By Justin Mathews | Pinal Post
The Town of Florence Council unanimously adopted a new strategic plan on Feb. 3, setting priorities for infrastructure, economic growth, government performance and community identity through 2031. The Florence strategic plan will guide how the town allocates resources and makes policy decisions over the next five years.
The plan emerged from nine months of public engagement led by consultant Raftelis. That process began in May 2025 and included one-on-one interviews with each council member, focus groups with department heads and community members identified by the council as “Community Champions,” and an employee survey administered in July.
Nancy Hetrick of Raftelis presented the plan to the council. She said consistent themes emerged across all groups. Community Champions and others specifically pushed for a focus on economic development. Another theme was how to balance current capacity with anticipated growth. “The organization needs to reflect what’s on the horizon, and that’s a lot of growth, to be prepared for that,” Hetrick said.
Hetrick said the engagement also revealed a desire to unify geographically separated parts of town. “There’s opportunity to bring different parts of the community, different neighborhoods, different sections of town that may currently be separated geographically into a focus on one Florence,” she said.
