeding, laying weed cloth, planting cacti, and laying gravel.  All of the necessary landscape materials have been generously provided by Pioneer Sand Company and a catered lunch has been generously provided by Mama's Pizza.

Those interested in volunteering can contact my office at (520) 724-2738 or [email protected].  More information can be found here.
Town Hall Meetings
In an ongoing effort to visit with my constituents across District 1, to hear your thoughts and concerns, and to share my positive feedback, I have started my Town Hall meetings.  I look forward to the opportunity to have a conversation about what we can do together to help improve and bring greater opportunity to our County. 
I hope you can join me!

Thursday, Nov ember 7 � 6:00 p.m. 

Wheeler Taft Abbett, Sr Branch Library

7800 N. Schisler Dr.

Silverbell/Cortaro
My Voting Record

I spoke frequently during my campaign about openness and transparency in government because I believe that the citizens of Pima County have the right to know what their elected officials are doing.  One of my most important duties as a Pima County Supervisor is to represent the citizens of District 1 when I vote on issues. That is why I will share with you my votes on the issues important to you.  Read More

Meet the District 1 Staff
To help you meet your needs, my staff and I are here to serve you and to respond to your inquiries.  Shirl Lamonna is the District 1 Research Analyst and a key staff member.  Click here to learn more about Shirl.
Constituent Services
District 1 is home to more than 196,000 residents and the staff members of the District 1 office are here to serve you and to respond to your inquiries. Our goal is to provide an unprecedented level of service to constituents by returning your calls and responding to your email questions within 24 business hours. Read more about District 1 Constituent Services.
Connecting with Constituents via Social Media
I view social media as a communication tool that serves as a real-time connector between me and my constituents.  I make every effort to update Pima County citizens through social media as I fight for you on the Pima County Board of Supervisors.

On my
YouTube page you will find videos of previous Board of Supervisors' meetings, questions I raise on various agenda items, and discussions surrounding the issues important to you.

Like my Facebook page and Follow me on Twitter in order to receive news and events about Pima County and District 1.

 

View my Flickr photo galleries of District 1 events, community projects, and Pima County fun.

  

        

 

 

Federal Grants

The Grants.gov program provides a centralized location for grant seekers to find and apply for federal funding opportunities. It houses information on over 1,000 grant programs and veterans grant applications for 26 federal grant-making agencies awarding more than $500 billion annually. Most grants are awarded to universities, researchers, cities, states, counties, and non-profit organizations.

 

Each year, Pima County applies for grant funding to support programs such as Community Nutrition, Home Repair and Weatherization, Employment and Training, Community Development Block Grant Programs, etc. While the County is not required to pay back these grants, they are not "Free Money."   These government assistance programs are paid for with your Federal and State tax dollars.

 

During the first three months of the 2013-2014 Fiscal Year, Pima County accepted $12,912,747 in Federal and State grants. The Community Services, Employment and Training Department - which administers programs to improve the economic and social sustainability of Pima County - received $6,662,824.   Much of this funding will support employment and training services for Workforce Investment Act program participants at the County's One-Stop Career Center.

 

The Pima County Health Department received $3,214,974. These funds will be utilized for various preventive health programs such as Chronic Disease Prevention, Senior Wellness, HIV Prevention/Care and Community Nutrition. The Pima County Attorney's Office received $1,771,363 for Drug, Gang, and Violent Crime Control programs as well as victim assistance services.

 

Other award recipients were the Pima Accommodation School District, Community Development & Neighborhood Conservation, Sheriff, Parks and Recreation, and Library Departments.

 

Of the monies awarded to the County thus far, nearly $6.5 million has been distributed to outside agencies to improve the standard of living for people with lower incomes and people in rural, unincorporated communities. An additional $173,218 was awarded from the Pima County General Fund to support these projects.

 

Government grant funding is almost always guaranteed to make a positive difference in citizens' lives with programs that aim to benefit the country economically or politically. However, even when the grant is approved, the money is not guaranteed due to the possibility of budget cuts. With the U.S. national debt nearing $17 trillion, Pima County must do its part to weigh the benefits of each program and cut non-essential spending.    

 

Board of Supervisors' Meetings

The Pima County Board of Supervisors' meetings are held the first three Tuesdays of every month.  Meetings begin at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Board of Supervisors' Hearing Room in the County Administration Building located at 130 W Congress, 1st Floor, in downtown Tucson.

  

Public participation is a critical ingredient to successful government.  The meetings of the Board of Supervisors are open to the public.  A member of the public requesting to address the Board will be allowed a total of three minutes.  

 

Can't make it downtown?  You can watch live online here or on Cox Channels 12 or 96 and Comcast Channel 96 on Thursday at 9:00 p.m. and Sunday at 5:00 p.m.  Although Channel 12 is occasionally preempted by City Council meetings, Channel 96 is not. 

Upcoming Events
District 1 is home to many exciting events.  Some are artsy and some are informative.  But all of them are fun!  A list of upcoming events can be found here that you and your entire family can enjoy!
Supervisor Ally Miller, District 1
Pima County Board of Supervisors
130 W Congress 11th Floor  Tucson, AZ 85701
p: (520) 724-2738  f: (520) 724-8489  e: [email protected]