The Pima County Board of Supervisors presented the FY26-27 tentative budget of $1.899 billion, with revenues of $2.1 billion and expenditures of $1.8 billion, representing a 3.9% increase in revenues and 3.3% increase in expenditures. The budget allocates $957 million to public services, $525 million to quality of life initiatives, $306 million to infrastructure and growth, and $23 million to sustainability and conservation. Key funding elements include $5 million for affordable housing through PIGO, $1.3 million for student loan repayment programs, and $1.3 million for childcare subsidies. The budget maintains a 15% reserve requirement (reduced from 17%) and includes a $1.9 million contingency fund for operational needs, grant transitions, and inflationary pressures.
Pima County Board of Supervisors Meeting - May 26, 2026Added:
Uh, good a still not used to this. I want to say good morning. Um, good afternoon. Um, we are going to start out with roll call.
>> Supervisor Connell >> present.
>> Supervisor Christie >> here.
>> Supervisor Hines >> present. Supervisor Scott >> here.
>> Chair Allen >> here. Let the record show all board members are present.
>> I'd like to invite Justin Dillingham, communications coordinator from the communications department to lead us in the pledge.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
>> Anything you might want to share about what's happening at the communications department?
>> Well, there's always a lot of fun stuff going on at our office. Uh May is wildfire awareness month, so we're doing a lot of work to educate the public about wildfire safety. The pools are also open, so take the family and go have some splashing good fun at some of our parks and recreation um pools. Um there's just so much to there's just there's just a constant stream of interesting fun stuff. So, thank you.
>> Awesome. Thank you.
Uh next, we will ask our um illustrious uh civil deputy county attorney Sam Brown to read our land acknowledgement statement.
>> Thank you, Chair. On behalf of Puma County residents, we honor the tribal nations who have served as caretakers of this land from time immemorial and respectfully acknowledge the ancestral homelands of the Toono Odum Nation and the multi-millennial presence of the Pasuayaki tribe within Pima County.
Consistent with Puma County's commitment to diversity and inclusion, we strive toward building equal partner relationships with Arizona's tribal nations.
>> I want anything happening at the county attorney's office just for consistency.
>> Yes, chair, but it's confidential.
>> All right.
Um, next we move on to item number four, which is current events, public acknowledgement.
my colleague, Supervisor Scott.
>> Thank you, Chair Allen. Uh was very pleased uh back on uh the 13th of of May uh to participate in the Tucson Values teachers principal for a day program and uh I got to spend the morning on the campus at Sunnyside High School uh alma mater of uh Mr. homes and uh really enjoyed my time uh with the principal and and the staff and students that I got to engage with that day. Uh Tucson values teachers very much would like all the rest of my colleagues to participate in the principal for a day program uh when you have the opportunity. So I'm certain that you will be hearing from Teresa Hill about that uh at some point.
Uh the day after that I was uh out in the Sabarita Unified School District along with some of our staff from the community and workforce development department talking with uh Sabarita staff and also with Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Fanning about Santa Cruz County's interest in starting uh a program to provide uh support for early childhood education similar to what we have been doing in Puma County uh since 2021.
And then on Monday the 18th, both Supervisor Hines and I were speakers at a event sponsored by the Chamber of Southern Arizona uh which featured a keynote address by Governor Hobbes looking at the future of the US, Mexico, Canada uh trade agreement. Thank you.
>> What else?
Um, I will note that uh district 3 team is looking forward to a tour of the San Hav co-op farm uh this week. And then we have three points office hours on June 3rd from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the hub.
And then we have our Aravaka office hours on June 6th from 9 to 12 noon at the farmers market.
We will move on to item five which is agenda adjustments.
Okay. On the regular agenda under development services this is page seven item 23 AMB. This is a hearing reszoning closure and resoning time extensions for P15RZ 00001.
The applicant requests this item be withdrawn from the agenda.
The recorder page nine item 32. This is resolution number 2026-31 2026 primary election early ballot dropoff sites and emergency voting locations. This item will be heard at a time of 6:30 p.m. Thank you.
>> And Chair Allen, >> uh, Supervisor H.
>> Thank you. I would also ask that we remove on page nine, item 26 under board of supervisors unfinished business release of Northstar employment and legal solutions report.
Okay.
Thank you. Um we are going to do a couple of recognitions of retirements of county employees. Um the first is a recognition of the retirement of Wayne Zelanac, library technical assistant supervisor, who has had 47 years 47 years of service to Puma County.
We're out.
Thank you. So, I'm not going to serenade you like we did at the at the staff gathering for you. I just want to acknowledge um your immense contribution. You know, outreach bookmobile services is one of the most important things that we do.
It is a it's a way for us to reach people who aren't connected to libraries, who aren't going to be able to get to libraries on their own or are too far away or don't have an adult to take them. And you made that connection with people of all walks of life for over 40 years. And I said this to you at your gathering and I really mean it.
that when you think about how many lives you've touched as an individual, few people can probably um attest to having had that kind of impact. So, we all salute you. We will all miss you and we all thank you very very much.
Oh, I'd just like to say thank you very much. Uh, it's been an honor and a privilege working for the library and for Pumac County for all these years.
Um, it's been a pleasure providing the service to the residents of Pimac County.
Next is item number seven which is a recognition of the retirement of Jesus Hernandez, laboratory technician from regional wastewater reclamation department for 20 years of service.
Are we good? Hey, there we go. Uh, well, I'll say my name is Max Dante. I'm the division manager for the compliance and regulatory affairs office for Pimac County Wastewater.
Uh, and that's where Jesus has worked for over 20 years. Uh he started as a laboratory tech um and really just brought so much energy, so much uh amazing positivity, infectious smile. Um really every interaction we got to have with him was just um you know, brightened brightened your day. You you joked that uh uh you weren't going to serenade Wade today, but actually at at our retirement party for Jesus two weeks ago on the 7th, he serenated us. uh he and his he and his wife Janice in the audience, they they came and played music for us um at his own party. So, not very often that that uh the band plays at their own party, but it was such a treat and we we we are still talking about it. It was really amazing.
>> Thank you.
>> Um for those who don't know, our our laboratory operates 7 days a week, uh holidays, we're on call for nights a lot of the time, too. And Jesus really has just been a a solid foundation. He's always volunteered to come in on off days when somebody called out sick. Um just really the dedication and devotion that you've that you've given us um you know to help us succeed has really just been tremendous >> and for storm water. Oh yes. You you name it. You you were always there. Your name was the top of the list of the volunteers. So um after 20 years you know we we really really are going to miss you. Um, I it made me it made me count. We have three more people in our 31 person laboratory with over 20 years of experience. So, this really is a truly special moment. Um, I don't know what we're going to do without you. I don't know what we're going to do without the rest of them cuz because they're such foundations to to our uh to our business and our our lab there. So, again, thank you.
>> Thank you, Max. Thank you.
>> Thank you.
I want to say that it was a pleasure, you know, for working for the to serve my community and working for the county all of these years.
I've been working since since I was 9 years old, you know, in and off and going to school, too. And I like the water, you know, water. No water, no life, you know, water. We need water.
It's no water, there'll be no life.
But I started working at um Coca-Cola and it's when they got interested in my in the water, you know, the way they they treat it for to do the Coca-Cola and it's so good, you know, once it's cold and everything and we drink it. Oh, so good. But it gets a lot of sugar.
Oh, that why it's so addictive, you know. I drink it now but more or less you know the right one you know but and then I work in the um in the hospital too practical training and then I did a um a special project for the city of Ngales of the portable water in the 80s and then I end up here you know working for for Pima County in the lab and it was a great a great uh experience you know working with all the people you know during during those 20 years plus people in and out and I stay new people you know training train me learning from them learn from me great supervisors Max you know you're a new supervisor but you're great you know this this guy is great you know and when Barbara was there too as a supervisor was wonderful too a lot of the supervisors are nice people and we should be like that, you know. We should be just being respectful and being nice to each other so we can go far away being like that than getting upset and and fighting.
But I think for all of these I'm thankful thank for God you know who he was the one who that I stayed there you know all this time because there were some times that I was going to be um almost giving up some years but I stay thank to him and thank for the people in my community and my wife she's here we've been married 30 years us and thank you and thank you very much to everybody in my community. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
wanted to check whether item number eight is a presentation of a proclamation and I'm not sure I don't see our friends who are here to receive that proclamation.
So I think what we're going to do is we are going to break for executive session um and then we will return and resume the meeting.
Move that we go into executive session.
>> Second.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Scott. All those in favor?
>> I >> I opposed.
Uh executive session it is.
Uh that would be 5 Z.
All right, we are Oh, that came out a little bit high and loud. Uh we are back in um session. Uh that was for executive session was on uh the addendum. So that was addendum item number one uh which was for information only and then executive session item number two uh was also for information only.
We now are going to go back up to the top of the agenda to item number eight.
And this is a presentation of a proclamation to uh Judge Bastwick, Judge Looi, uh Jennifer Richardson, director of court, children, and family service, and Stephanie Chavez, uh dispute resolution manager proclaiming the day of Saturday, June 13th to be Pima County Family Reunification Day. I'll move the item.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Hines.
Discussion. All those in favor? I >> I opposed. Item passes. 5. Supervisor Scott, would you like to >> Yes, ma'am.
Whereas all children need the care, love, security, and stability of family unity, including parents, siblings, grandparents, and other extended family members to provide a solid foundation for personal growth, development, and maturity. And whereas whenever possible and without sacrificing child safety, keeping Arizona families together is an important goal for our communities and is the best option for a permanent, safe, and loving home for many children in foster care. And whereas reunification takes hard work, commitment, and investment of time and resources by parents, family members, social workers, foster parents, service providers, attorneys, courts, educators, and the community. And whereas for many years, many jurisdictions in the United States, including Arizona, have been celebrating the accomplishments of families who have overcome an array of challenges to reunify safely and successfully. And whereas Governor Katie Hobbs has proclaimed June as family reunification month. And whereas family reunification day in Pima County on June 13, 2026 is an opportunity to recognize families who has successfully overcome the challenges that brought their children into out ofome care. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Pimac County Board of Supervisors hereby proclaims Saturday, June 13, 2026 to be Puma County Family Reunification Day.
Congratulations and thank you.
>> Either do you want to say a few words?
>> Oh, we just just really want to express our gratitude. This is our fourth year having this event and we really appreciate the support of the board of supervisors. So, thank you very much.
I think we're one more.
Next on the agenda is call to the public. Um I I do want to make sure because we have a number of hearings today um that people who have completed the correct card. Uh if you're here for the call to the public, complete the green card. If you're here for a hearing, one of the specific hearings, um that is the yellow card and we'll be going through hearings uh after call to the public. Um so I will first read the board rules. Um citizens attending the meeting shall observe rules of propriety, decorum, and good conduct.
Any person making personal, important or slanderous remarks or who becomes boisterous while addressing the board may be removed by the sergeant-at-arms if directed by the chair. Such person may be barred from further audience before the board. Unauthorized remarks from the audience, stamping of feet, whistling, yells, and similar demonstrations shall not be permitted by the chair who may direct offenders from the hearing room.
Uh we have 13 speakers who have signed up which means that each speaker gets three minutes. Uh if it goes over 20 if we get additional names it will be reduced down to 2 minutes each.
Um and I believe we have a telephonic speaker. We have two telephonic speakers. I think uh Trista De Janeova is gonna be our first speaker, followed by Ashley Holmes, who is also telephonic, and then it'll be followed by JD Wallace. That'll be our third speaker. All right, Trista Denova on the line.
All right. Guessing not. No. Okay. Uh, then how about Ashley Holmes?
Okay, moving on. We're making great pace here. Uh, JD Wallace, please. And then I'll Can I Can I Oh.
Can you hear me?
>> Hello.
>> Oh, yes.
>> Yes. Hello. This is Trista.
>> Oh, Trista. Okay. Uh, so we will first go with Trista and then, uh, if Ashley's on the line, uh, we will come to you next and then we will come back to Mr. Wallace. Go ahead, Trista.
>> Hi, the board. Frederick Douglas once said that power concedes nothing without demand. So here I am today again for the about the 10th time asking uh for this board to intervene in my case which is egregious and um um every Puma County resident should be very concerned about it. Um and I will be going uh attending every meeting until my slash our demands are met. In brief, I'm demanding the return of my service dog, Dr. Baker, the removal of Sheriff Nanos and shutting down Pum County Jail as a human rights crisis. One, remove Nanos. It is long overdue. It is nonsensical that you are focusing as a board on his lying on his resume. What about all the charges of misconduct from his time in El Paso?
What about the female deputy whose report of essay was ignored for over a year until it became a scandal because he did nothing which makes him complicit legally speaking? I urge that deputy to file suit against the county for its down election of duty and exercising oversight. My name is Trista. I'm running for Pum County Sheriff and also District 5 of the Pum County Board of Supervisors as an independent writing candidate. And I have been and I will be running for sheriff until I succeed and win. My fellow Puma residents are welcome to sign my nominating petition to get on the ballot in 2028 if we have elections. I'm also um um running for Puma County District 5 uh supervisor because uh uh my supervisor has ignored 10 public requests now for his assistance in getting back my service dog who was unlawfully and cruy seized along with the rest of my beautiful prizewinning flock in 2023 in a home invasion. Yes, right here in Puma County. I will be testifying about this until we get justice. Yes, I'm not exaggerating. a 60-man Gestapo style raid carried out against innocent Puma County residents and animals and all authorized by Sheriff Nanos using what I would estimate to be about a4 million dollars to carry out effectively a smear campaign against me his political opponent for the past several years.
Unfortunately for him, my record is is way cleaner than his. So, believe me when I say I survived a 60-man military-style raid on my private residence in 2023, I totally understand.
It's very difficult. So, that's why I have created documentaries. As a NYU film school dropout, um I have created documentaries that I post all over the internet every single day. uh including one called watching the detective in which I dissect uh all the felonies, all the crimes, all the crimes that these these uh 60 officers um carried out on uh on me and my family and including and I have I've got the receipts and I post them all over social media every day and I invite other people to come forward. I know it's scary to speak up against >> just time. Um, our next speaker is Ashley Holmes, who's a telephonic.
