The biggest challenge facing cities today

• Michael LeVault is new chair of Maricopa Association of Governments
• As mayor of Youngtown%2C he helped turnaround a floundering town
• He hopes to continue spirit of regional cooperation

You recently became chair of the Maricopa Association of Governments. What's on your to-do list?

MAG is both a council of governments and metropolitan planning organization for regional transportation planning in the Greater Phoenix region. We have made great progress in building a spirit of regional cooperation. I hope to further facilitate and encourage that spirit.

You're mayor of one of the Valley's smaller communities. Does that pose a challenge in leading this group?

MAG is comprised of 35 member agencies. Each entity, regardless of size, has one vote.

It is fitting that the mayor of one of the smallest towns in the Valley chairs the organization. I look at our common interests and how we, as a council, can best serve the entire region.

Youngtown was close to disbanding two years ago. How did you turn it around?

In November 2006, I led a recall that ultimately overturned four of the seven town council seats. When we took office, we faced serious fiscal and organizational problems.

We began by immediately implementing zero-based budgeting and re-examining every expenditure, from pencils to people. We then embarked on a long-running conversation with residents regarding their expectations of municipal services. Ultimately, we made profound changes in the ways we deliver and pay for those services.

We are debt free, have nearly a year's worth of operational expenditures in a rainy-day fund and have made the most important infrastructure improvements in the town's history — all without borrowing money or raising taxes.

Do lessons from that experience apply to MAG?

The benefits of good government are universal. MAG, like Youngtown, is an efficiently run, high performance organization. With a relatively small budget and lean staff, MAG has successfully taken on projects ranging from transportation planning and air quality to mitigation of homelessness and domestic violence.

What is the biggest challenge facing the Valley's cities and towns?

It's the economy. If we can bring together organizations like MAG, GPEC, East Valley Partnership, WESTMARC, and state agencies, we can begin to build a diversified, resilient and high-tech economy providing good, high-paying jobs and leading us into a bright future for the entire region.

We need highways, and we need clean air. How do you balance the two?

The reality is we live in a desert. Every time we break the desert crust we create dust. We will always face the challenge of maintaining a balance between quality of life and further development.

By working together, planning efficiently and seeking out and applying cutting-edge technology, we can continue to grow as a region while simultaneously enriching our quality of life.

There's a lot of talk about moving toward more concentrated, transit-oriented development. Does MAG support that idea?

MAG is the cities that comprise it. As Aristotle said "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." MAG, as a council, will determine its own direction. When it comes to a mass-transit system, we are painting on a blank canvas; literally inventing and building the system as we go. It will be through regional cooperation, sensible planning and efficient implementation that we build a true world-class multimodal transit system.