Key Points:

• The Arizona Ombudsman Citizens’ Aide 2025 report showed an increase in cases over the last year

• Cases increased largely due to increased public awareness of the office and its function 

• Office handles complaints of poor service, lack of communication by state agencies

The Arizona Ombudsman Citizens’ Aide saw an unprecedented increase in cases over the last year, driven by several factors. 

In its annual report for fiscal year 2025, the office handled 8,007 cases involving 239 government agencies. That number may grow past 9,264 cases, after the year-end total is tallied. Cases totaled 7,028 last year and totaled 6,026 two years ago. 

The first six months of fiscal year 2026 have seen 5,254 cases and if that rate continues, the office could surpass 10,000 cases. For comparison, the office handled 9,757 cases during the pandemic in fiscal year 2021.

Director Joanne MacDonnell wrote in her summary letter that they don’t have a clear understanding of why the number of cases is increasing, but pointed to a few factors. Some of the reasons are positive, including new awareness about their office, thanks to media reports and referrals. 

Some agencies also experienced an increase in their case numbers, which raises the totals for the Ombudsman Office. Common complaints include poor service, lack of communication and issues caused by telecommuting, or when workers are not available for public meetings in offices, MacDonnell wrote. 

“The public expects better customer service from these agencies,” MacDonnell said. “The public responds very positively when agencies add a human touch — such as quick phone or email responses or in-person meetings to review paperwork or other evidence.”

The main reason is likely the standardization of the state’s website portal and main agency pages, wherein the Ombudsman Office is prominently featured at the top and center of their websites, MacDonnell said. 

Three agencies topped the office’s list with the highest number of complaints in 2025. Those were the Department of Economic Security, the Department of Child Safety and the Department of Transportation. 

The Department of Economic Security, which handles different types of assistance, including food and unemployment benefits, recorded the most complaints with 1,459 cases. That number has increased every year since fiscal year 2023 and it’s a concerning trend, MacDonnell wrote. 

“The main reasons for the increase are difficulties the DES departments face in processing nutrition and medical benefits, unemployment insurance and related appeals,” MacDonnell said. 

In an interview, MacDonnell said the increases depend on the agency. The more complaints they have, the more likely it is that they need more resources or that they had a particular difficulty. 

Other departments on the office’s radar improved their case numbers. Though the Department of Child Safety had the second-highest number of cases, the Ombudsman Office handled 101 fewer cases than last year. Over most of the past decade, the number of cases has steadily declined, according to the report. 

The agency with the third-highest number of cases referred was the Department of Transportation, which also includes the Motor Vehicle Division. The office handled 360 cases, up from 243 last year and 195 two years ago. 

One department that did significantly improve its case numbers is the Department of Revenue. Last year, the Ombudsman Office handled over 200 cases, but that’s half the number in 2024, when it handled 483 cases.