>> Good afternoon. My name is Ashley Holmes, though I also go by Miam. I am an Arizona mother, educator, survivor, advocate, and the founder of Voices for Mama, which is a platform focused on raising awareness around family court trauma, maternal mental health, domestic violence, and the experiences of self-represented mothers navigating high conflict custody cases. I'm here today because many families in Pumo County are struggling silently through systems that often prioritize procedures over safety.
especially in cases involving coercive control, domestic violence allegations, mental health concerns, and financial imbalance between parties. Over the past several years, I have personally witnessed how difficult it can be for a survivor and protective parent to navigate the family court system while also trying to care for children, maintain employment, and protect their own mental health. Many speakers feel unheard and financially drained, retraumatized or even afraid to speak publicly because they fear retaliation within the system itself. I believe there must be stronger conversations around survivor informed practices within family court accountability and transparency access to traumainformed resources protections for self-represented litigants and the long-term emotional impact prolong litigation has on children or families.
This is not about individual cases. It is about public trust in institutions that shape the lives of children and parents. I also want to emphasize that many mother survivors are not asking for favoritism. They are asking for consistency, dignity, safety, and the ability to be heard without fear. As both educator and an advocate, I hope that Pima County continues investing in trauma-informed approaches, survivor resources, and community dialogue surrounding family court reform and family well-being. Thank you for your time and for allowing public comment today. Again, my name is Payton Ashley Holmes. I go by Miriam and I am the founder of Voices for Mama. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Jatie Wallace. And then following Mr. Wallace, it will be uh Corey Stevens, Lori Moore, and Robert Royce. Okay.
>> Uh good evening, uh supervisors and chair Allen. My name is JD Wallace. I'm retained speaker for Tucson Electric Power at 88 East Broadway. I'm also a Tucson resident, Midtown resident for more than 20 years at the same address throughout that time. I'm here with an update on some of the ways that TE is continuing to provide safe, reliable, and affordable service to the community.
Uh the all of our journeymen and apprentice line crew members have been training with hot sticks so that and they've completed that training in anticipation of the days of increased electrical demand for air conditioning and other services of like that so they can keep the power flowing and they can continue to make repairs and upgrades.
At the same time, the crews work with fiberglass sticks that insulate against the thousands of volts of current that run through the wire. And with it, they can replace crossarms and other equipment on the poles while the line remains energized. They access hard-to-reach infrastructure and with the goal of even fewer outages during these times where people need that air conditioning and other uh need for electricity. And this supports our efforts to continue to deliver 99.9% uh service reliability for our customers. Of course, uh safety is the first priority in this situation and if an outage is necessary, our crews will take the best course of action to protect their safety as well as that of the public. Next week, we or in the coming weeks, we're going to be adding another 200 megawatts of battery storage at Roadrunner Reserve 2. And that's just in time for summer so that we can store solar energy that's generated during the day and then deploy it uh later in the day to satisfy peak demand and also help our customers to avoid higher priced energy during those times. We also added another 100 megawws of solar and 100 megawatts of battery storage just last month at Wilmont Energy Center 2. All aimed at doing the same thing to increase the amount of renewable and affordable energy that we provide. We also recently reported that the average monthly residential bill in 2025 was about the same as 2023, making three years of rather stable rates for our customers and well below the national average. Another way we encourage customers to stabilize their bill is to enroll in budget billing, which will create the same monthly bill for the year based on their average use with either a credit for unused energy or a balance for additional usage that we would be distributed over the next year.
Customers who can control their energy use and restrict their greatest demand to when electricity costs the least when overall demand is lower can save more through time of use and uh time of demand plans. Thank you supervisors and chair Allen for this opportunity to update you on how TE is working to be your trusted energy partner. And as always, please tell our tell constituents how we can help TE help at te.com or through our customer service representatives. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Corey Stevens.
We stand today at a crit critical juncture, not just in Arizona, but the very soul of our republic. The recent passage of ARS Statute 411494 was a necessary step toward restoring unity and equality under the law. prohibits the use of public funds for training programs that place blame, judgment, or shame on individuals based on their race, ethnicity, or sex. It is a law designed to ensure that no taxpayer money is used to divide us. Yet, instead of embracing this move toward unity, the chairman of this board has chosen the path of division. By invoking the term white fragility to describe the legitimate concerns of citizens who believe in colorblind justice, the chairman has not only mischaracterized the opposition, but has engaged in the very racial stereotyping the statute seeks to end. To label or a concern for constitutional rights as fragility is not only dismissive, it is a direct affront to the principles upon which the nation was built. We do not need ide ide ideological concepts that categorize people as oppressors or oppress based on the color of their skin. We have the constitution. Specifically, we have the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. These are not suggestions. They are the supreme law of the land. They were enacted to abolish slavery, to guarantee equal protection under the law, and protect the right to vote regardless of race. These amendments exist precisely so that we do not need government officials. Assigning guilt or v virtue based on ancestry. When we have laws that guarantee equality, the introduction of ideological concepts like white fragility is not only unnecessary, it is a regression into the kind of racial essentialism that our constitution was designed to destroy. It is deeply ironic and historically illiterate to hear these accusations of racism from who those who claim the moral high ground. We must remember the true history of our political parties.
It is a matter of historical record that the Democratic Party um was the architect of racial segregation. It was the Democratic Party that instituted pole taxes. It was the Democrat party that enforced literacy tests to keep black Americans from voting. It was members of the Democratic Party who founded the KKK with Nathan Bedford Forest, a prominent Democrat serving as the grand wizard. It was the Democratic legislature in the South that wrote and enforced the Jim Crow laws which kept our nation divided for a century. In stark contrast, it was the Republican party that founded explicitly to oppose the expansion of slavery. It was the Republican President Abraham Lincoln who issued the Emancipation Proclamation and fought a war to preserve the Union and end the scourge of slavery. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of our great nation, we must uh be honest about our history. We must acknowledge the party of Lincoln and the Party of Civil Rights Act. The chairman the chairman's use of this divis divisive language like thank you >> is a continuation of you know what I pay really high taxes chairman and no I want you to understand this because you could have three minutes twice a month minute I have three twice a month >> our next speaker is Lori Moore and ma'am if you have additional comments I would highly recommend that you put them in writing and you submit them. Thank you.
>> And you can do that just as everyone else has.
>> Our next speaker is Lori Moore. Um, thank you.
I'm back. My name is Lauri Moore, marginalized woman on the verge of extinction. According to Chairwoman Allen, at the last meeting, Chairwoman Allen characterized Arizona Statute 41-1494 as appalling, she felt it was a white fragility state statute, and the federal government wanted to make people of color, women, and queer people figuratively and literally disappear.
So, I had to look this up for myself.
This statute outlines examples of fairness and equality in the workplace as well as stipulating examples of what is not going to be permitted pertaining to blame and judgment. For example, special privileges based solely on race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation are forbidden.
This means there will be no way to cry racist. And without the race card, the Democrats are only left with pronoun enthusiasts and purple-haired protesters.
This statute is about equality based on ability. It also states there is no one race superior to another, and no individual is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive. This means without being able to play the race card, what could really be extinct is the Democrat party.
Libs never wanted equal opportunities.
And since the woke DEI uh equity ideology has completely failed, liberals now want a new blame game that places all failures since the beginning of time on straight white men.
Socialists would like ARS411494 to be rewritten. And it would go something like this. Straight white men are intellectually inferior to all races and ethnic groups. Straight white men are inherently racist, sexist, and oppressive. Whether they know it or not, straight white men could be discriminated against and should be discriminated against for all eternity.
Straight white men's moral character is inferior to all others. Straight white men bear the responsibility for actions committed by other members of the white race. Since the beginning of time, straight white men should feel all forms of psychological distress because they are who they are. Meritocracy or traits such as hard work are to the left racist and sexist.
Um, and they must be obviously created by straight white men to oppress all members of all other races. And once these new laws are rewritten to figuratively and literally erase all straight white men, there will still be a problem because without straight white men, there will be no LGBTQ plus people or any people. We will all be extinct.
Thank you.
Thank you. Our next speaker is Robert Royce. And then following Mr. Royce. It is uh it will be Ken Silverman, uh Max Larnard, and Patrick Deanscini.
>> I'm Robert Reus.
15 months ago, I stood here and declared that the new president by this time this year would be historically unpopular. It was no mystery to me. The current president is a classic federalist. Since federalism as an ethic serves only the top 15% of the population, it is inherently unpopular. And here we stand today. Uh the current president is a pathological liar. When you're a pathological liar, you lie because it makes you feel good, because it makes you feel superior to the fools that actually believe your lies.
Now the current president is at 35% and after his 1 billion7676 million slush fund he's probably going to be dropping closer to 30%.
The Democratic party should be in a position to pick up 50 seats in the House of Representatives and a majority in the Senate.
The Republicans are trying to survive by germandering every state that they have control over. And the only response of the Democrats is to try to outjerrymander the Republicans.
When your party motto is shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread which it has earned, you don't have to do gerrymandering to hold on to power.
When Jefferson was elected in 1800, he moved to Washington DC and took two rooms in the second floor of Conrad's boarding house where he wrote his inauguration address while he waited for the Congress to certify his election through 24 ballots.
When he was done writing his speech, he handed it to James Madison with the instructions to fix it. Madison brought it back. Jefferson incorporated every suggestion that Madison made into the final speech and printed it. And in the days before the inauguration, it was distributed to every newspaper in the country. The morning of the inauguration, it was distributed by every newspaper, every certainly every Jeffersonian newspaper and many of the federalist newspapers.
People read it eagerly before, during, and after the actual reading of the speech. And when they got to that line, shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread which it is earned. That was it. That's what caused the Democratic Party to hold on to power for 28 straight years.
Thank you.
>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Ken Silverman.
Hi, my name is Ken Silverman and I'm on the board of the Industrial Development Authority of Puma County. We do conduit financing for bonds and um since we've been I've been on the board 10 or 12 years and we've done over a billion dollars of bond financing.
Compare that to the Tucson IDA that in the same amount of time they've done $35 million of bond financing.
There are three affiliates that the IDA does. Um, Family Housing Resources, Southern Arizona Land Trust, and Community Investment. They all are nonprofit and is funded by the money that the IDA brings in. Um just for example in the last four years the IDA has given uh $400 no $176 million in um uh new home buyer assistance in the last four years. We do tremendous work and I I ask any of the the supervisors here to make a contact with me or other um people on the board and you'll get a real understanding of what the board does and why it does the things. Now, I just got noticed today at 3:30 that the uh meeting was changed from 5:00 to 4:00. In addition, there was an addendum asking for the removal of all the IDA board members. I think that it should be tabled until we can get our legal counsel here and make and uh get an evaluation of what the IDA does and what the board has done. Thank you for having me.
>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Max Learnard.
Madame Chair and members of the board, my name is Max Larnard and I along with Patrick Griffin uh who cannot be here today serve as general counsel for the industrial development authority of the county of Puma. The board's concern, the board of directors of the authorities's concern is that the proposed action to remove all current directors is a wholesale approach to issues that are better addressed thoughtfully and collaboratively. The current board includes members with substantial experience, including some who have served the authority for more than a decade, and the authority has undertaken significant work in recent months to improve its processes and operations.
There is legitimate concern that removing the entire board of directors at once would create significant disruption to the authorities's ongoing work and the continuity of important reforms currently being undertaken uh which Mr. Pat Deaconini will speak about after me. Most importantly, the members of the board of directors that I have spoken with today welcome engagement and discussion with the board of supervisors before a decision of this magnitude is made. Thank you.
Thank you. Our next speaker is Patrick Deansini and then following Mr. Dancini.
It will be Mike Humphre uh Vbec Vatan and Amy Bass.
Chair Allen Uvisors, administrators, staff. Um thank you for uh listening to us today. Um, I'm the newest member of the Pimac County IDA and um, when I first got on the IDA, I realized quite quickly with the help of some of the other board members that there was some reform that needed to take place and that's what I've been focusing on. Um, and we made some important reforms uh, since just since I've been there. Um, for instance, we hired new council um, which was very important. we had some problems with our other council. Um that was a an important decision that has led to much better representation in my opinion.
Uh we are currently renegotiating a contract with one of our support organizations. This is an important support organization. We're right now in the middle of renegotiating a contract with them. Those changes are going to be important to make sure that we can execute the mission of the IDA.
We are establishing new conflict of interest policies which are important.
We are seeking additional information from our support organizations before we make important changes. There's a lot of information we just don't have and lots of times it's in the hands of the support organization. So we have to request that. We have to wait a little while. It doesn't come overnight. So we have to get that information before we can make decisions properly.
We um are also instituting new professional conduct guidelines or behavior on the board. So all of these things are important things that I've been working on just in the last couple months. And so as a volunteer public servant doing this job, you can imagine I was a bit surprised today when I found out that today, the same day that I found out there was a there was an effort to basically remove the the board that I sit on. It it caught me by surprise. Um and I went and talked to all the other board members and nobody had been contacted by any of you. Nobody had been contacted by any of your staff.
So, the entire board was just surprised.
And I um I hope that um you know, you'll you'll give us a chance to explain these reforms that we're making and how it's going to be a positive change and how it's going to be good for the mission of the IDA um to make some of these changes.
Sometimes making changes, as you know, can be tough, but we're we're there for the job. and I hope you'll give us the opportunity to tell you about uh those changes that we're making. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Mike Humphrey.
>> My name is Mike Humphrey. Uh I serve as vice president of the Puma County Board of Health and I'm also the chair of the budget subcommittee. I have come here today representing the board of health in support of FY2627 supplemental funding request for the office of communicable diseases community health worker program. As Supervisor Hines has written, community health workers who provide expanded education, screenings, and access to care are critical in helping our residents stay healthy and prevent chronic disease. They are especially important with the coming changes in the 2027 to Medicaid access enrollment rules due to the package of HR1 the one big beautiful bill. I would like to close with an excerpt of from a poem written by Lys Nayacho Naabok a Kenyan community health worker which beautifully expresses the crucial role these these workers play in protecting public health. Glad in twisting, glad in attire, pristine, not nuns but unseen, wandering far like whispers in between.
Watching the young and the elderly breath, invisible hands battling illness and death. They stand as guardians, secrets they unfold, illnesses harbored, their stories retold. In town's warm embrace, tales they amass, sharing truths with the earth, a bond unsurpassed, exposed to pandemics, the world's chilling storms, unseen yet essential, a purpose to perform. For in their quiet echoes, the community's plea, a purpose united, a shared destiny. Thank you.
Uh our next speaker is Vive Paran.
Hello, my name is Vive.
Um thanks to all of you uh including the offices of the clerk and administrator for making these meetings more accessible for Puma County residents the evening. Um, thank you, Chair Allen and uh, Supervisor Connell for your consistent opposition to Project Blue.
Be infrastructure has permits from the state to drill two wells endangering the water supply of nearby families who rely on that groundwater and have said they'll use up to 20,000 gallons a day.
