SanTanValley.com

It is no secret that in recent years, Congress has had a low approval rating.  People are tired of the political rhetoric and lack of action—especially when it comes to jobs and the economy.  However, it is rare to see a poll conducted to survey rural citizens about their local governments.

After the events that have unfolded in the past few weeks, I would venture to guess that if the residents of the Town of Superior were surveyed and asked their opinion of their local government, it would be shockingly low.

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted down an application for a special use permit that would have placed a medical marijuana dispensary in Dudleyville, a small town in rural eastern Pinal County.

In 2010, voters approved Proposition 203, better known as the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act.  The law gives patients, who are prescribed medical marijuana, the chance to obtain small amounts from tightly-regulated dispensaries.  If the patient is not within 25 miles of a dispensary, they are legally able to cultivate their own marijuana.

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved County Recorder Virginia Ross’ plan to reorganize the Recorder’s office to further streamline voter registration and elections operations.

The biggest change will be hiring of an Elections Technology Manager to replace the previous Elections Director, who resigned to take another job in Pinal County government.  The reorganization plan saves the county over $39,000. 

Starting April 2, Pinal County Air Quality will only issue 3-day open burning permits.  All permits will expire by May 1 and Pinal County will suspend the issuance of open burning permits on April 26.

Burn permits allow for the disposal of plant material by open burning during limited daytime hours.

Pinal County Supervisor Todd House will be a featured presenter at a free open space and land conservation forum on Saturday, March 30 starting at 7:00 PM.  House represents the Apache Junction, Superstition and Gold Canyon areas, three areas of Pinal County that are rich with beautiful views and trails.

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to support a resolution to urge the United States House and Senate to recognize the Resolution Copper Company for its efforts to build a copper mine near Superior.

Next week, the House Energy and Minerals Subcommittee will hold a legislative hearing on seven mining bills.  One of the seven bills includes H.R. 687 entitled “Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2013” sponsored by Representatives Paul Gosar and Ann Kirkpatrick.

Pinal County Recorder Virginia Ross announced on Friday that election services for the public, and for candidates, will be moved to the Recorder’s Voter Registration Office at 31 North Pinal Street, Building E.

The Pinal County Elections Office located on 383 North Main Street will be closed to the public beginning Monday March 18th and the space will be converted into a secure elections warehouse and ballot processing center.

Judge Shaun Babeu proposes DV court to be restructured, and no longer centered in Apache Junction

Citing a crippling expansion of the Domestic Violence (DV) Specialty Court located in Apache Junction, Judge Shaun Babeu has drafted a procedures manual aimed at optimizing resources by screening offenders, narrowing the number of adult supervision cases and opening a new felony DV court in Florence. 

Andrew Clegg’s commute from his Arizona City home to his former job in Maricopa County took 45 to 90 minutes on a good day — hours if there was a wreck on Interstate 10.

The Census Bureau this week confirmed what Mr. Clegg knew: It wasn’t the distance that made the trip so long, it was the tens of thousands of others heading in the same direc­tion at the same time.

A bureau report on commuting patterns last week said that more than half of Pinal County residents leave the county for work, with most of them heading to Maricopa County. The re­port estimates that about 57,000 workers make the trek every day.

Andrew Clegg’s commute from his Arizona City home to his former job in Maricopa County took 45 to 90 minutes on a good day — hours if there was a wreck on Interstate 10.

The Census Bureau this week confirmed what Mr. Clegg knew: It wasn’t the distance that made the trip so long, it was the tens of thousands of others heading in the same direc­tion at the same time.

A bureau report on commuting patterns last week said that more than half of Pinal County residents leave the county for work, with most of them heading to Maricopa County. The re­port estimates that about 57,000 workers make the trek every day.