Pima County’s incoming administrator could earn $362,500 — more than $30,000 above his predecessor’s annual base salary — under a proposed contract, according to details shared with Arizona Luminaria Tuesday.
If approved, DeBonis also would be the top paid county administrator or manager in the state, per a 2026 Arizona counties salary survey.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors plans to release the full contract Nov. 12, ahead of a discussion and possible vote at its Nov. 24 meeting.
“We wanted to have the proposed contract released to the public prior to voting to approve it,” District 2 Supervisor Matt Heinz wrote to Arizona Luminaria.
Get involved
- People can send in their comments about the contract to the clerk of the board here
- Comments can also be submitted to the clerk in writing ahead of the meeting or during the meeting
- People can also attend the Nov 24 meeting and speak about the contract to the board directly during call to the public
Carmine DeBonis Jr. was selected as the county’s new administrator in a unanimous 5-0 vote Oct. 27. He is expected to succeed retiring administrator Jan Lesher, who has led the county government since 2022.
DeBonis’ proposed contract includes an initial term and several renewal options.
“Two year initial term with multiple renewal options (6 months, 1 year, 2 year and maybe one other),” Heinz wrote. “Base salary is $362.5K. Also has a variety of retirement and other benefits largely similar to what we did for the prior two administrators with some differences.”
The proposed salary represents an increase of nearly 10% over Lesher’s $330,000 base salary reported in her 2025 contract. Lesher’s contract also included other benefits such as a vehicle or monthly vehicle stipend of $550.
DeBonis’ proposed $362,500 annual salary would be higher than that of any county administrator or manager listed in the 2026 Arizona County Government
Salary and Benefit Survey.
The survey reported an annual actual salary of $316,671 for Maricopa County’s manager — who oversees a region with a population of nearly 4.7 million people compared with Pima County’s nearly 1.1 million population, as of 2025 U.S. Census data.
The next highest paid county managers in the statewide survey make $259,022 working for Yuma County and $257,324 for Yavapai County. The majority of other Arizona county managers or administrators earn less than $200,000.
DeBonis did not immediately respond to Arizona Luminaria’s request for comment on his salary and new role.
The board originally planned to discuss DeBonis’ contract during its Nov. 10 meeting but voted to postpone the item until Nov. 24 to provide the public more time to weigh in on the contract details.
DeBonis’ appointment followed a nationwide recruitment process that drew more than 70 applicants and culminated in interviews with three finalists. The board’s decision followed a selection process that included a recruitment committee, county staff and community members.
DeBonis has worked for Pima County for more than three decades, holding senior leadership positions in county government. His county career began in 1991 as an aide to former Supervisor Ed Moore. He later served as director of the Development Services Department before becoming deputy county administrator in 2016.
In that role, he has overseen several county departments, including those involved in economic development, environmental quality and public works.
His selection marks a transition between two longtime county officials.
Lesher became county administrator in 2022 after serving in the role on an interim basis following the retirement of former administrator Chuck Huckelberry.
Before becoming administrator, Lesher held several senior positions within the county, including chief deputy county administrator. Her career has also included work in local government and public administration.
Unlike DeBonis’ appointment, Lesher’s selection did not follow a nationwide recruitment process. She was appointed by a 4-1 vote in April 2022, after District 4 Supervisor Steve Christy’s motion to keep her in an interim position while the county conducted a search failed. Christy is the only Republican supervisor on the board.
The county administrator oversees day-to-day operations, implements policies adopted by the board of supervisors and manages county departments and services.
Lesher retires Jan. 7, 2027, and DeBonis begins Jan. 8, according to the county’s news release.
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