What happened, Hines? Thought you got their guarantee.
The majority of this board, Mrs. Christy, Scott, and Hines, allowed that to happen. all three of you. That makes all three of you unfit for office. And I'm calling for your resignation. You need to make way for all the people who will actually be here to protect and steward the land.
Over the last year, by showing up and voicing our descent, we have exposed how your supposedly democratic processes serve extractive corporations and fail us the people. Some very basic civics.
The legitimacy of this body is derived from the consent of the govern, not divine right of kings or rexes.
Legitimacy is connected with authority and power. What happens when we withdraw our consent? What happens when we challenge your authority because you betray us with backroom deals? It doesn't matter what method of protest we use. The only method you have to hold on to power is through violence, punishment, or both. How sad for you. I was in this room when Beal's representative Logan Craig lied to your faces and told you the city wouldn't if the city didn't access the land that project blue would not move forward. The attorneys who represented them, Lazarus and Silvin, saw our community's overwhelming opposition over the following weeks, including the mayor and council's rejection of their client's project, extractive project. Instead of listening as members of the community, they continue representing Bo for Project Blue and Data Centers in Morirana. Earlier this month, they participated in a webinar where they shared how the forced these projects onto unwilling communities like ours.
Shame. Protesters went to their office and made enough noise to disrupt the webinar. Mr. Scott, you said, quote, to characterize what they did as civil disobedience would bismerge the proud meaning of that term. End quote. I wonder how do you define civil disobedience? Because civil disobedience whether it's noisy or silent whether expressed as anger or love is disruptive to business as usual. So I can smile and take my a beating like my grandparents generation did in the Indian independence movement as satiagrais like many black people did during the civil rights movement here. Is that what you'd like? I can do that for you.
But something tells me this isn't acceptable to you either. Is it?
How is this a form of civil disobedience to you? Is it palatable? Is it more palatable than noise?
I can smile for you.
>> Thank you, >> Christie. That's your That's your war.
District four people are going to suffer because you heard from several families in district. You heard from >> is time going to have to share their groundwater with the community.
>> This is Mr. Barn that is >> that's time. Um I give you a choice. You can get down from the podium or you can be escorted out by our sergeant of arms.
Okay, we will do that. Uh we are going to take a short recess and um we will return.
Thank you.
recess. Oh, there we go. Um, our next three speakers are going to be Amy Bass, uh, K. Baratan, and Asa Ramsey.
Good evening, U Madame Chair and the Puma County Board of Supervisors. Thank you for allowing us this opportunity to um address you and the the public. Um my name is Amy Bass. I work for PEP, Inc.
Portable Practical Educational Preparation, and I'm here representing the Rural Amato Youth Center Project. Um at this time we enjoy the benefit of having a um community health worker um positioned within our operations in the rural area of Amato serving families and children um to improve the quality of rural life through education, social uh pro-social activities and things to help kids develop their academic and career uh futures. So, we are very um grateful to have the community health worker and personally now seeing the community health worker program in action, I am just amazed at the difference that it makes and allowing um these folks to assist with the um provision of services and resources to the rural areas. rural areas often struggle to access um services that people living closer to the seat of government have access to and the community health workers help bring that um bridge that gap. So, one thing that came up um as the community health workers, they increased the relatability, the accessibility to the resources, but it's my understanding that they are currently grant funded.
And for somebody who has worked in the field of grant funded programs for more years than I'd like to disclose, um it is extremely stressful because you never know when there's going to be money and when there isn't. and something this valuable that will save money in the community and assist with um those that need it most living in the rural areas.
I would like to request that you consider making the community health worker program from the Pumac County Health Department a permanent item on the Pumac County budget and I believe that it will increase the benefits to the rural communities and save money over time that can be used for other things. So um that is my request. Thank you so much for your time.
>> Thank you.
Our next speaker is K. Barathum.
Members of the board of supervisors, thank you for the opportunity to be to be able to address you. My name is Baratan and I speak for myself.
I've been trying very hard to follow the logic behind your support for the data center.
I think the answer lies in the need at state, county, and city levels to get some income in the face of the cuts coming from the federal government. In that context, it looks like a nice deal to get the land sold and have a share in the property taxes from the data center.
That looks very nice. But there is a problem that needs to be thought about.
As we see more brackish water in our faucets and as our faucets run more slowly, the fear of a drop in property values will be widespread.
Perhaps there will not be such a big drop in property values that total property income will drop. At least let's hope so. But there's no evidence on this front either way. On the other hand, with inflation being where it is, you have a political backlash. If property values even so much as stagnate, leave alone drop.
That backlash will result in several of you being drumed out of office at the next election.
Believe me when I say that that would it will not just get you out of office. It could well ruin your political ambitions any that you may have. I think at this point for you as a board to make to even make a symbolic gesture to show your regret for what you have got our community into will have some value even if marginal.
And I must tell you after I drafted this note to you, I noticed that you will be considering raising secondary property taxes in June. God help you. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Our last speaker is uh Asa Asa Ramsey.
I think they may have left.
All right. So, that concludes call to the public. Um would any board members like to do any of the following? Request staff to follow up on a matter from call to the public. request an item be placed on a future agenda or respond to a criticism.
All right, we are going to do a little bit of shuffling. I think we are given that we have um people in the audience who are here for addendum item number six. Um we are going to jump there and agenda. This is the industrial development authority board of directors. Um, I will pass this to the county administrator, if I may, Chair, uh, Chair Allen, members of the board, following our conversation earlier, I think, and recognizing that um, on March 9th, there were some concerns about the organization that were brought to the attention of the board. uh but also understanding that there are decisions related to the availability of approximately $45 million uh in mortgage assistance uh that uh have to be resolved and decisions have to be made before the end of the month. Um, I have a I'll ask for direction that the board direct me to meet with the five current members of the Industrial Development Authority board uh staff for the three affiliate organizations or the three CEOs of those organizations and legal counsel for the organizations uh uh to follow up to ensure that we do have fiscal responsibility um and that things are moving appropriately and report back to this board in time for the board to take whatever action it might for both the IDA board and this board to take whatever action is necessary um before the end of the month to ensure that those dollars are made available to the people of Pumac County. And I I believe that is my understanding of the hopes of the board prior uh for this to be codified by the board at this time.
Chair Allen, >> Supervisor Scott, >> I'd like to move that um we direct the county administrator uh to follow up as described.
>> Simultaneously seconded um by seconded by Supervisor Hines.
Any further discussion? Supervisor Connor.
>> Thank you, Chair Allen. I want to express my sincere desire that all parties involved work with our county administrator uh to ensure that what we are focused on is the unmet need in our community. I get very troubled when I see organizations uh get stuck and get not focused in the purpose of what we're supposed to do which is mission and delivery of millions of dollars of resources to our region. I have full confidence that the volunteer leadership. Thank you for your volunteer leadership on uh this IDA board um will be fruitful in the coming weeks. Uh most importantly uh I hope you also recognize that this board of supervisors has lots of the fidiciary responsibilities to ensure oversight and to ensure compliance with the law. Um and so we are what we are doing is ensuring that the timeline is not disrupted by the external circumstances that have brought us to this conversation today and I'll leave it at that. Thank you.
Further discussion all those in favor?
>> Opposed? Item passes 5.
Um we are now going to go a little bit early. uh to item number 32 in the regular agenda. Um because we are blessed with the presence of our county recorder.
Um this is the 2026 primary election, early ballot dropoff sites and emergency voting locations. Um I will move to approve resolution number 2026-31.
Second.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Hines discussion.
>> Chair Allen.
>> Supervisor Scott.
>> Um reporter Kaserus Kelly. In the um Boser the board of supervisors agenda item report under discussion uh number one. It says there are five recognized political parties in Puma County and the state of Arizona. Members of those parties will receive the ballot for their parties partisan races. Of those five, only Democratic, Republican, and no labels parties are holding open primaries. Voters registered as independent or party not designated are able to choose a ballot for one of those three parties. If you are um an independent or party not designated voter in Puma County, what's the process that you have to follow uh to choose a ballot for the primary election?
>> Chair Allen, uh supervisors, thank you so much for that question. Um we have mailed out notices to um all vote by mail voters. um they can either they have so many opportunities to request a ballot. They can do so um by returning that um mailer that we sent to them, checking the appropriate information and signing that document and that will um that would work. They can do it online through our online portal. They can call and request a ballot over the phone.
they can um show up to an early voting site once early voting begins or they can show up to election day um vote center and they can request it that way.
So there is a a multitude of ways that independent or no party designated voters can participate. Um yes, they can still participate. we simply cannot automatically send them a ballot because as no party designated voters um we wouldn't know which ballot to send them and that would be inappropriate for us to choose for them.
>> So in in so in Arizona, not just in Pima County but throughout the state uh that's the process that an independent or no party designated voter has to follow. I I wonder if I could ask u and and please feel free to wait until after the 2026 primary, but I would really like to know uh what were the percentage of independent or no party designated voters who requested partisan ballots in 2022, 2024, and this year. And I say that when I say percentage uh what percentage of the uh registered independents or no party designated voters in the county uh requested partisan ballots in the primaries in 22 24 and and this year would be very interested in seeing that data.
>> Chair Allen, uh Supervisor Scott, I I also agree. I'm I'm also very interested to see if that number um has changed. We have um provided a lot of opportunities for communicating with the public and letting them know. Um unfortunately around 1th3 of all voters in the state of Arizona are no party designated or otherwise known as independent voters.
Very hesitant to use the term independent um because there is some connotation to the no labels party. Um and one thing that we are seeing in this election cycle so far is that there may be people who are confused what uh no party designated and no labels. Um they're kind of conflating the two and so they're saying they're no party designated and then requesting a no labels party thinking that it's somehow unaffiliated when in fact it is a partisan ballot. So we are really interested to see that data as well. Um customarily we do just as a trend we do see lower participation from no party designated voters in the primary elections. Um that is very typical because many people are very confused and are not aware that they do have the ability to participate >> and and have to take those extra steps.
And I'll just uh uh make one final point which is that uh Arizona law does not allow uh people who are registered as independent or party not designated to participate in the presidential preference elections uh that are held every four years.
>> That is that is correct and that does create a lot of confusion for those voters in the presidential preference election. um that is only limited to people in a political party and it is incredibly disappointing because as I said over a third of all voters in Arizona are no party designated.
>> Thank you. And I I I apologize. Um I wanted to use this uh uh information from the Boser to make that request. Uh and and if we can get that data after this year's round of primaries, I'd be most grateful. Thank you, Chair Alec.
>> Uh Supervisor Christie. Thank you, Chair Allen. Uh, good evening, Madame Recorder. Couple three quick questions.
Um, will early ballots have the privacy envelopes for return mailing?
>> Chair Allen, Supervisor Christie. Um, no. We have made the change to a one envelope solution. So, you will see a visible signature on the outside of um all ballots moving forward. that is the standard um what we are doing from now on and we will not be making that change for a privacy envelope.
And the second question is will observers be allowed at early voting centers in their locations?
>> Yes, they will be.
>> Will there be observers of all political parties that are eligible for representation >> if their party um designates them? Yes.
So, we'll have observers at those locations.
>> As I said in previous meetings, we are not required to have observers to conduct early voting services. However, if they are um if they are designated, they may be able to be on site. So, yes, I um am compliant with the law that now allows observers to be in any early voting location. Um, and yes, I will honor the law.
>> And that was the next thing I was going to bring up because I wanted your clarification on what what that law says that you just referenced and what does it mean for this upcoming election in Pima County.
>> I'm not understanding your question, sir. that law that you just referenced about it compels you to have observers.
>> Yes. So recently, and I don't have the the ARS number off the top of my head, um however, if a uh party chair wishes to designate an observer to observe at the early voting locations, they may do so. And we are compliant with the law. Again, I will allow them um in our facilities. We have um worked very closely with the political parties. Um I have given them personal tours myself. Um they have their designated areas in the the RTA election um was the first time that we allowed to um observers in our locations. We didn't have any major issues. Um, as I shared in the um, afteraction report, um, we plan to move forward. Again, um, I do want to clarify though, we are not required to have them. They are simply allowed to be in those locations. Our our locations, our early voting sites, some of them operate for the full 27 days of early voting. Um, to have volunteers come and be with us every single day. Um I think that is a hardship on the parties. Um so the the the law though just to be clear you say it it it allows it allows you to allow them but it doesn't force you to allow them or compel you to allow them.
the observers.
>> I'm I'm sorry. I'm I'm not understanding the semantics of what you're asking me.
>> Yes, it is. It is required by law. I am required by law to allow uh observers into my early voting site.
>> That's and and that's the clarification I was looking for. And in in accordance with that law, you're going to allow them.
>> Yes, I'm going to follow the law.
>> Great. Thank you. And finally, um I notice on the list of locations for the um boat mobile, Sawita is not included in that. And um we in my district, we struggle with those locations down in green the green valley area and this might be some source of relief. I'm just curious why it saw was I think it was on the list initially and now it's not there.
Um I'm looking at the list and I see um we typically will have one location in um either Veil or Sawarita and we do have a a a location in Vale um and that location uh will be open from 713 to 7:17 um as well as emergency voting. And so, uh, because we have that location, um, available there, um, we are not going to have an early voting site in that location. Um, I am working very closely with, um, the Sawita Town Council to provide a ballot dropbox. Um, we are really hoping to have that and I'm going to be asking for your approval. Um once we have that solidified uh I'm going to come back before this body to request uh for even if that isn't an emergency basis um we are we are um in the middle of uh I think they're shipping them or I don't know what what this the exact status of but we are need to get those um installed as soon as possible. We are really hoping to get them in before the primary election um at the very latest.
it will be um in the general election.
>> Well, thank you very much. That's all I have, Madam Chair.
>> And and I'll note that the I'm looking at the list right now and that the the Anamax Recreation Center in Sawarita is one of the uh permanent well not permanent but the early voting ballot drop off or emergency voting locations.
