MAG's Purpose and Responsibilities

The MAG Bylaws contain an underlying concept for the organization:

"The Maricopa Association of Governments is based on the principle that cities, towns and counties, which are closest to the people, should exercise the basic initiative and leadership and should have the primary responsibility for addressing those local problems and needs which require action on an area-wide or regional basis."

The Articles of Incorporation for MAG state that the association was formed to do the following:

• Provide a forum for discussion and study of regional problems of mutual interest to the governments in the region.
• Insure through cooperation and the pooling of common resources, maximum efficiency and economy in governmental operations which will provide every citizen with the utmost value for every dollar.
• Identify and comprehensively plan for the solution of regional problems requiring multi-city, town and county cooperation.
• Facilitate agreements among the governmental units for specific projects or other interrelated developmental actions or for the adoption of common policies with respect to problems which are common to its members.
• Attain the greatest degree of intergovernmental cooperation possible in order to prepare for future growth and development of the region.

WHAT IS MAG EMPOWERED TO DO?

Federal Requirements

Certain federal actions require that state plans and regional plans in large urban areas be prepared. For the Maricopa County area, MAG has been designated in the following four areas:

1. Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

2. Water Quality Planning Agency

3. Lead Air Quality Planning Agency

4. Solid Waste Planning Agency

As the MPO, MAG has the following transportation related responsibilities:

• Have a federally certified transportation planning process
• Conduct an ongoing public involvement process
• Develop and apply management systems (pavement, bridge, congestion, transit, intermodal, safety)
• Prepare a five-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that lists all transportation projects in the region (includes federal, state, local and privately funded projects)
• Prepare a multimodal Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) with a 20-year time horizon (freeways, arterials, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, demand management)
• Find conformity for all transportation plans, programs and projects.

As the water quality planning agency for the region, MAG develops an area-wide water quality management plan. This requirement is in response to Section 208 of the Water Pollution Control Act of 1972.

As the lead air quality planning agency, MAG determines which elements of a revised Air Quality Implementation Plan will be planned, implemented and enforced by the state and local governments. In addition, MAG produces air quality plans for carbon monoxide, particulates and ozone.

As the solid waste planning agency, MAG is responsible for undertaking area-wide solid waste management planning. This requirement is in response to Section 4006 (b) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976.

State Requirements

At the state level, legislative action, a Governor's executive order or a contract may result in state programs or plans. In accordance with these programs or plans, the Governor may designate an agency to develop regional plans or programs.

State Designated MAG Responsibilities include:

• Executive Order - Population Estimates and Projections
• Legislation - H.B. 2278 outlines transportation requirements
• Contract - DES Contract for human services planning

In Arizona, Executive Order 95-2 provides for the preparation of population estimates and projections. In this Executive Order, regional councils are provided a role in developing population estimates and projections. Each year, MAG recommends population updates for July 1 of the current year to the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES). In addition to providing the updates to DES, MAG also produces population projections for this region every five years.

House Bill 2278 resulted in various transportation-related responsibilities being placed on MAG. The requirements outlined in this legislation include:

• Plan freeway corridors
• Adopt freeway prioritization criteria
• Approve freeway priorities
• Approve material cost increases
• Issue an annual report on the status of the system.

In 1976, the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) contracted with MAG to develop the annual regional human services plan. The plan includes locally identified human services problems and provides recommendations to DES on federal Social Services Block Grant (Title XX) funds.