Looking good: Maricopa County programs earn national acclaim

PHOENIX — Maricopa County has received 57 awards from the National Association of Counties for various government programs that made a difference in the lives of residents.

Seventeen of the county’s departments received awards for their programs and will be recognized at the association’s 2016 annual conference, which runs from July 22-25 in Long Beach, Calif.

#MaricopaCounty wins 57 @NACoTweets Achievement Awards for innovative programs that enhance resident services, read: https://t.co/23PbeEqTfm

— Maricopa County (@maricopacounty) June 29, 2016

One award winner was the county’s Flash Flood Predictor Tool, which analyzes soil moisture and rainfall forecasts to determine the potential for a flood before, during and after heavy rain.

The partnership between the county and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport to put a library area in its main terminal was also award winning, receiving the title of best in category.

The county’s other best in category winner was a program that brought in members of the community to act as consultants and provide input as to how the county’s regulatory departments could improve.

Two programs that help inmates re-enter society also won awards, the Clean Start program and the Smart Justice program.

Coconino County was the only other county in the state to win an award, for a video about how valuable improved roads were for residents of the Navajo Nation.