In a busy, drawn out Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting March 4, supervisors discussed increasing the property tax rate in Pima County, federal funding uncertainties, specifics about the sheriff department’s overspending and difficulties with public safety in rural areas.
Budget
County departments that made supplemental budget requests to the supervisors at the beginning of the meeting, including the superior court and the school superintendent’s office, received a cold welcome.
Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, of District 5, said she is “very worried” about budget shortfalls, and recommended against approving any additional financing for county departments.
“I would encourage my colleagues to not recommend any supplemental requests,” Grijalva said, unless they are reviewed by the county administrator.
After hearing supplemental requests and before taking next steps to plan the budget for next fiscal year, the board reassessed the impact on the county of federal cuts.
Rehashing some of the basics from the previous board meeting, Sarah Davis, senior advisor in the Pima County Administrator’s office, addressed concerns about the federal budget proposal, which includes possible cuts to Medicaid. According to Davis, about 300,000 people in Pima County are enrolled in the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or AHCCCS.
Supervisor Jen Allen, of District 3, asked about the ripple effects of such federal actions. She asked how many federal employees currently live in Pima County. With many federal employees losing their jobs, Allen said the effects will be seen locally.
“That pushes an additional burden onto the county,” she said.
Allen also asked, for the next meeting’s update, to hear more details of what she called “the other dumpster fire, what’s happening at the state legislature.”
Supervisor Matt Heinz, of District 2, floated the possibility of increasing the property tax rate to continue funding essential services in the county.
To maintain the current budget, as well as deal with federal and state cuts, the county is making an initial recommendation of a property tax increase of 47 cents. Supervisors did not vote on any proposed changes to the tax rate, though they may do so as budget negotiations continue.
Every penny raised to the tax rate generates about $1.1 million for the county, according to a budget presentation.
As supervisors tried to navigate the “uncertainty” and “fluidity” — terms frequently used in these discussions over the last two meetings — of the impacts of federal funding changes, Chair Rex Scott, of District 1, asked, “From where in Washington are we most likely to get answers?”
Heinz joked that answers might come from a “Magic 8 Ball.”
County Administrator Jan Lesher, meanwhile, put it bluntly: “We don’t have answers.”
Sheriff’s budget
Heinz specifically called out the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for what he said were “years of financial mismanagement.” Heinz too relied on the term “dumpster fire” to describe problems within the department.
Recommending that the board not approve any additional funding for the sheriff’s department, Heinz said that he wanted to audit or investigate its finances.
A county memo from this January estimated that the sheriff’s department would be about $5 million over budget this year.
Heinz suggested the board halt any additional funding to the department “in light of the broad problems and issues at the sheriff department.”
Heinz also noted the yearslong controversy of a sexual assault that took place in late 2022. Sgt. Ricardo Garcia was recently sentenced to one year in jail and three years of probation for sexually assaulting a fellow sheriff’s department employee. Heinz called for a clarification about policies about how the department responds to sexual assault allegations.
Scott, however, wanted to continue the budgeting process before deciding to deny additional funds for the sheriff’s department.
Heinz countered and asked if they could request a state audit of the sheriff’s department. Pima County Chief Civil Deputy Attorney Sam Brown said he would look into it.
“I don’t want us to keep throwing money at a problem that is not getting solved at the sheriff’s department,” Heinz said.
The sheriff’s department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Supervisors agreed to move forward with analyzing budget requests and proposals and to take into consideration Heinz’s concerns.
Heinz told Arizona Luminaria that he would follow up with the county attorney’s office about the legality of asking for more state oversight, likely from the Arizona Auditor General.
Public safety in rural Pima County
District 4 Supervisor Steve Christy added a discussion about public safety in rural areas of the county to the agenda, citing the murder in late 2024 of Paul Clifford. Clifford was a resident of Redington, a rural unincorporated area of northeast Pima County.
He was found dead on Christmas Eve after his family says he went to help a stranger with their car.
Clifford’s widow Christina Clifford spoke at the meeting, saying her husband’s murder exposed “a critical vulnerability” and lack of resources in rural Pima County.
Clifford said she wanted “basic protection,” the same level of protection and service that non-rural areas are afforded. She said emergency services can take two hours or more to respond in Redington.
“There are no patrols, there is nobody checking in on us,” she said.
Christy called for a Pima County Remote Area Public Safety Plan.
“We need to think outside the box,” Christy said, suggesting the use of surveillance technology, possibly drones, to monitor remote areas of Pima County.
He also suggested forging intergovernmental agreements with neighboring counties.
The supervisors voted unanimously to develop a safety plan within 90 days.
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