Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Pima County Board of Supervisors — What to Watch

Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Board of Supervisors' Hearing Room

37 substantive items on the agenda (15 for discussion, 22 on consent calendar)

Pima County Board of Supervisors: What to Watch Tuesday, Sept. 22

The Board is set to vote on a moratorium that would halt new data center construction across Pima County — one of the most significant land-use actions the county has taken in recent years. The meeting also features major decisions on a 95-acre residential rezoning that county staff opposes, a formal process for hiring a new County Administrator, $1 million in emergency community grants, and a string of federal funding acceptances that together bring millions of dollars into local health, transportation, and workforce programs.

1. Pima County Moves to Freeze Data Center Development

Item 18 | Discussion item — requires a vote

The Board will consider Resolution No. 2026-56, which would impose a moratorium on data center development throughout unincorporated Pima County. Moratoriums like this are typically used to buy time for governments to write new rules before a wave of development locks in patterns they later regret — meaning the county sees enough data center interest to consider it a threat to existing land use, water, energy, or community character. If approved, no new data centers could move through the county's development pipeline until the moratorium is lifted or expires, directly affecting tech and real estate investors eyeing the region.

2. Who Runs the County? Board to Set Rules for Hiring Its Top Executive

Item 17 | Discussion item — requires a vote

The Board will discuss and give direction on the process for hiring a new County Administrator — the official who manages the county's day-to-day operations, oversees roughly 8,000 employees, and implements everything the Board decides. How the Board structures this search (national vs. local candidates, use of a headhunter, timeline, public input) shapes who ultimately runs county government. This item carries no attachment on the public agenda, making Tuesday's discussion the first public window into the Board's thinking.

3. Developer Seeks Another Five Years on a Stalled 95-Acre Rezoning Near Valencia Road

Item 14 | Public hearing — two separate votes required

A developer is asking the Board to revive a 20-year-old rezoning on 95 acres near West Valencia Road and Mark Road that would allow mixed residential development on about 44 acres and restricted rural residential on the remaining 51 acres. The rezoning first passed in 2006, was extended three times, and finally expired in March 2026 — and county staff is recommending against closing out the case, signaling they believe the project should move forward in some form. Staff simultaneously recommends approving yet another five-year extension with new conditions. Neighbors in District 5 and anyone watching south-side growth patterns should pay attention: this land has been in planning limbo for two decades, and Tuesday's vote determines whether it stays there or gets a new deadline to actually build.

4. $1 Million in Emergency Community Grants Gets a New Round

Item 16 | Discussion item — unfinished business from June 23

The Board is being asked to authorize a third round of Short-Term Crisis and Emergency Resources (STCER) grants, pulling $1 million from the county's available general fund balance (projected at roughly $10 million). The program funnels money to nonprofits and community organizations facing sudden financial crises, using a framework and citizen review committee the Board already established. For residents who rely on local social services, this vote determines whether organizations that may be on the financial edge get a lifeline — and it signals how the Board is choosing to deploy surplus funds at a time when the county has faced budget pressure.

5. County to Adopt Formal Policy on Consulting Tribal Nations

Item 19 | Discussion item — requires a vote

The Board will consider adopting Policy No. C 17.1, which would establish a formal, written process for how Pima County consults with tribal nations before making decisions that affect them. Pima County sits within the ancestral and current homelands of multiple Indigenous nations, including the Tohono O'odham and Pascua Yaqui. A standing policy codifies obligations that are now handled inconsistently and gives tribes a clearer avenue to weigh in on land, infrastructure, and public health decisions — a meaningful shift in intergovernmental relations.

6. County Can Now Force Land Acquisition for Valencia Road Widening

Item 22 | Discussion item — requires a vote

Resolution No. 2026-57 would authorize the Pima County Attorney to use eminent domain — the government's power to compel the sale of private property — to acquire land needed for widening Valencia Road between Mission Road and Camino de la Tierra. This segment runs through Districts 3 and 5, areas that have seen significant growth pressure. Condemnation authority is typically sought when voluntary negotiations with property owners have stalled; its approval means the county is prepared to go to court to complete the road project if necessary.

7. County Adopts Three-Year Economic Development Blueprint

Item 21 | Discussion item — unfinished business from August

After two continuances this summer, the Board is set to vote on the Pima County Economic Development Strategic Plan for 2026–2029. The plan will guide how the county pursues job creation, business attraction, and workforce investment over the next three years — decisions with direct consequences for residents seeking employment and for businesses considering locating here. The vote comes as the county also accepts a federal AI workforce training grant (see below), suggesting the plan's priorities are already beginning to take shape.

8. Nearly $4 Million in Federal Road Safety Money Coming to Pima County

Consent Item 18 | On consent calendar — could pass without discussion

The county is accepting a $3.8 million federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, spread over five years. The program is designed to fund projects that reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries — a persistent problem in Tucson, which has repeatedly ranked among Arizona's most dangerous cities for pedestrians. Because this is on the consent calendar, it could be approved in a single bundled vote with no public discussion unless a supervisor pulls it for separate consideration.

Source: Pima County Legistar

This preview was generated automatically by Claude Sonnet 4.6 from the Pima County Board of Supervisors' published agenda, and published at 8:01 AM MST on September 17, 2026 without human review. Read more about how this is made.