Grand Canyon Times

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey discussed state efforts to transform the government with Agency Directors during his last cabinet meeting on Dec. 8 in Phoenix.

Ducey met with agency directors from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the Arizona Department of Housing, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Water Resources, Department of Forestry and Fire Management, and the Arizona Department of Child Safety, according to a release on the governor's official website.

“Thank you to all the agency directors for serving Arizonans and expanding opportunities," Ducey said in the release. "What happened this week at TSMC is a great example of all the opportunities. You’ve transformed government and made Arizona a model for efficiency. The state wouldn’t be here where it is without incredible agency leaders and state employees. The work you have done has been vital to the health, opportunity and safety to the citizens of this state.”

The state has worked to streamline government and deliver more efficient services for residents through the Arizona Management System (AMS), which Ducey implemented in 2015, the release stated. Agencies now use AMS to create a data-driven approach to prioritizing their various projects.

“Today, AMS is simply the way we work,” Art Harding, chief operations officer for the state, said in the release. “Agencies measure what matters and set goals to deliver increased value and better service to our customers and constituents.”

Among the achievements outlined by Ducey's office were the Arizona Commerce Authority, which went from managing three to five so-called "mega projects" when Ducey took office to more than 60, creating 194,889 jobs and $68.5 billion in capital investment.

The Arizona Department of Administration launched a streamlined Arizona Business One Stop in November to help small businesses and entrepreneurs to plan, start and grow their enterprises. The ADOA has worked to shrink the size of government by reducing 1 million square feet of office space, saving taxpayers $7 million a year, the release added. 

The Arizona Office of Tourism also reported a banner year in 2022, and the department expects to have brought in more than 46.8 million visitors who spent $25.6 billion, both of which were previous benchmark numbers from 2019, the release added.

Ducey's office also reported advances in the administration of the state's Medicare and Medicaid programs under Ducey, as well as improvements in water quality and supply, forestry and in the reduction of the number of children in foster care.

We’ve built a strong foundation and Arizona’s future is bright,” Ducey said.