Um so that >> but no trail mobile. Do you see any trail mobile activity there? the mobile voting. No, I mean I think my understanding is >> Alan, I'm sorry. You're right. I I completely missed that. Um, yes. So, we will have one at 17501 South Camino de lasas Anamax Recreation Center and we will have one at Wan Gibson Esmond Station Library. So, we will not have the mobile voting unit in locations where we have an early voting site because um a brickandmortar uh early voting site because the point of the vote mobile is to show up in locations where we don't have a site, where it's difficult to get a site um or it's a more rural location where that community usually has um a struggle to give us that space for that amount of time. And so, um, you'll notice that we have on the exhibit A, AO library listed, um, three, I'm sorry, AO and it's just the sites because at the date of printing for this document, we did not have all of them uh, confirmed. We are still working on um, getting that document up on our website. Um, we have Aaho 3 cells and Morirana and on our website. The way that we will intentionally have this listed um because there was some confusion about the mobile voting unit um we we had it at uh Nanini Library and people thought they that it was there the entire duration of the election rather than the one day that we had it uh scheduled there. And so because of that we are um putting the mobile voting unit schedule behind um a a hyperlink. So people have to hyperlink click on that in order to bring up the vote mobile schedule so that it's more likely that they will recognize it's a one-day only um event or in the case of cells 2 days only.
>> Thank you madam chair. Thank you madam quarter.
>> You're very welcome.
Um I and then if there's no one else, I I just wanted to thank you. We're looking forward to seeing the mobile voting units in district 3 um at the locations and then just really appreciate the effort to diversify the location um for where early voting can happen um as well as ensuring that the sites are safe and secure and um yeah and just always encouraging folks to just mail in the ballot and make it easy. Thank you. Thank you. Um, all those in favor I >> I I >> I >> opposed. Uh, resolution number 2026-31 passes 5-0. Thank you.
All right.
We are going to now move into our uh some of our budget discussion. So item number 10 is where we are on the regular agenda. Um and this is a presentation um by director Quiron um on the tenative budget.
>> And thank you chair. And if I may, I'd like to just start for a moment and give a little overview before I turn it over to the director. Um, and I I will comment. I know staff is checking with people are here just to see if there's items that they might be here for, if we might need to move them up, but we'll check with you on that. Um, chair and members of the board, today what we're presenting is the budget for fiscal year 2627.
uh a budget designed to maintain fiscal stability while continuing to invest in the essential services and infrastructure the residents across Pumac County rely on every day. Uh this tenative budget reflects a balanced and strategic approach to financial management and ongoing economic amid ongoing economic insecurity and uncertainty, rising operational costs, and continued pressure from both the state and federal funding changes. Our goal throughout the process of these last many months has been to protect county core services, maintain long-term financial sustainability, and advance the board's priorities in public safety, transportation, housing, public health, environmental stewardship, and economic opportunity.
The budget before you continue PE continues Pimac Countyy's commitment to responsible fiscal stewardship while preparing the organization to meet future challenges and community needs.
As we developed the budget, we focused on several key principles and they are uh preserving strong reserve levels and long-term financial stability, supporting recruitment and retention of a high quality workforce, investing in instructure and deferred maintenance, protecting services for our vulnerable residents, leveraging grant funding and partnerships whenever possible, and maintaining transparency and accountability to taxpayers.
Like counties across Arizona, Pumac County counties continues to experience inflationary pressures affecting labor, construction, utilities, insurance, and our operational cost. But at the same time, demand for county services continues to grow as our region grows.
The tenative budget recognizes those realities while we believe remaining disciplined and measured in our recommendations.
This budget also reflects the county's continued efforts to modernize operations, improve service delivery, and align spending with strategic priorities as identified by this board and the community. Importantly, the adoption of the tenative budget establishes the maximum expenditure authority for the fiscal year. As you know, the board may continue refining and adjusting the budget prior to final adoption, but after today, expenditures cannot go up. They cannot exceed the tenative budget once approved.
Throughout the year, staff will continue working with departments, stakeholders, and this board to ensure that the adopted budget reflects community priorities and operational needs.
We so appreciate the work of the county departments, our elected officials, the community departments, partners, and all of our residents who contributed throughout this budget development process. staff looks forward to discussing the details of the fiscal 2627 tenative budget and to answering any questions you might have here today.
And now I will turn it over to DirectorWadone to walk through the recommended budget. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Administrator Leer, Chair Allen, members of the board. Before I launch into the presentation, I wanted to take a minute if I could uh just to extend and uh extend and express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the gentleman sitting to my left, Mr. Andy Welsh, the deputy director, and Javier Rendone, uh my budget manager. Um that for their exceptional work uh in and dedication in developing in this budget. Uh I should also give a shout out and kudos to the staff in budget and development, departmental analysis. uh they just play a key instrumental role in preparing this budget and and really so does anybody in my department that does touch the budget. So would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge them today. So thank you gentlemen. That being said, we'll get going on the presentation. Um next slide please.
Uh this slide really talks about the process for budget and I will admit as I've as I've admitted to you in in my uh budget monthly budget presentations the budget is really an annual process anymore. Um yeah we go through it for a short period but then but then in September and October we we're really right back up into it. Uh so you've seen this slide in in uh prior prior year budget presentations and it really just illustrates the annual cycle of the budget which which begins again in September and October and culminates in June uh with the final budget adoption uh that the board will be asked to approve uh this year on June 23rd. Uh the one thing I want to note here is we did include um uh bullet point 3 on the slide which is the ad the uh board of supervisors budget retreat that was held in February. Um so we wanted to codify that in the slide here moving forward.
Next slide please.
Uh, Administrator Lesher outlined this in her opening comments and remarks, but the FY2627 budget was really developed using the the strategic plan as our framework for our budget allocations during uh budget discussions with the departments. So, what we've tried to do on this slide is illustrate the investment in the pillars of the strategic plan uh in totality with with a $1.8 billion budget. So you can see in the public service pillar there's $957 million allocated uh or that pillar $525 million for quality of life um 306 for invest infrastructure and growth and 23 million in sustainability and conservation.
Uh underneath that framework or rolled up into that framework by the pillars are the one puma initiative and the prosperity initiative. um puma one puma initiative funding about $9 million and prosperity initiative 260 million and I do want to note that these numbers do overlap so they're not um additions they're they're they they overlap with within the pillars next slide please. So, as we talk about what are elements, key funding elements that are included in our FY27 budget, we continue with affordable housing, uh, $5 million from PIGO along with, uh, the board of supervisors policy, the the affordable closing the gap on affordable housing that that those dollars are also included. Uh, I just mentioned we have the one PME initiative at about $9 million. That does include uh $8 million in opioid funds and um $100,000 increase in both the DTAP and the STEPS program along with $750,000 in flood control for the loop uh wash cleanup. We have dollars allocated to the climate action plan uh from some solar projects and field lighting out at Arthur Packac. We continue the county's efforts to be the employer of choice through a variety of means. Uh there are there's a 3% market adjustment included. Uh there's dollars allocated for benchmarking and in demand jobs, bringing those jobs up to the appropriate grade in the class. There's $1.3 million in student loan repayment program and 1.3 million for a child care stipen. Um we also held health insurance premiums flat for employees. next year.
So, we're keeping employees whole. Uh we also have the prosperity initiative through a variety of different funding mechanisms through the departments.
Again, uh approximately 260 million there. We continue our critical infrastructure as Miss Leer outlined at the top. Uh through core functions, uh we have the $25 million for for PGO and roads. Um we we also are maintaining fiscal stability and sustainability.
This is largely due through uh our $1.9 million contingency that was referenced in the budget memo uh that went out in in midappril. Uh and then we have adherence to BOS policy uh with the 30 cents for affordable housing uh the state cost shifts and the um they go next slide please.
This chart was included in the recommended uh budget document. Uh this is from the budget at a glance. You can see the total uh revenues by source and fund balance for 27 is $2.1 billion.
That's about a $57.1 million increase or $3.9% compared to fiscal 26. And we have expenditures of 1.8 billion. That's a $58.5 million increase or 3.3% over FY2526. I will note that that 58 million $58.5 million increase is spread out through the uh categories that are listed on the pie chart there. Next slide, please. This slide breaks down the the total budgeted revenues uh by by fund. So you can see the general fund there is the largest fund in the county at 850 million. uh that is the largest fund in that we have in the county followed by special revenue. Special revenue funds are DOT, library and flood flood and DEEQ uh to name a few. Uh on the right here we have our total transfers in which is defined as money received from a fund from another fund in the county. Uh some examples are listed there on the right. indirect cost recoveries uh provided from the grants fund to the general fund and funding for uh funding by flood control into the general fund for emergency preparedness.
So next slide please. This same slide is doing the same thing except with countywide expenditures. Uh again listing them all by fund. Uh general fund being the largest with at 870 million followed by our special revenue funds and our enterprise funds.
Enterprise funds are wastewater development services and facilities management. Uh transfers out here total 342.3 million. The examples here are general fund money transfers to debt service to pay debt. And then we have a general fund subsidy out to the health department to fund health department operations.
Next slide.
This slide on fund balances talks about our financial sustainability and fiscal stability. Uh just giving you a high level here overview of uh of our total fund balances for FY27 totaling 661 million spread out across the five different funds that you see on the slide. Uh I do want to note that these are restricted for use for specific operational purposes. An example would be in our capital projects funds. These funds are largely restricted for capital projects within those specific departments. Uh debt service would be uh restricted to uh paid debt service uh on our debt.
Next slide please.
As we turn our attention to the general fund which again is the largest fund in the county. The revenue budget is 850 million. This is an increase of 47.9 from FY2526.
Uh the majority of the general fund money comes from two sources as you can see on the pie chart here. Uh that's property taxes at 530 million and state and other tax revenues at 260.5 million. Uh when we talk about our property tax increase of it's about it's a $34.2 million increase over last year.
uh that's largely driven by the NAV increase along with our adherence to the board policies that I mentioned earlier.
State shared and other uh tax revenues are increasing 18.2 over 2526 with the majority coming from state shared uh sales tax coming in at 14.8 million over last fiscal year. Next slide please.
general fund expenditures uh 870 million as as we showed in the slide a couple slides prior. Uh you can see majority of the uh expenses are centered on general government services and justice and public safety. Uh this $878 million represents a $56.8 million increase over our 2526 number. I do want to note that there is one small change on this on this uh slide and that is really the alignment of our general fund expenditures with the strategic plan. So you can see the the bar at the bottom represents the the menu if you will of our public service quality of life infrastructure and growth and sustainability and conservation pillars.
And what we've tried to do is identify the majority of the expenditures found in the categories on the pie chart with with how they aligned in the pillars. So for example, just justice and public safety uh you'll see it's it's centered on public service and quality of life. What that means is for majority of those expenditures uh were were aligned with that particular pillar.
Next slide please.
So as we talk about our re our restricted funds and taxing districts uh this is this is 493 million for FY27.
It's actually a slight reduction from 20 uh 526 of about 17 million. Uh and again we we did include the uh table to the right to align with with the strategic plan. Um and I will also mention that the tax increases the recommended or proposed tax increases are also included in these numbers. The authority to spend. Next slide please. Uh property taxes a little note on property taxes.
the the FY2627 recommended budget does not uh propose a property tax rate beyond what is required by BLS policy.
Uh so uh as we look at 2526 adopted it was a little over $5 uh $5.19 2627 recommended is $5.28 with the difference being about 8 in total.
Next slide.
Uh this slide really just provides detail on the breakout. Um you will see here at the bottom especially on the secondary tax rate 2 cents for the library 1 cents for the flood and there's no proposed adjustment for the primary rate beyond the state cost shifts PO and the affordable housing policy. So you'll see the primary rate going from4 $4.19 to $427 in our recommended budget. Next slide please.
This slide just gives you a highle his history history of our property tax rates going back to 19 uh fiscal year 1920. Um if you can't see that I'll I'll do the math at the high level. So the the the high the top line represents the total tax rate. The middle line represents our primary tax rate and the bottom line represents our secondary tax rate dating back to that that fiscal year. So we are down uh even despite the in the small increase in 2627 we are still down from the 1920 number uh by about 27. And I do want to know it's not shown on the chart but dating back to fiscal 18 which was our high uh at $5.97 we're down 69 from that from that period. So uh just give you a little overview and context there. Next slide please.
As we talk about the tenative budget changes and what changed from the recommended budget you received in April to the tenative budget that you're being asked to approve today, there's two small changes. One was a reduction of a duplicate $3 million budget that we had in CLR and the CIP budget for Canora Ranch. We caught that and made that made that small adjustment. And we are including $2.5 million in uh RTA funded project. Uh it's silver bell from Elcomo to to ANA. I should also note these these are non-general fund uh changes to the tenative budget. Next slide. So as we talk about what are we going to be looking at and monitoring uh in 2627 we we are monitoring our federal grant landscape specifically around terms and conditions and the language and the uncertainty that that presents. Uh stay cautious. you know the state hasn't adopted their budget as as yet and so we're concerned with what may come our way with respect to the state and uh economic unknowns right we have geo we have the geopolitical concerns uh over in Iran and um I can't think of the other name um Ukraine uh so we also have the permanent base adjustment that the board adopted will send the voters in November. Uh we we're beginning preparations for for that now. We also have the November 2027 bond planning. Uh those committees are are are getting going in Ernst. And so those are the things that we'll be monitoring as as we bring you financial updates throughout uh FY2627.
Next slide, please. We do have a wealth of information on online as about the budget and all the memos, the recommended budget, the transmitt letter, uh are all posted there if anybody wants to go out and take a look if you haven't already.
Next slide. With that, uh that concludes my prepared remarks. I'm sorry that I went over uh and I'm happy to take questions as you >> any questions from my colleagues. Uh Supervisor Scott.
>> Thank you, Chair Allen. And I want to extend my uh thanks to Administrator Leasher and everybody uh on her team for all of the work that goes into uh crafting the the recommended budget. And uh I also want to extend my thanks to the county administrator for involving the board in budget discussions very early on uh in the process. uh I think that uh helps us to know the decisions that are being made as the process moves forward and you also are able to uh consider the input we offer at those various intervals. Um I had some clarification questions uh based mostly on on language in the uh transmitt memo.
Uh on page 21 of that that memo there is a reference to the funds set aside for contingency. It says a total of 11.9 million in contingency funding is set aside to address a range of potential needs including 5.4 4 million for general operational needs, 5.5 million for grant transitions, and 1 million for inflationary pressures. Um, just wanted to get a little bit more detail on on each one of those those three areas. Uh, if if we could.
>> Thank you, Mr. Sure.
>> Chair Allen, Supervisor Scott. Sure. Um the 5.5 million for grant transitions is set aside to the extent that the board does not choose to award a grant or reawward a grant that may have some language um that the board doesn't deem appropriate. uh if if that uh comes to fruition, this money is set aside to augment what the funds that the grant were providing uh and have a a backs stop for the department that may need the dollars uh in the event that the grant isn't award uh is not accepted by Pum County. Um the $1 million for inflationary pressures is just that and and recessionary pressures. If we see state if we see state shared sales tax begin to decline, that money can be used to augment our state shared uh revenues.
