Yavapai County board adopts first strategic plan, elevates rural services and performance reporting

The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday adopted the county’s first strategic plan after an extended discussion about priorities, timelines and public clarity.

Assistant County Manager Tyler Goodman presented the one‑and‑a‑half page plain‑language plan, which sets five strategic priority areas and 12 goals. Members debated whether to use fiscal‑year language or plain calendar dates for public understanding; supervisors agreed to replace fiscal‑year phrasing with specific dates and to elevate rural services and rural infrastructure as the top priority in the infrastructure section.

Supervisor Check moved to approve the draft as amended and Vice Chair Compton seconded. The motion passed by unanimous vote.

Board direction and next steps: staff will take the adopted plan into implementation planning with the original retreat facilitators to define performance measures, staffing and budgets; supervisors asked for a public‑facing dashboard and periodic reporting. Tyler Goodman said the implementation sessions are scheduled next week, and staff will bring performance indicators and an implementation timeline back to the board for review.

Why it matters: The plan is intended as a roadmap to align county budgeting and staffing with board priorities including rural services, public safety facilities, water/open‑space planning, housing/economic development and governance improvements. Supervisors emphasized a need for measurable targets and quarterly updates to ensure accountability.

What the board approved: a final strategic plan with amended language (plain dates, priority reorder) and instruction to proceed to implementation planning and KPIs.