At the Arizona Ombudsman Citizens' Aide Office, Joanne MacDonnell turns pride in public service into hands-on guidance for people navigating state government.
The Arizona Ombudsman Citizens’ Aide’s 2025 report shows a rise in cases last year, driven largely by growing public awareness of the office’s role in resolving complaints about poor service and lack of communication from state agencies. (Arizona Capitol Times)
We investigated a complaint that the Arizona Department of Economic Security's Division of Developmental Disabilities had not made a timely decision on whether to renew Child Developmental Foster Home licenses. The final report of the investigation is now available. https://www.azoca.gov/wp-content/uploads/AZOCA-Report-of-Investigation-2406592-and-2407618-DES.pdf
Pursuant to ARS 41-1376(A)(2), the Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens’ Aide submits an annual report providing an overview of the office’s work and activities during the prior fiscal year. The report highlights the office’s engagement and outreach efforts, casework, and feedback from the public. Download the Annual Report (PDF file, 91 pages, 2.2 MB) Download the
Watch ABC15’s Spotlight on the Arizona Ombudsman Citizens’ Aide Watch the ABC15 Segment This video can only be viewed on YouTube due to playback restrictions. Watch on YouTube ABC15 highlights how our office helps Arizonans navigate government challenges—from accessing public records to resolving service disputes. Learn how
The Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens’ Aide Office’s Fiscal Year Report to the Arizona Legislature is now available. This report covers July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. The report includes information about our office, anonymous survey results, summaries of compelling cases and the numerical breakdown of our caseload. You can read or download the report at the
The Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens’ Aide Office’s Fiscal Year Report to the Arizona Legislature is now available. This report covers July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. The report includes information about our office, anonymous survey results, summaries of compelling cases and the numerical breakdown of our caseload. You can read or download the report at the
Arizona Capitol Times published a piece on the Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens' Aide office focused on our public records work and services. Click for a preview and for a link to the entire piece.
The Ombudsman-Citizens' Aide office has updated its Arizona Open Meeting Law and Public Records Law handbooks.
As of February 27, 2023, we have been located at 2020 N Central Ave., Suite 570, Phoenix, AZ 85004.