As far as general operational needs, uh that would be for things um that come up from daytoday. I mean, you've seen what we funded in FY26 from our contingency, things like uh southern Arizona, the 25th anniversary of the conservation program. Um there's, you know, $250,000 that are being uh uh the board is being asked to approve today for domestic violence issues. It's it's that pot of money for things unknown things that come up during the year um that the board wishes to fund.
Um you know, short-term crisis funding was allocated from that as well. So, it's that pot of money.
>> Thank you. Thank you. And then u also in the uh transmitt memo first on on page six uh it says um to strike an appropriate balance between long-term financial stability and near-term community needs. The recommended budget proposes an adjustment to the reserve requirement lowering lowering it from 17% to 15% of the previous year's audited operating operating expenditures. Um, further in the memo on on page 11, uh, it says, uh, to help alleviate pressure on the property tax rate and still preserve a strong reserve position that safeguards the county's fiscal health and creditworthiness.
Fiscy year recommended budget incorporates an adjustment to the reserve requirement. Again, noting the reduction from 17% to 15%. Now I will have to admit uh I was kind of surprised to see this given the discussions that we had had uh in this room uh and some of the um uh uh input that you shared with us director u how did we get to that point and uh what does it portend for uh uh future years in terms of the reserve requirement because if we do this it's going to be the second year uh that we've uh um uh gone below the recommended uh level of 17%.
>> Thank you. And Chair Allen and Supervisor Scott, let me take a first shot and then turn it to the experts on this. But I think uh as you see in those two pages, the summary that you really put together is we came back, let me go back a moment and remember, we came just a few years ago to the board looking for a policy on a fund balance. The fund balance in the recent years has been between 40 and 42 million. uh and we recognized that we needed to come back with a policy that really made sure we had the right amount to not impact our bond rating and to ensure that you had the dollars um needed if if the wheels just truly fell off at some point. And we came to the board with the 17% policy. After last year, we again revisited the conversation with our bond council primarily. One of our great concerns is that it will impact our bond rating. Um and as you see in those documents, we look at three elements. What are the services we need to provide to the people of the community? How do we do that with having the least impact possible on our tax rate? And then can we do that by uh allocating dollars coming out of that?
What would be the fund balance that simply allows us to protect those services uh and not impact our bond rating, but make sure that we're maintaining the right amount of fund balance. And so those are the the three elements that we looked at as a team week after week after week as we developed the budget. Mr. Quadon team, is there additional information you'd like to add?
>> Uh, Chair Allen, Supervisor Scott, I think that sums it up quite nicely.
>> So the recommendation when we approved the policy was 17%. Um, but we have lowered the recommendation last year. uh and it's being recommended that we lower it this year. Uh is it expected that we're going to take up discussion of the policy again uh at at some later point?
>> Chair Allen and Supervisor Scott. Yes. I think what we have been talking about is simply that and looking at what how do we make sure that we come back to the board with a policy that is the appropriate one for inclusion in the budget that we're not asking for a regular tweak if you will. Okay. But again, that is primarily informed by our bond council.
>> Thank you. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Uh I note that there were uh in terms of both supplemental and dream requests, uh there were 31.2 million in supplemental requests.
28.1 million of those were approved.
There were 49.6 million dream requests, but 15.8 8 million of those approved, a much uh lower amount. Can you just please share for the board and the members of the media and the public are here what's the distinction between supplemental and dream requests and why in general were the former much more likely to be approved and and included in the recommended budget?
>> Thank you, Chair Allen and Supervisor Scott. I'll take the easy part of this and then turn it to staff. Supplemental requests are requests that came in for elements over the current year's budget from non-general fund departments. DREAM requests uh and um they will tell you what DREAM stands for when we turn to them as well are requests over this year's budget that came in from general fund budget uh departments.
Gentlemen, >> Chair Allen, Supervisor Scott, that's correct. So supplementals had their own dedicated funding stream. Uh whether it was coming from the department of transportation or library or flood those were considered supplemental requests.
Dream requests on the other hand did not have dedicated funding and were largely in the general fund. And so the the differentiation and and the the percentage of funded in the dream uh I'm sorry in the supplementals because of the non-general fund and the fact that they had their own funding source. uh is the reason for the significant increase in p% funded in the supplementals as opposed to the dream request that had to fight for limited dollars.
>> Okay. Thank you. Um I just had two more questions. Uh uh Chair Allen uh on page 27 of the uh transmitt memo u talks about uh the um PIGO program and says that the PIGO this is uh under part B on page 27 the second paragraph the PIGO program's objective is to repair roads within 10 years ending in fiscal year 202930 provide funding for general fund capital improvement projects and initiatives subject to board approval, reduce debt interest expense, and lower the combined county property tax rate. Um, further on on on page uh uh 31, it notes that um over the past years, the county has past seven years, I'm sorry, uh since the adoption of the policy, uh the county has steadily reduced its outstanding debt and transition to a general payo capital funding model. Uh the approach has significantly decreased decreased the combined county tax rate. The recommended tax rate of five uh uh $5.2835 represents a 5.8% reduction uh since 20 fiscal year 2018 2019.
Are we saying that the entirety of that 5.8% 8% reduction in the overall property tax rate can be attributed to PIGO chair Allen supervisor Scott the reduction I don't know if it's the entire amount but the significant portion of that is the is the reduction in the debt service that the county has seen because the the debt service is a component of the PGO calculation. And so that that's the reason that you're seeing that. I I I right here today, right now, I can't tell you that that is the sole reason, but it is a significant reason. And we can come back with that additional information.
>> If we could get some data on that based on on on that 6040 uh uh formula, I think that's going to really be helpful to the board now that the policy has been in place for seven years. We've we've seen the effect that it's had on the road repair and maintenance program.
Uh we've seen how it's um uh uh helped to fund other capital needs. But I think it would also be really instructive to the board to get some sense again based on that 60/40 uh uh formula of using both the reduction in the um uh secondary tax for our debt service and the growth in the uh uh property tax base seeing how much uh PGO is has been responsible for the reduction in the overall property tax rate. I hope I'm I hope I'm verbalizing that well. Madam Chair, >> Supervisor Christie, >> just to to uh address that, it's actually my understanding is the actual debt reduction is what makes PIGO work.
So, because we've been very um uh focused on on paying our debt and lowering it, it's allowed the other elements to come in to fund PGO. PGO didn't lower the debt.
The debt was lowered and then PO can.
>> Oh, no. I wasn't talking Thank you, Supervisor. I wasn't talking about lowering the debt. I was talking about lowering the um property tax primary property tax rate which is one of the the goals of the policy. Uh and and we're using um uh a 6040 formula uh in terms of the reduction in the secondary property tax for the long-term debt and also the growth of the property base overall uh to both fund po and reduce the primary property tax rate. And what I was trying to get a sense of um Supervisor Christie is how much of that uh has resulted in this 5.8% reduction in the overall rate since 2018-19.
Thank you sir. Uh my last question um Chair Allen is the reason the board approved uh the class comp plan which is now the compensation strategy plan uh was chiefly to improve recruitment and retention. We got some data a while back about uh uh recruitment and retention. I wonder if we could get some current data on on recruitment and retention now that we're I think in in the third year of of implementing uh the compensation strategy and then later later on maybe this time next year would love to see uh the potential effects on recruitment and retention after some of the benchmarking uh decisions that are that are incorporated into this budget.
Chair Allan, thank you for letting me ask all those questions. I promise I don't have any others.
>> It's okay.
>> Get that in.
>> Yeah, >> supervis I think supervisor >> K.
by >> Thank you, Chair Allen, Administrator Leer, and Director Quaido, and I want to thank you for presenting a balanced budget to the board, and I applaud you for your diligent work over many months to get to this point. Uh, one of the highlights in this budget, and I do have um prepared remarks that I'd like to go in detail, but I'd like to have a few questions as well. Uh my my questions focus really on employee compensation and I was hoping administrator lesser director Quon you might be able to give us a preview of what this board has done uh in last year's budget i.e. this year's budget and uh this year's budget.
So it's just kind of the the proposed budget next year. So let me just confirm this with you director quon last year this board allocated an additional uh 5% for employee compensation. Is that correct?
Supervisor Conno that's correct >> and the recommendation this year is 3%.
So in the matter of two years we have uh considered an increase in compensation nearly 10% but the actual is 8%.
>> Right. But general resol if adopted.
Thank you. And can you tell us a bit more about the two proposals in this budget that focus on uh two benefits that employees will be able to benefit from? They're actually uh new administrative procedures that have gone out. Um one is focused on an education reimbursement and the other is uh one on child care. Can you, Administrator Lesher or Director Quon give us some insight as to what that entails? Uh, and what I would like you to specifically say is how much an employee will be eligible to apply for.
And let's start there.
>> Mr. Chair Allen, Supervisor Conno, what I can tell you is that there's $1.3 million in the budget allocated for each of those. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar enough or with the specifics of the policy to to know that, but I'm certainly happy to come back and bring that to or unless um I'm certainly happy to look that up and bring that back to you before tenative adoption um with with the policy specifics. And if I sorry, Chair Allen and Supervisor Kano, if I may, I believe first of all, in the CHI in the uh loan in the lo student loan reimbursement, it is I maximum of $5,250 a year, I believe, is the amount that is eligible under uh the federal requirements, and our employees would be eligible uh for that for up to that amount. What I'm looking at quickly is our new uh the what very excited about the employee child care subsidy um that will allow a maximum amount um uh up to $4,000 uh if an employee attests to the different costs. So we're seeing I'm looking at what those limits are, but we're looking at right now um I'm sorry $2,500 a year will be the starting amount for child care for our employees.
So, those are two new buckets.
Remembering in the last couple years, we have added a couple of other um uh new amounts, but those are those are the dollars we're looking at for the two new programs. And again, happy to provide additional granularity about how those programs can work and all what the total amounts are. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Administrator Leher and Chair Allen. What I hope our 7,000 employees can recognize from this is that this board is now considering two propos three a 3% increase an education reimbursement program up to 5,000 that's pocket money in the pockets of our employees and if they have a kid a child care reimbursement of up to uh 4,000. So, we are putting nearly $10,000 back into uh the pocketbooks of an employee who has a student loan and who has a kid. Uh I believe that those are really important investments for recruitment and retention of our employees. And that combined with the 5% increase from last year, I do believe that we are investing wisely in our employees and our workforce. And we are one of the major employers in the region. And so I hope that others can take notice that this is the investment we are making. Uh in that same breath, I leave it to district 5 to uh also uh mention our opportunities for future engagement. Um, I appreciate Administrator Leser's memorandum that was sent to the board of supervisors last week in response to questions that I had about those who work for count the county and who are at the lower end of the salary range. with 7,000 employees countywide.
What we learned in this memo is that 1,000 of our full-time county employees earn less than $45,000 a year and 217 of them full-time employees take home less than $1,000 in a bi-weekly paycheck.
I want us to think about whether we can survive on $1,000 on a bi-weekly paycheck. And while I recognize the importance of a classification and compensation strategy, I do believe that one of the unmet needs that ends up happening is we assign people to a paygrade. We assign them to kind of a very linear idea of what they should be what they what our investment should be to them as an employee. I have a hard time believing that the prosperity initiative is something that can be successful in our region if we are not looking within our own to give voice to those employees who are making less than $45,000 a year and who in particular are expected to survive on $2,000 a month working on the county dime.
So, for next year's budget, please know that this will be at the top of my priority list to figure out how we can offer one-time adjustments to those at the lower end because I believe it is our duty to give voice to them.
Uh, Administrator Leeser, this is uh the last full budget that you are uh going to be overseeing. So, I want to thank you again. Um, I support the recommended budget because it keeps faith uh with the people who make county government possible and that's the taxpayers of Pumac County. Every dollar in this budget comes from someone's household, someone's small business, someone's hard work. And that means that our responsibility is not only to spend carefully. It is to spend in a way that makes daily life better, safer, and more stable for the people we serve. This budget invests in the workers who keep this county moving. Roads do not repair themselves. Libraries do not open themselves. Health emergencies do not respond to themselves. County employees do that work. Our nurses, medical professionals, deputies, correctional officers, library staff, road crews, public health teams, and frontline workers are the people who turn public dollars into public service. This budget says that we value that work. It helps us recruit and retain the people who care for our residents, protect our neighborhoods, respond in crisis, and deliver the basic services that families count on every day. And this year, we are taking real steps to support our county workforce. As I've mentioned, this recommended budget includes employee pay adjustments, market-based compensation investments, child care support, and education reimbursement.
These investments matter because our employees are also taxpayers, parents, students, caregivers, and working people trying to build a stable life in the same community they serve. We also know that health care costs continue to take to affect take-home pay, especially for lower wage employees, and I believe that we must continue looking at ways to reduce those burdens for the people who keep this county running. I'm grateful that the administration has let us know that pre premiums will stay uh at a constant rate in the year ahead. That is super critical uh because supporting our workforce is not separate from serving the taxpayer. It's how we deliver our services. This budget invests in housing stability. It invests in early education. It strengthens our future workforce. It invests in treatment and recovery. It makes our communities safer. And when we invest in things like heat mitigation, flood control, libraries, we're not just funding programs. We are protecting quality of life. And that is especially true through one puma. We have removed nearly 500,000 lbs of trash from the loop, county parks, and washes. That is respect for our neighborhoods, our public spaces, and the taxpayers who have asked for action from these five decision makers on this board. This budget also makes additional investments in public safety, including our sheriff's deputies and correctional officers.
These jobs require training, professionalism, accountability, and support. And I also appreciate that this budget is discipline, ensuring that we have a contingency, preparing for economic uncertainty, responsibly, paying for PIGO investments and capital needs. I will continue to advocate for district 5 investments in the PIO program. Uh and it also recognizes that we can be careful with taxpayer dollars and still be bold about housing, health, education, infrastructure, and opportunity. So to me, madame administrator, uh this budget is the promise of what this board can do with very limited resources. Uh results that people can see when they drive on a safer road, walk along a cleaner loop, visit a library, call for help, or know that someone in county government is working to keep their family stable.
This budget is responsible, people centered, and honest. And I am so so so proud of the work that you have done to get us to today. Thank you, Administrator Leer.
>> Before I call in Supervisor Hines, I I'll just say ditto.
>> Supervisor Hines.
