(July 19, 2023) He digs the vibe here: The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality hired a new director, Scott DiBiase, who has worked on air quality issues for decades in Pinal County.

“Pinal and Pima are a little different,” DiBiase said. “With Pima being more progressive and environmentally conscious, that was appealing to me. We have a chance to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the county, and our staff is well-suited to do that.” (Tucson Agenda)

(July 26, 2023) Filling the void: Pima County supervisors voted Tuesday to appoint Betty Villegas as state Rep. **Andrés Cano’**s replacement in the Arizona Legislature. Villegas is director of South Tucson’s Housing and Development department and served as interim county supervisor following Richard Elías’ death in 2020, the Arizona Daily Star’s Nicole Ludden reports. She also ran an unsuccessful primary challenge against Democratic Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales in 2018. Villegas was approved by a vote of 3-1, with Supervisor Steve Christy voting against the appointment and Supervisor Sharon Bronson absent from the meeting. Villegas will finish out the remainder of Cano’s two-year term, which will end after the November 2024 election.

(September 7, 2023) Like the rest of the workforce, Pima County has seen its employment rate fluctuate in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with around 1,300 jobs going undone. We’re talking about unfilled jobs in law enforcement, public and behavioral health, education oversight, transportation and more. As vacancy rates peaked, the county decided to review its compensation, classifications, benefits and more to see if it could do better when it comes to competitively recruiting and retaining staff across all departments. (Tucson Agenda)

(September 20, 2023) Here we go again. It may be 2023, but with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos once again the subject of an investigation by an outside agency, we can’t help but wonder if this is history repeating itself. Pima County supervisors voted yesterday to request an outside investigation into Nanos’ “alleged failure to conduct a timely and thorough investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a female deputy.” The vote comes on the heels of a statement from the deputy’s union, saying Nanos put “on hold” the victim’s request for an internal investigation into the actions of her supervisors. This is Nanos’ second stint as sheriff, and it’s also now the second time his actions have come under investigation by an outside agency. (Tucson Agenda)

(September 20, 2023) Another investigation: Nanos isn’t the only county official facing an outside investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, and possibly the FBI and a federal grand jury, are looking into the circumstances of former Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, the Tucson Sentinel’s Dylan Smith reports. That’s according to “multiple sources with independent knowledge” who spoke with the Sentinel. Huckelberry retired in 2022 while “double-dipping” on a salary and pension, without telling his bosses on the board of supervisors.

(October 4, 2023) Taking the next step: The Pima County supervisors voted to seek an outside investigation of how Sheriff Chris Nanos handled an internal review of the alleged sexual assault of a deputy by a sergeant, the Arizona Daily Star’s Charles Borla reports. The lone vote against seeking the investigation came from Supervisor Rex Scott, who said he was concerned it would interfere with ongoing criminal and civil investigations of the sergeant.

(January 22) The Pima County administrator could get a pay raise soon. Right now, County Administrator Jan Lesher makes $260,000 in base pay, along with a benefits package. That’s about $32,000 less than what former County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry made. At the request of Supervisor Matt Heinz, the Board of Supervisors will consider whether to give Lesher a pay raise at their meeting tomorrow. How much of a raise? The meeting materials didn’t give a dollar amount, just that it should be “more competitive with market rates and more in line with Ms. Lesher’s qualifications and experience.” (Tucson Agenda)

(April 1) The supervisors are weighing their options as they pick the next County Treasurer. Tomorrow they’ll decide whether to schedule a forum so the public can hear from the people who want to replace outgoing Treasurer Beth Ford. Voters won’t decide who replaces Ford, but last year the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson held a forum so the public could weigh in on who would be the best fit to replace Supervisor Sharon Bronson when she resigned (that ended up being Supervisor Sylvia Lee). At the March 19 meeting, Supervisor Steve Christy urged the board to appoint Ford’s handpicked successor, her deputy Chris Ackerley, who also is running for the seat this year. The board opted for a more deliberative process instead. The two candidates besides Ackerley are Patti E. Davidson and Ray Carroll, the county said in a news release Friday. Davidson is a chief deputy at the Treasurer’s Office and Carroll is a former county supervisor who now serves as a justice of the peace in Green Valley. The supervisors plan to appoint Ford’s replacement on April 16. (Tucson Agenda)

(April 18) New treasurer in town: Pima County supervisors appointed Chris Ackerley as the new county treasurer Tuesday, by a vote of 3-2, the Green Valley News’ Kim Smith reports. Supervisors Matt Heinz and Adelita Grijalva opposed the appointment, with Grijalva expressing concerns about appointing someone who planned to run for the position. Ackerley will finish former Treasurer Beth Ford’s term, which ends Dec. 31, but is also running for the permanent position in the November election.

(May 10) Calling it quits: Constable Oscar Vasquez resigned this week, after the Pima County Board of Supervisors suspended him in January for the rest of his term, the Tucson Sentinel’s Jim Nintzel reports. A state ethics board stripped Vasquez of his responsibilities after a complaint that he didn’t work from April to September. The county supervisors will appoint a replacement. The only other person running for the office is Tracy Ethridge-Nielsen, a Democrat like Vasquez.

(October 4, 2023) Politics aside: Sheriff’s deputies will still provide security at the county supervisors’ meetings, the Tucson Sentinel’s Paul Ingram reports. That was a reversal of a decision Nanos made after Supervisor Sharon Bronson requested an outside inquiry of how Nanos handled the internal review. Nanos said he pulled the deputy due to his department’s financial constraints and he wanted to protect them from “politics.”