Structure of AZ Government

Overview

The government of Arizona is the governmental structure of the state of Arizona as established by the Arizona Constitution. The executive is composed of the Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Mine Inspector, and 5 elected members of the Corporation Commission, as well as the Governor’s Cabinet, which includes approximately 130 state departments and agencies.  The Arizona Legislature consists of the House of Representatives and Senate. The judiciary is composed of the Arizona Supreme Court and lower courts. There is also local government, consisting of counties, municipalities and special districts.

Executive Branch

All elected officials hold a term of four years, and are limited to two consecutive terms (except the office of the State Mine Inspector, which is limited to 4 terms[1]). Arizona is one of five states that do not have a specified lieutenant governor, so the Secretary of State is the first in line to succeed the Governor in the event of death, disability, resignation, or removal from office. The line of succession also includes the attorney general, state treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction. Elections for statewide officers occur during even-numbered, non-presidential, years, except that 3 of the corporation commissioners are elected during presidential years. 

On November 8, 2022, Arizona voters approved a state constitutional amendment (Proposition 131) that created the position and office of the lieutenant governor beginning with the 2026 elections. The position will be elected on a joint ticket with the governor. The lieutenant governor ascends to the governorship if the incumbent governor dies, resigns, or is removed (via impeachment conviction) from office. The proposition, through a law pre-passed by the state legislature, also tasks the governor with assigning a job to her or his running mate, such as chief of staff, the director of the state Department of Administration, or “any position” to which the governor can appoint someone by law.[2] 

Legislature 

The Arizona State Legislature is bicameral and consists of the 60-member Arizona House of Representatives and the 30-member Arizona Senate. Each of the thirty legislative districts has one senator and two representatives. Legislators are elected for two-year terms and are limited to four consecutive terms in a chamber, though there is no limit on the total number of terms. 

Each Legislature covers a two-year period. The first session following the general election is known as the first regular session, and the session convening in the second year is known as the second regular session. Each regular session begins on the second Monday in January and adjourns sine die (terminates for the year) no later than Saturday of the week in which the 100th day from the beginning of the regular session falls. The President of the Senate and Speaker of the House, by rule, may extend the session up to seven additional days. Thereafter, the session can only be extended by a majority vote of members present of each house. 

Pebble Creek falls within the AZ Legislative District 29.  A map of LD 29:

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Maricopa County

The governing body of Maricopa County is its board of supervisors. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors consists of five members chosen by popular vote within their own districts. Each member serves a four-year term, with no term limits. 

Unlike cities and towns in Arizona, counties are politically and legally subordinate to the state and do not have charters of their own. The county Board of Supervisors acts under powers delegated by state law, mainly related to minor ordinances and revenue collection. With few exceptions, these powers are narrowly construed. The chairperson of the board presides for a one-year term, selected by the board members during a public hearing. 

The county sheriff, county attorney, county assessor, county treasurer, superintendent of schools, county recorder, constables, justices of the peace, and clerk of the Superior Court are elected by the people. Retention of Superior Court judges is also determined by popular vote. 

Maricopa County is home to 62 percent of the state’s population and therefore dominates Arizona’s politics.  All but one of the state’s nine congressional districts include part of the county, and five of the districts have their population center located there.

Pebble Creek falls within the Congressional District 9.  The map of CD9:

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City of Goodyear

Goodyear has a Council-Manager form of government. The charter provides for six councilmembers and a mayor – all elected at large on a non-partisan ballot. The Mayor and Council serve four-year terms. The Mayor has a two-term limit and Council a three-term limit. Councilmembers serve staggered terms to ensure continuity.

Under Goodyear’s City Manager/Council form of government, the City Manager is the chief administrative officer of the city. The City Manager is appointed by and reports directly to the Mayor and City Council. The City Manager oversees the operations of the city and serves as head administrator to all employees in the 14 operating departments. The City Attorney and Municipal Judge also are appointees of the City Council.

The City Manager is responsible for assuring that city services are performed in accordance with City Council policies and goals and within the capability of the city’s resources. The City Manager presents the city budget to the City Council and keeps it advised of the city’s financial condition and the future needs of the city. The City Manager is responsible for the long-range strategic planning for the organization and the development of recommendations to City Council on a variety of public policy issues.

The Deputy City Managers, Digital Communications department, and Government Relations division reports directly to the City Manager. All other city operations fall under the supervision of three deputy city managers.

Each Deputy City Manager oversees the work of several department directors. They advise the City Manager regarding program needs and the preparation and presentation of programs for approval by the City Manager and City Council.

Sources: Wikipedia.org and Goodyear City Website