>> Uh yeah, I I I would associate myself with all these remarks. Very good. Um, I I think it's nice to see that we have 12 about $12 million in contingency. And I think last just this is not a proposal to be voted on, but something I will probably bring to another meeting in the future, but just for my colleagues to kind of think about it, maybe considering since it's such a a much more robust amount than we had, I think a million this this time, right? maybe um in light of the the two successful deployments of short-term crisis and emergency resources um I know we're already getting requests our offices certainly the county administrator's office for for those types of things right now and it might be given the 12 million we have in contingency like setting aside a little over 2 million of that and and kind of pre-announcing like seven or 750,000 of uh you know like tranches of those funds coming out every four months just so some of these organizations that have benefited from that that can actually know that's going to be there and know there's going to be a process. That's just something I'd like everyone to kind of keep in mind.
Might be a nice way to uh to give them some uh you know reassurances there will be some emergency funds periodically coming forward given that we have a bit more uh a bit more to work with this year. That's all.
in addition to my um ditto uh I I I have a couple of questions and I'm wondering I you know one of the things right now I've had this role for a year and some change and I I am it never ceases to amaze me how how um the the there are so many things of which we we don't have control over um things that are pushed down onto us um that we just sort of adapt to. Um so I am wondering there there are there's two particular memos that I'm wondering if you could talk a little bit about either the county administrator director. Um one of them is the um uh title of it is the percentage of total county property taxes levied levied by Pumac County. I and I and I ask you to just talk about it a little bit because I think it is an important um it's an important picture. I mean literally a picture of the pie chart of of kind of where within somebody's tax bill kind of what what piece what slice of that pie the the Puma County actually has to sort of work with. Um you know the the the punchline of it is you know it's 37.84% 84% right of the levy. So I'm wondering if you could kind of talk a little bit about the the how those tax levies play out and they're divided and and kind of what it is that we we get to work with.
>> Thank you. If I if I may, Chair Allan, I think you would on May 22nd, we had a memo talking about the percentage of the county total county property taxes levied by Pum County. Just a reminder that when people get the tax bill uh and that it includes is you're right there's Pima County um is at the top of it.
State cost shifts are almost 8% of what's on that bill. Puma community college 8.91%.
Um the cities and towns do have some property tax. That's about 3%. The school districts over 39% of that tax bill. We've got fire districts at 9% and change and then a few other smaller districts at 1.74% with Pimac County at 30. So, as you can see, when they get your when you get your property tax, we are less than a third of that total bill. Is that the information you were looking at? Thank you, ma'am. I'm also wonder if you could talk a little bit about state cost shifts, what those are, what they, you know, how they show up in in impacting us and our budget. And then I'll note that there there's a reference a specific one that that in the same um memo that supervisor Scott was referencing the transmitt fiscal year 2026 recommend recommended budget there's a reference to a class one assessment ratio and and in particularly how um state cost shifts resulting from continued revenue reductions tied to the class one assessment ratio. I'm looking specifically on page eight. Uh it's one, two, three, the fourth bullet down, but there were some other references to the class one assessment ratio. I wonder if you could explain what that is, but also state cost shifts in general and the impact that that has.
>> Thank you. And if I may, Director Cuadon, thank you.
>> Yeah, Chair Allen, members of the board.
So, as we talk about state cost shifts, there is a table in the transmitter memo on page 311 that really defines all of the state cost shifts that the county has seen, at least dating back to 2021-22. Things like um cost for the alt text, the Arizona long-term care system, that that's a that's a primary driver.
Uh we've seen you know them them pass along costs per superior court and juvenile court uh justice court JP salaries and benefits constable salaries and benefits superintendent of schools accommodation districts these things that that are important and necessary for us for the fund that the state then shifts over uh that that led to the adoption of the policy the state cost shift policy from the board so that we could capture those increased costs uh that the state was then passing down.
So, I don't know if that specifically answers your question. Um, but I'll move on to the class uh the commercial assessment.
My understanding is that the ratio that's used to uh assess taxes on class one properties commercial commercially is moving down every year uh from 18% in the in the early 20s down to 15% uh in half percentage point increments between FY23 and FY28. So, they're going to move down half half a percentage every year until FY28, which when which at that point it'll be 15%. So, the amount that we're the amount that's being uh the ratio that's being applied is getting smaller and smaller and smaller um essentially shifting that that burden to the county. And so, because the ratio was getting smaller, the pie is getting smaller.
And I'm sorry, can you explain a little again? What are class one properties?
What does that include?
>> Huh? Commercial.
>> Commercial properties.
>> Okay. All All commercial properties. Any size? Just commercial properties.
>> I I Yeah, I believe so. But and if if I if I may, I can follow up with you directly on that or or in a memo to the board.
>> Okay. Okay.
there.
We see a lot of comparisons that are made between Puma County's tax rate and Maricopa's tax rate. Um, and I am wondering, there is a a memo that does a comparison around that. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about what what is in that. um and and sort of the distinctions between us and Maricopa and why our rates are different and why there's is what it is and ours is what ours is.
>> Thank you, Chair Allen. And I think the what we've been trying to do is provide to folks if you look people frequently comment that as an example the most recent Maricopa County tax rate at a dollar 1.1591 Mar while puma is at over $4. When you look at an adjusted rate, we really come down to about 1.8 from the $4 because when you look at Maricopa County as an example, they have their overall property tax rate and they have a jail district excise tax. So the things that we are paying for the jail uh and for that part of the sheriff's department, they have an a separate tax. They have a road excise tax which we do not have.
They have a special healthc care district. They have entrance fees at a variety of their parks. uh they have additional cost of state shared revenues. Um and then the taxable net assessed value in Maricopa County is considerably different including a nuclear power plant. So when we look at simply all of the different buckets of assessed valuation of taxing districts that combine together to provide Maricopa County services versus in Pumac County it's it is you. And so that is when we look at trying to make sure it's apples to apples. it is not nearly as um off off base as people seem to think Pimac County might be when you look at the relationship. Is there additional information gentlemen? Thank you.
>> Chair Allen, can I just have it to that point? Administrator Lesher, there is a talking point that I've heard that property taxes in Puma County just continue to go up and this board has not increase the primary property tax in two years, right? And what has perhaps gone up is the valuation. Can you kind of walk us through that? And I used to think that your property being worth more was a good thing cuz it's worth more. Uh but can you kind of help us um clarify what that means for the average taxpayer? Um Chair Allen and Supervisor Con, if I'm understanding that question. Yes. If we establish a tax rate, it is you you provide for an example $5 per $100 assessed valuation. And so if your home increases in assessed valuation, that is a larger number that we are multiplying the $5 by. Uh and so that is how your dollars go up. Uh the the the tax the total bill might go up based on the assessed valuation while the tax rate remains the same. Is that what you're I can look for help to do it a better job at that if I >> I'm just trying to really point out Chair Allen that it is not this board that has done that in prior in current or prior years. It's the assessed value and ultimately um >> most homeowners would be celebrating the fact that their investment their home is worth more. And if I may again, Chair Allen and Supervisor Kano, also to look at the fact that while their overall tax bill may be going up when they receive it, uh, from from the treasur's office is an it the 30% of that bill is coming from your taxes paid to Pum County.
Madam Chair, Supervisor Christie, >> to that point though, there is a method and a calculus whereby you can lower the primary property tax enough to compensate for the rise in the assessed value making the actual final bottom line u revenue neutral. If you if you you can find the the level by lowering the primary property tax that would compensate for the assessed value rise and you can make it revenue neutral. Is that not available to this board?
>> Sure, Alan. And Supervisor Christie, if I may, if one were only looking at the revenue side of the equation, yes. That could could taxes go down on any given year? Yes. um with increased costs of services with the increased variety of services that I think people are expecting from Puma County we do not look at the expenditure at the revenue side absent of the need to pay for the services being provided. I think, Madam Chair, that discussion point might be that the Puma County residents are demanding I think what they're really demanding is a revenue neutral or lower tax rate rather than more services or there is at least an an issue out there where has been brought up by my colleagues that there's this uh thought that property taxes are always rising.
It's not the assessed value that it is the assessed value that's causing the rise because the basic tax rate is not being lowered to compensate for it. That that's b the bottom line on how that could happen.
>> Thank you, Madam Chair.
Any further questions for director?
All right. Um we will revisit the tenative budget on the agenda. Item 17 is when we will uh actually vote on it. So I will now move us on to um our sorted hearings um and our tenative budget adoptions. Um I will note that for each of the tenative budget adoptions as we are sitting as other boards um these will all call require a roll call vote on each item. Right. So item number 11 we will be sitting as the flood control district board. This is a review and adoption of flood control district tenative budget for fiscal year 2627.
Is there anyone present who wishes to speak on this item?
Then I will move to close the public hearing and adopt the flood control district tenative budget in the amount of 19,558,296 at an effective rate of uh 3407.
>> Second. Seconded by supervisor Hines.
Any discussion?
Pass to the clerk for a roll call.
Supervisor Connell.
>> I.
>> Supervisor Christine.
>> Yes.
>> Supervisor Hines.
>> Yes.
>> Supervisor Scott.
>> Yes.
>> Chair Allen.
>> Yes.
Item passes 50.
Uh for item agenda item number 12, we will be sitting as the improvement district board. Uh is there anyone present who wishes to speak on this item? And this is the the county improvement district tenative budgets for the fiscal year 2627.
No. Um I will move to close the public hearings and adopt the improvement district tenative budgets as presented.
>> Second.
>> Seconded by supervisor Hines. Any discussion?
>> You're not going to read all of them.
Chair Allen. Just kidding.
Any other comments?
Uh all right. Supervisor Connell.
>> I.
>> Supervisor Christie.
>> Yes.
>> Supervisor Hines.
>> Yes.
>> Supervisor Scott.
>> I.
>> Chair Allen.
>> Yes. Motion passes. 50.
Uh we will now move to shift to sitting as the library district board.
Um is there anyone present who wishes to speak on the library district tended budget for fiscal year 2627?
Okay. Um, I'll move to close the public hearing and adopt the library district tenative budget in the amount of 63,454,352 at an effective tax rate of 0.5820.
Seconded by Supervisor Hines, any discussion.
Call vote. Supervisor Connell. I >> Supervisor Christie.
>> No.
>> Supervisor Hines.
>> Yes.
Supervisor Scott.
>> Yes.
>> Chair Allen.
>> Yes.
Motion passes 41.
We will now shift to sit as the Rocking K South Community Facilities District Board. Is there anyone present who wishes to speak on this item?
I move to close the public hearing and adopt the Rock and K South Community Facilities District tenative budget in the amount of 4,930,829.
Second.
>> Second.
>> What?
>> Sorry. That's fine.
>> Wow.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Christie. Any discussion?
>> Roll call vote, please. Supervisor Connell.
>> Hi.
>> Supervisor Christie.
>> Yes.
>> Supervisor Hines.
>> Yes.
>> Supervisor Scott.
>> Yes.
>> Chair Allen.
>> Yes. Motion passes 5. Uh now we're sitting as the stadium district board.
Uh anyone present wishes to speak on this item? I move to close the public hearing and adopt the stadium district tenant budget in the amount of 9,645,00 645,670.
>> Second. Seconded by supervisor Hines.
Any discussion?
>> Supervisor Connor.
>> I.
>> Supervisor Christie.
>> No.
>> Supervisor Hines.
>> Yes.
>> Supervisor Scott.
>> Yes. Chair Ellen.
>> Yes. Motion passes 41. We are now sitting as the Wildflower Community Facilities District. Anyone present wish to speak the item. I move to close the public hearing and adopt the Wildflower Community Facilities District tenative budget in the amount of $0.
>> Second.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Hines.
Discussion.
>> Supervisor Connell.
>> I.
>> Supervisor Christie.
>> Yes. Supervisor Hines.
>> Yes.
>> Supervisor Scott.
>> Yes.
>> Chair Allen.
>> Yes. Motion passes 50.
Now we are back as the board of supervisors and this is the tentative county budget for fiscal year 2627.
Um, is there anyone present who wishes to speak on this item?
I move to close the public hearing and adopt the tenative county budget for fiscal year 2627 in the amount of 1 bill89,953,662 at an effective tax rate of 5.28 2835 >> seconded by Supervisor Hines.
Discussion.
Um I have a friendly amendment um to add to the budget. So district 3 uh is is uh nearly 80% of the land mass of Pima County. uh a massive share of our district is in unincorporated areas, right? Which means that for many district 3 residents, and this is true of I think district 4 as well, uh the counties are only local government. Um and what we're seeing um an increased need in both rural and lower income communities of which there is much overlap. So I I'd like to offer a friendly amendment to the budget uh to support some of our rural communities.
Um so it is three things. So first in Aaho uh for example the international snow and desert alliance is functionally it's the largest and kind of the only nonprofit in town um providing supportive services to residents. They operate the Aaho OneTop which is an extension of community and workforce development efforts um in you know kind of the Tucson metropolan metrop metropolitan area. Um I'd like to request an additional $30,000 from the general fund to provide for ISDA programming. Um, and this will combined with uh some other additional funding um for some of their uh work for home repair will get their contract with us up to $300,000.
The second is um as you've heard me talk about for senior meals. Um we have been supporting uh two senior meal programs um two sites that lost funding last summer. Aaho and flowing wells and uh Puma Council on Aging is anticipated to begin another round of senior meals funding starting October 1st but and there is a need for us to provide some continued funding to support these programs um from July 1st to October 1st. So, my request there is uh $10,000 per program for a total investment of an additional $20,000.
And then finally, I'll note that some of the most common requests seen in our office are about roads, dirt roads in particular, from Aravaka to the Ara Valley. Uh we've got communities asking for more frequent maintenance and then faster responses after monsoon rains and storms. Um constituents are often advised that the county grades on a quarterly basis. Uh but as we've delved into it more, we come to understand that it's actually 16 weeks, three times per year. Uh after speaking with transportation and administration, um what we would like to do is a pilot program to support a quarterly grading schedule for the areas throughout the county uh that have the greatest need, right? And that that need could be determined with criteria by the Department of Transportation. Um, so we are requesting an additional $400,000 to get that program started. Um, so I would like to move to amend the tenative budget to include an additional $450,000 uh for the benefit of rural communities.
>> Second.
>> Stole again.
>> That's cool.
>> Seconded by supervisor. Where did where does pardon me where does the money come from then?
the money tree.
It's a mosquite tree out beyond um Arabaka >> general fund >> anywhere the if I may chair Allan I think anywhere that u the county administrator deems it most appropriate to take it from so to have maximum flexibility also I believe there was some duplication somewhere um wasn't there a duplicate three million for Canoa Ranch like under CIP and department budgets I think anyway Did you fix that? Oh, damn. Oh, well.
Okay. Anyway, maybe. But there are places.
