I pay even closer attention to the topics of issues and concerns that encompass the border, financial economics and water management facing our community. It’s important we listen to leaders and give them a platform when possible.

1. Border Crossings

My view on the border parallels gop approach; FAIR is fighting to restore common sense border controls and an immigration policy that works for America and the future of all Americans.
Over the past year, America’s immigration and border controls have fallen apart due to ineffective leadership from Washington. We face a true national emergency! There is no time to lose.
The American way of life and the future of our natural environment and resource base depends on restoring the proper balance between our needs and the unlimited demands of millions on the move. We need to stop the cartel and unlimited supply of fentanyl , they are killing our residents without having to pull the trigger of a gun, instead they use the drugs.
Border security is supposed to be a job of the federal government. But with record numbers of migrants crossing into Arizona, border security is an issue in this legislative race. Just what does candidates plan to do depends on what political party they belong to.
The intense heat of summer used to keep the number of migrants trying to cross the Sonoran Desert to a minimum. Not anymore. U.S . Customs and Border Protection reports as of June 15, it encountered more than 385,000 people who illegally crossed into the U.S. along the Arizona border.

2. Water Management

My view on water management supports the current infrastructure that has been progressively getting better. Today we have trillions of gallons of water in reserve for this and future generations. There is only maintaining the current water laws and rule setforth as we move into the future. Water will always be on the fore-front of Arizonan issues as long as we remain in a desert situation.
Phoenix’s water rate structure, first adopted in the early 1990s, is pretty ingenious. Phoenix charges more for water in the summer than in the winter. This sends a direct price signal to customers to scrap the grass and lush landscaping that requires a ton of water to stay alive in our hot summers, and convert to desert-adapted landscaping, called xeriscape, instead. And this is exactly what has happened. Back in the 1970s about 80 percent of single-family homes had majority-turf landscapes. Today, that number hovers at less than 10 percent.
But Phoenix’s water rates, while effective at encouraging conservation, are also affordable for basic, indoor needs. This is important in a city where the municipal water utility is the monopoly provider, and temperatures soar over 115 degrees in the summer. Phoenix’s monthly fixed charge for water is very low — about $4.50 per month — and includes an "allowance" of water ample for basic household needs. So while Phoenix sends a conservation signal through summer pricing, it also manages to ensure that water remains affordable for basic needs. A 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Water Works Association ranked Phoenix’s water as most affordable among the 25 largest cities in the country.
In January, Phoenix City council formally voted to increase water rates by 6 percent for two straight years. These rate increases were necessary to support a $500 million bond program, which will be used to fund infrastructure necessary to withstand shortage on the Colorado River as well as extensive pipeline rehabilitation and replacement in the oldest parts of town, generally in some of the poorest neighborhoods in our service territory.
Sustainably managed water supplies, Strong conservation price signal and a culture of wise water use Affordable water for basic needs Responsible investment in infrastructure We’re done here, right?
Things get complicated here in Phoenix where the City Services Bill includes not just water and wastewater services but also solid waste services and various city taxes. Water might be affordable at basic levels, but its billing is joined with other city services that, combined, entail a larger bill and increase the risk of water insecurity through disconnects for nonpayment. Water insecurity tracks poverty and disproportionately can affect the most vulnerable. Adding to this, an array of fees for utility starts and stops, unauthorized use and late payments can place burdens on vulnerable customers that are difficult to overcome.

Ironically, utility disconnects are necessary to ensure the financial viability of our water utility and the continued investment in the rehabilitation and replacement of aging infrastructure that provides safe, clean, reliable water deliveries in the first place. No water utility wants to disconnect customers, but failure to collect revenue can lead directly to a lack of funds for investment in infrastructure, which also can have disproportionate impacts on poor families who often live in areas most in need of improvements. We have seen this story play out in cities back east, with tragic consequences for the most vulnerable.
Phoenix Water uses various programs and procedures to avoid utility disconnects. We fund a robust customer assistance program, give ample notice before disconnects, offer payment plans, suspend disconnects on days of extreme heat, and work closely with the nonprofit community to match customers in need with the resources that can get them on their feet.
We recently asked our citizens’ committee, as representatives of the broader community, to tackle issues of water equity. Over the next year, they will examine where we currently stand on: Broad access to safe, clean, affordable water Our resiliency in the face of climate risks The role customers have in decision -making related to water in their communities. The degree to which the benefit of our water system is broadly shared in the community The citizens’ committee will be asked to determine whether we can or should do more in these areas to promote water equity. They will examine our current utility billing fees and procedures, whether our customer assistance program is adequately funded, the degree to which our plumbing retrofit program should be expanded, languages offered in our customer service center, investment in aging pipelines in struggling neighborhoods, our efforts to ensure resiliency in the face of shortage on the Colorado River, our grassroots involvement in neighborhoods and community groups, our small business enterprise programs, the trajectory and pace of our facility beautification program and our efforts to create a water workforce pipeline in the community.