>> I think Chair Allen and and members of the board, what I hear is that if these if the amendment is accepted um it will be out of general fund dollars allocation in some way and we'll bring it back as we uh you've set the cap today and then we will come back u with how we're going to fund that as a presentation when you do the final budget adoption.
>> We can't do that. So just as a point of order um is the motion germaine because we had one on the tax limit and I think what I'm hearing is that these are priorities from the district 3 office and I I just want to make sure we're not having competing motions and I I feel like you I I am supportive of your additional request but I I think that can come at a later time through the budget process. if that makes sense. But I'm excuse me >> I mean I was doing them now so that it gets integrated into the tenative budget prior to final budget adoption um was the thought but if there was a better time or place >> administrator if I may.
>> Yeah regarding transportation dollars go ahead. So, Chair Allen, members of the board, that the most simplest way to accommodate what what is being requested here is to adopt the $1.8 billion number that's been proposed. And if the board desires to move money within that $1.8 billion, we we can do that. Um my recommendation would be to reduce that $1.9 million contingency. But again, that's need to confer with administrative Russia on that.
>> But if these come forward as amendments to the motion, it's simply to indicate to find it and to come back. We we've set the C. We're not increasing the budget. So we're looking at how we would come back >> how how we would come back >> and we would bring that back at time of final >> with these amendments.
And I believe under the agenda item of tenative county budget, we can do it.
>> Chair Allen Scott, >> just to to clarify, the $450,000, 50 of it is specific to district 3. Uh but the 400 uh could be any place in the county where there is a need for roads, dirt roads to be graded uh more frequently. I can think of one in district one right away. Mr. Deonus knows the one I'm talking about. So, uh, when that list is developed, I'm sure all supervisors are going to be interested in seeing it.
>> Um, Madame Chair, is there a way to You have three three items. What if you don't want but one?
>> Chair Allen.
>> Supervisor Cono, >> will you vote for the budget? Supervisor Chrysler.
All right. So, is is that just to clarify is this a an amendment? Do we vote on this as an amendment as my >> Yes.
>> Yes.
>> Okay. All right. So it was >> so you vote the the dollar amount as the you're proposing under those three categories, but we'll have a chance to discuss them in a at a future date.
>> The the final budget will be coming back in June for approval at that point and it'll be there then. Yes, sir.
>> But Chair Allen, we I don't think we can have technically the motion is now a substitute, right?
The maker of the motion offered the substitute.
I mean I I framed it as a friendly amendment um to integrate something into the tenative budget.
>> So was that accepted by >> you're amending your own motion and your seconders?
>> Wait, was I the second of the first?
>> Now I jump your claims.
>> Oh, right, right, right. Seconded by Supervisor Scott. This is the overall board thing >> for the budget was >> supervisor Hines. I thought >> that's correct.
>> Yes.
>> And also >> if he accepted it, >> which number were we supposed to say?
Were we supposed to say the combined rate of 5.2835 or we were supposed to say the 4.2733 rate for this motion? Because I just want to make sure we don't need to make a a correction.
The full one. Okay. No, that's just making sure. Thank you.
>> Madame Chair, >> yes.
>> Is there a possibility of tasking staff to provide the road the road issue that you presented uh before the final budget adoption?
>> Um to develop the criteria.
>> No, to develop the roads that you say they need to identify as the recipients.
>> Yes. We can bring the the name identify the roads with in need with need.
>> I mean if they're heavily Yeah.
>> So I will request that.
>> Y thank you.
>> All right.
So all those in favor >> so what are we voting on exactly?
sleeping to have. I'm just going to like We are voting on the amendment, right?
The amendment to the friendly amendment to include this 450 into the budget, right?
But I I still I don't think I think it I don't think this will pass legal muster yet, Chair Allen. So I think we can still the motion before that was on the adoption of the tenative budget which is the ceiling.
>> Yeah.
>> And I do believe we can do that with guidance that that cap stay at the amount that has been recommended but that staff come back with the appropriation and that amount. I don't it's it would it's unusual for them to be for there to be two different motions on one adoption. and you guys are the longer standing ones, but I I would feel like we should probably just withdraw it with the understanding this the substitute with the understanding that you've got this board's commitment and the administrations to come back or will the can we pass the ceiling Mr. Brown with guidance on the remaining four with the up to 500,000 from the general fund? This will just amend the original motion and then it will will then it'll be the motion as amended that we vote on after that. Right.
>> Yeah. Chair and supervisors, it would be amended, but I think the clarification you're seeking, Supervisor Conno, is that the ceiling stay the same and that there's not an assumption that this is additional funds that there there's that it's very clear in the amended motion that that amount of money that is requested to be added must be must displace some other funding. Is that correct? It's not related to the taxation. It's really what I'm more specifically trying to get.
>> The original motion is about the rate and so my friendly amendment is not about changing the rate. So that's why you're saying that it is not a kind of gerine amendment.
>> Yes. So Cher Alan, you first offered it as a friendly amendment which Supervisor Hines was the seconder to your original motion. So he should have accepted it as a seconder. Then you moved it as an amendment and supervisor Scott second second it. You need to withdraw that item. Then it's just going to be a friendly amendment to your original motion which is they're going to find where to pull that and bring it back at the final budget adoption. So you'll withdraw your motion of this amendment.
>> Okay. All right. So I am doing what Melissa said, withdrawing my amendment. um and and replacing it with the >> going back to the original motion.
>> Going back to the original friendly amendment that was accepted by the seconder.
>> Yes.
>> All right. Chair Allen, >> Supervisor Scott. I >> I think Director Cuadon might have previewed what we can expect, which is a $450,000 reduction in the 11.8 million contingency.
>> Right. Right.
All right. And then now roll call. Now roll call. Just I just repeat what does.
Okay. Supervisor.
>> Always wise.
>> Yes.
>> And and this is of course going to have a final vote.
>> Okay.
>> Supervisor Connell.
>> I.
>> Supervisor Christie.
>> No.
>> Supervisor Hines.
>> Yes.
>> Supervisor Scott.
>> Yes.
>> Chair Allen.
>> Yes.
Motion passes for one.
Uh continuing to sit as the board, we are now uh at item 18, which is review and adoption of the debt service tentative county budget. Uh is there anyone here who wish to speak on this item?
I will move to close the public hearing and adopt the debt service tenative budget for fiscal year 2627 in the amount of 98,766 269 at an effective tax rate of 0875.
>> Second >> seconded by supervisor Hines any discussion roll call vote. Supervisor Connell >> I.
>> Supervisor Christie >> yes.
>> Supervisor Hines.
>> Yes.
>> Supervisor Scott.
>> Yes.
>> Chair Allen. Yes. Motion passes 5.
Now we are at item 19. Um we are sitting back again as the Rocking K South Community Facilities District Board. Um >> I'll move the item. All right.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Hines.
uh discussion.
Um and this would be uh we are moving to approve resolution number 2026-RK1.
So, you know, I wanted to just note that community facility districts are um an approach, right, that allows in theory for a developer to build homes uh more quickly without having the capital needed up front to front the infrastructure costs, right? Um I I concern that these continue to show up on residents tax bill. Um when it's really an example of developers shifting the infrastructure costs to homeowners in in that in and I guess my concern is about the transparency, right? If a homeowner knows that it's going to continue to increase. Um, I've noticed that the Rocking K South CFD budget um with an additional tax on local homeowners is at $2.38 per $100 valuation. That means that their effective tax rate is almost 50% higher than that of the average Pimac County homeowner. And I'm just, you know, hopeful that that is disclosed to home buyers. Um this uh CFD was created in 2017 and this is the fifth time uh developers have come to the board with a funding request and um and it you know I just as it as that rate grows and becomes a significant portion of residents um of people's bills it just catches my attention. Madam chair >> say that and I have one more thing I will note um you know move moving forward just to share we our office has requested that we ask more um uh from developers when creating the community facilities district that we look at mixed housing. We look at affordability.
We look at more tree plantings. We look at green storm water infrastructure projects, graywater, rainwater harvesting systems um and and uh renewable energy integration um as we move forward. So that was supervisor Christie.
>> You're you can uh rest your worries because the homeowners know that this is part of the purchase contract. They're well aware of all these infrastructure additions well in advance of of signing on the dotted line. This is fully transparent, fully disclosed and part of the process for these facility districts. And Rocking K is not the only one. There are a number of districts around the state and everything is upfront. everything is is fully available to them and they are aware from the beginning that this is part of the deal if you buy a car in this dis car sorry if you buy a house >> in this district so it's not a a lastm minute thing that the developers stuffing down the throats of the homeowners the homeowners are very well aware and have been made aware that this is a process that is ongoing for the improvement of their of their community.
>> Well, thank you.
>> Um, all those in favor of resolution 2026-RK1.
>> I >> I >> those opposed.
Motion passes. 50.
All right. Now, we are sitting back as the board of supervisors for a couple of more hearings. Um, on item number 20, this is a fireworks permit. Is for the 49er 49er country club. Is there anyone present who wishes to speak on this item?
Um, so I will move to close the public hearing and approve this permit.
>> Second.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Hines.
Discussion. All those in favor?
>> I opposed.
>> I'm going to abstain.
Motion passes uh four uh uh with vote of four with one abstension.
Oh, that's correct. Oh, passes three.
One abstension, one absence.
Uh item 21, fireworks permit, Tucson Country Club. Anyone here to present who wish to speak on the item? Move to close the public hearing and approve this permit. Second. Seconded by Supervisor Hines. Discussion. All those in favor? I >> opposed.
>> Uh so the motion passes. Three votes, one abstension.
Item number 22. Uh there's also a fireworks permit. Tucson Country Club.
Anyone who wishes to speak. I will move to close the public hearing and approve the permit. Second.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Hines.
Discussion.
All in favor? I opposed.
>> Motion passes. Uh three votes and one abstension.
Moving. Let's see. Item 23 was withdrawn. Item 24. Uh this is a hearing for a zoning code text amendment for the subdivision and development street standards.
Um anyone present who wishes to speak on this item? Move to close. I move to close the public hearing and approve case number P26TA 0000002.
Second. Seconded by Supervisor Hines.
Any discussion?
I will note that this is um and the moving to close public hearing for that case and U ordinance number 2026-7.
Any discussion?
All those in favor?
>> I >> I opposed. Item passes 50.
Um item 25 is approval of the consent calendar. I'll move to approve the consent calendar.
>> Second.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Hines. Any discussion?
All those in favor?
>> I >> I opposed.
Motion passes. 50.
Uh 26 was withdrawn. uh 27th. This is the county administrator hiring process.
So, a little update on where we're at.
So, the as of May 21st, we have uh received 50 applications for the county administrator position. The deadline to apply for the position is May 31st, and individuals can continue to apply by sending in their cover letter and resume to administrator recruitment atpuma.gov.
And there is a brochure that is online and available to help provide a little bit more context about Puma County. Um and that is at county administrator recruitment. Um so once we hit May 31st um all final uh then at that time all the final applications uh that meet the minimum qualifications for the position will undergo a subject matter expert review by human resources. Uh this process evaluates each applicant's qualifications of education experience and certifications to determine which applicants will move forward to the next step in the selection process of answering supplemental questions.
But on the supplemental questions, um they will be sent to applicants in early June. Uh, these questions will give each applicant the opportunity to provide written responses that highlight the applicant's ability to focus on and prioritize the county's strategic plan, climate action plan, and closing the gap in affordable housing. They'll also allow each applicant to highlight their ability to build relationships with multiple stakeholders and develop innovative ideas and leadership. The supplemental question responses will be due back to human resources by June 22nd of 2026.
The search committee evaluation. So the search committee members were notified on May 8th by letter uh from the county administrator as to their participation and the expected timeline of events. Uh these members will review each applicant's cover letter, resume, and responses to the supplemental questions for evaluation and scoring. And the top scoring applicants will be selected as semi-finalists and will be interviewed by the search committee. Interviews of the semi- finalists are expected to occur in July.
Then for the finalists, the um the search committee interviews will further narrow the list of applicants to the top finalists for the position and these names will be made public at that time.
Additional information to follow and we would be on track to complete finalist interviews in August with final selection to occur shortly thereafter and announcing the selection in the beginning of September.
Madam Chair, >> Supervisor Christie, >> in a confidential manner, is it possible to keep uh the supervisors, all the supervisors advised as to how many applicants and who they are um as the process goes along with the understanding of course is to be confidential.
I I mean I'm I I think we would need to check maybe with HR around around the the knowing who all the applicants are, >> but I think we can get back to you on that.
>> Alan, I was just going to read from our website two clarifications. May 30th is the deadline, not the 31st. And then this says only finalist applications will be made public in accordance with the Arizona public records law. So I I don't believe the answer is satisfactory to what you would want. It's just finalist that the board will have access to. Yeah, I think you Thank you. I think it it may be possible to see the list at the search committee reviews. We have we don't release the names of all applicants simply because I think there are people who might have uh initially applied and have not provided that information to employers or such until they >> I understand that's how the information would be dispersed. I'm just wondering if there was an available methodology of keeping the board apprised of of the amount of uh applicants and and their backgrounds, who they are just from a a purelyformational aspect and that be all confidential.
I will follow again. We we can provide the number and perhaps let's see if there's a way to um let the board be kept apprised of the um the backgrounds maybe redacting names or something like that. We let me talk to HR and see what's possible >> and working with Chair Allen and the team. Thank you.
>> Supervisor Scott.
>> Chair Allen. Uh I know that each supervisor submitted two names for the search committee. Uh can we get uh the uh list of um the full committee? So we haven't seen that yet.
>> Yeah. Thank you.
All right.
Okay. We will move to item 28.
Uh this is about scheduling a joint meeting with the city of Tucson mayor and council and the Pum County Board of Supervisors on Thursday, August 13th from 12 to 2:30 p.m.
I will move to approve the item seconded by Supervisor Hines. Any discussion?
All in favor?
>> I opposed. Motion passes. 50.
Um item 29. Uh this is uh submitted by district 2. Um it's a supplemental request related to community health workers.
>> Move to approve the item.
>> Second.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Hinds.
Discussion.
>> Have all sorts of things to talk about, but if people really want to just vote yes really quickly, I'm happy to just like stop talking. But uh I think it's as we heard from actually a couple of folks in um uh board of health and we've seen from a letter as well, community health workers are incredibly important.
Uh I know it's like super sexy haunt virus and Ebola and COVID all that, but that's really not what kills people in Puma County or anywhere else. It's actually heart disease and diabetes and obesity and cancer without proper screening and all of those kinds of things. and community health workers help us with all of that stuff through uh expanded education and screenings, helping uh connect residents to care and um they're just we're looking at unfortunately a lot of like uh our community health workers within the department are grant funded. This is something I noticed back in 2021 when I first um you know took over the spot.
lots of grant funding in the health department, which is great, but doesn't provide like long-term certainty for some of these really vital roles. So, the $186,000 actually is in line with um a dream request from the health department because they're going to be losing that exact number of dollars in grants for the Office of Non-communicable diseases.
So, I'm proposing that um in light of the fact that we're dealing with a little bit more money this cycle that we actually go ahead and do that because it makes sense to get these people there and keep them permanently. And it's in line with the prosperity initiative.
It's in line with uh frankly just good governance and in line with our constitutional and statutory obligations and just a good and right thing to do.
And as you saw from the letter from the board of health, uh chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, respiratory illnesses, Alzheimer's, other forms of dementia do touch nearly every household in our county. Heart disease and cancer remain the two leading causes of mortality in Pim County as I mentioned.
And all of these diseases have modifiable risk factors like tobacco use, poor nutrition, inadequate physical activity, hypertension, and respond to prevention, screening, treatment, and self-management uh support. So that is something that these community health workers do and that's why I think it's so important that we that we make this additional u adjustment to what we fund for next for 2027.
>> Supervisor Scott.
>> Chair Allen just wanted to ask uh Administrator Leer or whoever she might want to designate to respond to this question.
Why was um this dream request for the from the health department not included in the recommended budget? And uh in responding to that question, could you also give maybe a general overview of the process for evaluating uh dream requests?
>> Chair Allen, Supervisor Scott, there we we do not have opposition to this program per se. we just have to draw lines when there's not enough money. Um, and we look at every dream.
We look at the amount of allocation in each department. Again, we began reviewing these documents in October.
Um, and we began really walking through the budget on a weekly basis in October as we begin to narrow down and narrow down and narrow down. And as we get through it, we recognize that we are we're making very difficult cuts and recommendations on every item in every department simply to get to a balanced budget that we can bring you today that as we mentioned has has it continues to provide service uh but uh does not have has the least impact we can possibly make on the tax system. Um so again it it looking to deputy county administrator Holmes who oversees this program as well as Mr. quotone for additional information.
>> Chair Allen, Supervisor Scott. Uh, one important piece also at the time of considering this u supplemental request, we are we were entertaining a health district at the time and part of some of the way we were discussing that health district would would be to fund non-communicable diseases as well. Um, that that did not come through. Um, there was, you know, we did a study didn't seem like there was support in the community. um at that time. So um this is one of the other reasons why um we didn't fund it at that time. We knew that this this actual budget stream would was going to go down over time or like over a three-year period. Um and because we've had some uh false um uh cancellations of grants, um we felt at that time um we weren't too sure that that money was going to go away or not.
And so there was a couple of items. when the health uh the potential of a health district, the potential of maybe this grant not going away because we've had some false scares at at the time and then uh equally important just prioritizing our budget and what we had for total dollar amounts.
>> Um it was noted earlier that there were $49.6 million in dream requests.
15.8 8 million of them were approved and are in the recommended budget. This is one uh for $186,000 that was not approved. My my concern and and this is not casting any aspersions on the merits of the proposal or the recommendation of my colleague or the recommendation of the board of health, but my concern is if we as a board approve this one dream request uh and then all the other ones that were not approved um are are are not considered. I wonder what message that sends to the other uh directors and elected officials and and employees uh with those um over $33 million in in in dream requests that were not approved. I just I I have a concern about that in terms of the process that that that we followed. And again, that's not to say anything about the merits of this particular request, but I would imagine that anybody uh who saw a dream request denied uh could put together a similar argument. So, for that reason, I'm I'm I'm not able to support it.
And at sure Ellen, I will, if I may, also add that these community health workers um get people keep people on access or help people enroll in access if they've been pushed off, which is what of course HR1 has has been designed to do to push as many people off of Medicaid access in the state of Arizona as possible. So keeping these folks uh employed and granting this, I think makes a big difference on that in that regard as well. And what we heard from staff is that things have changed a bit since they were evaluating these dream requests. So the fact that a public health taxing district is not uh in the offing at this moment and that this grant did actually apparently get cancelled like they weren't sure if it was going to be at the time. Sounds like that would have perhaps you know changed things and I think it's important to keep people from dying. So I hope my colleagues will consider passing this.
>> Supervisor Connor.
Thank you, Chair Allen. I will be supporting this item today. I uh this is with with the expectation that this be coming out of the contingency that we've set aside for federal grant losses. um you know that's a specific contingency and I feel like that uh an appropriation of this amount is certainly prudent uh to ensure that our public health is maintained while fully recognizing the constraints that my colleague from district 1 uh mentioned uh that we should be considering in adoption of this proposal and you know I I'll just add that community health workers in in some of the rural areas of district three bring a a transformative effect to the Um Aaho's community health worker just jumped in to help fill the gaps around the loss of the senior meals program. Um uh she staffs the um the cooling center.
Um and in addition to and kind of just goes above and beyond. Um I think we heard as well today from uh Amy Bass about the important role the community health worker plays in the Amato area.
Um and so they really do provide a a important an important bridge and gap for folks in rural areas. So I you know and and I and I there is a we have a whole lot of things that I wish that we could continue to fund things that are very important and I also see that there's so many uh sort of threats looming um on our budget and potential strain up ahead. Um but that that said I I'm very appreciative of um of district 2 and the board of health in bringing this forward and uh I can't imagine Aaho without community health worker I will support this item.
Um, so with that said, all those in favor, >> I >> I those opposed.
>> Opposed.
>> Item passes 32.
Uh, moving on to item 30. This is revisions to the personnel policy. Um, I will move to approve the item.
>> Second.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Hines. Any discussion?
I will just note that I appreciate the recognition of uh the need for multilingual pay and um being multilingual, bilingual is such an important skill and it requires expertise um and on additional hard work. So I think it is important that we are recognizing it, valuing it and extending that pay through other pay structures. So with that all those in favor? I opposed.
Motion passes 5-0.
Uh item 31. This is a classification compensation secretion of a deputy director for the justice services. Um deputy director for justice services. I move to approve.
>> Second.
>> Seconded by supervisor Hines.
Discussion.
All those in favor?
>> I opposed.
>> No.
>> Motion passes for one 32. Moving on to the addendum.
We are at addendum item number three.
This is amending the board of supervisors meeting schedule. Uh I will move that the board of supervisors adopt a policy allowing the start time of each study session on a case-bycase basis.
>> Second.
>> Seconded by supervisor Hines.
Discussion.
>> To clarify, Chair Allen, that means potentially it could be like two.
>> Yes.
>> Okay. Great.
>> Yes. So it would depend on how many items we have. Um it could start earlier, it could start later, but it is derived from the sort of the the >> I was going to say the meat and I was trying to think of a more vegetarian friendly language. The meat of the agenda um >> it would allow that flexibility. Great.
>> Chair Allen, >> supervisor Scott, >> would that recommendation be made um at a meeting of the agenda committee?
>> Okay, that's what I thought. It's the crew make that call.
>> Chair Allen.
>> Uh surprise kind of >> just also guidance for the clerk uh and for you as our board chair. I am curious if we are I'm sure we are tracking the additional expenses for these evening meetings and um would love to see a report um accumulated. It's only our second one, but sometime probably in uh September or October, just as a midyear uh check-in on on the efficacy of our public tax dollars on evening meetings. Thank you.
Further discussion?
All those in favor?
>> I >> I opposed. Motion passes. 50.
Uh item number four. This was a district four item.
uh discussion regarding the elections oversight task force.
>> Madame chair, thank you. Just some some notable questions that I have on this this first communication was generated back in 2020 by then county administrator Huckleberry. Um, do we have any records of any communication transcripts that were generated by that task force committee to the board of supervisors members of their of the activity that the the committee was doing?
>> Chair Allen and Supervisor Christie, I do not believe we do. I'm not aware that that committee actually ever met, but we'll happy to look for any whatever followup there might be.
>> Did it never met?
>> I don't know.
There are no records of I don't know.
Let me find out.
>> Um let me answer my next question because since this was formed back in 2020 uh based on an election cycle at that time uh why was it not reformed in 2022 or 2024 but yet it is being brought back for this one? Why now? Chair Allen, Supervisor Christie, in in 2022, um, we I looked at whether we were going to form this. If you recall, it was in April of tw It was in the spring of 202 when we were hiring a new elections director. Uh, and I spoke with her as she was traveling across the country to come here thinking do do we want to put that in place? At that time, there was a lot of change in transition and didn't do it. um went back and looked at 24 and thought, let me step back for a moment if I may, Chair Allen and Supervisor Christie, the point of this is not to in any way engage or involve in elections operations. What we saw in our experience in watching 2022, even though it was new and in 24, was that um the ability to have a group come together at least once to see if there's muscle memory for us to be able to convene if we need to. Pardon me, not to regard not regarding the elections. Do we need get to get information out to the public about are there uh uh problems at a site that you know is the it out? Do we what might we need to do in order to make sure we're getting the right information out to the public immediately? That's the purpose of this. Again, not to have an impact on how operations how the elections are operating at all or to get in the way of the recorder andor the elections director, but to find another way to facilitate communication if necessary while they are busy running the actual elections.
>> Madame Chair and Miss Leser, the communications element is the one I want to f focus on now. And I'm wondering in the action part of this agenda item if we could add to the list of uh activities or goals that the committee is is designed to reach that um uh every effort of communication be made of the activities of this committee to the board of supervisors.
>> Chair Allen, Supervisor Christie, happy to do that. happy to if there are concerns that you've got and there are individuals obviously I think supervisor Scott is a member of the committee if there are other concerns or issues that we can address happy to do so we are yet to convene the meeting the the task force >> basically just uh if you do have meetings yep >> tell the board of supervisors what what went on during those meetings what action was taken >> more than happy to do that >> keep apprised to the the board of any kind of decisions or action being taken that >> certainly we' be Happy to do that. Yes, sir.
>> Thank you. Thank you.
>> Thank you, >> Chair Allen.
>> Just to respond to Supervisor Christiey's uh request, I I am also happy to add that committee to uh my report when we talk about our service on on uh other commissions and committees.
>> All right, we have two items left on the agenda. I got 8:30 in mind. Okay. Um, item number five.
>> Did we have to take any action on four?
>> I don't believe so.
>> It it did it didn't did not list in the original document forming this committee that the board of supervisors would have access and communication of the activities.
>> Chair Allen, I'm more than happy to send a revised memorandum out to add that information uh to the to the documents and share that with you.
>> That would be suffice. Okay.
Uh so item number five, this is a contingency contingency request for Puma County's victim service and domestic violence response system. Um this item was introduced by district 5 um by the administrator.
Sorry. Um I'm aware of the clock and I talk fast. Thank you very much Allen and members of the >> members of the board. We are, this is a request before you to provide $250,000 from this year's contingencies to support some critical programs to expand afterhour victim services and advocacy uh and emergency shelter support. Both of those provided by Emerge and some additional uh funding to provide for strangulation exams related to incidents of domestic violence through SASA. We are also looking at um uh $90,000 to fund half of the domestic violence firearm transfer program, a program that has come to this board uh in the past and as to be supported by members of the public as well as um Judge Million and those involved at the uh at the city's domestic violence court. So, we are looking to fund those programs out of some of the remainder of this year's contingency.
Chair, >> I'll move the item Second.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Conno. Question.
Supervisor Con.
>> Thank you, Chair Allen. Uh, Administrator Leer, your leadership on this particular issue, navigating difficult fiscal circumstances, listening to community need, and presenting the board with a comprehensive package um, is one that District 5 deeply appreciates. Uh I remember always whenever I get the chance to sit here uh of our dear friend Supervisor Leas who was a dear champion of uh domestic violence prevention and I know that he would be proud of this recommendation particularly because of the tremendous need in our community right now. Um this is an issue that has impacted generations of Pumac County residents um including people that I love in my own family who have died to domestic violence. Um, too often we're taught to say nothing, uh, to grieve in silence, to carry these hardships quietly, and to not discuss the harm that happens inside our homes and families. And what this board is being asked to do is to lead to ensure that there is a coordinated response, working in partnership with our county attorney, with our courts, the detainy crisis system staff, um, and, uh, our community partners to have a robust investment in a compassionate system that supports them. Uh it is good to invest in an after hours victim advocates service. It is essential to ensure that strangulation forensic service exams are funded. Uh it is critical to sustain emergency shelter and housing for uh survivors of domestic violence and uh I heard the public loud and clear a few weeks ago in this room on the firearm transfer program needing to be maintained. Uh the need is clear. this proposal is prudent uh and is meeting the needs of our uh time and I appreciate the administration's uh recommendation on this.
Um, you know, I will note that a significant portion of these funds are are just simply replacing funding lost uh due to the Trump administration's decision to reduce or altogether defund critical programs that address violence against women. Uh, domestic violence is increasing. The in the US nearly three women are killed every single day by an intimate partner and more than two million women suffer injuries every year. Yet more than 500 million has been cut from the office on violence against women and the grants that they manage.
So I'm very grateful for the work of Emerge locally and know that they are trying to maintain services in the face of these lost funds. So I also thank the administrator um and for bringing this forward and I am happy to vote in support of it.
>> Supervisor Scott. Chair Allen, I I I do want to thank our colleague from District 5 for not only his passionate advocacy for these issues, but also the work that he's done uh to facilitate dialogue between the uh uh county attorney's office and our partners in the in the private sector who are taking on issues of domestic violence. And also want to thank the county administrator for her dialogue with uh her county count counterpart at the city uh so that the program that uh uh Judge Millian overseas that we heard uh several passionate advocates from the community talk about uh can continue and so I'm also uh pleased to support this item.
>> All right then all those in favor I >> I opposed. No.
Motion passes. Uh 41.
Final item number seven. This is a bond advisory committee appointment. Um I'll move to approve the item.
>> Second.
>> Seconded by Supervisor Scott. Any discussion?
>> Actually, question. Can I tack on my three for district 2?
>> No. I mean, why not? No. Why is he shaking his head? No.
>> You're you're making the clerk nervous.
>> What's that? You have to agendaize it.
>> I can spell their name slowly.
>> All right.
>> Ask for a second legal opinion.
>> Fine. Okay.
>> All right. All those in favor?
>> I >> opposed. Motion passes. 5. And I believe that is a meeting. Thank you all.
>> The minute to spare on your deadline there. Nice.
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