Pima County Board Votes 4-1 to Back Tohono O'odham Nation's Border Wall Lawsuit

TUCSON — The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to reaffirm its opposition to construction of a border wall on Tohono O'odham Nation lands, backing the tribe's federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in a resolution that drew emotional testimony from tribal Chairman Verlon Jose.

Chairman Jose told the board that DHS was preparing to award construction contracts even while negotiations with the tribe were ongoing, prompting the nation to file suit June 16 in federal district court in Washington, D.C. The lawsuit argues the wall would illegally take the nation's land and decrease the size of the reservation — something Jose said is outside DHS's power — that DHS and its contractors would be trespassing, and that construction would destroy sacred cultural sites important to the tribe's ceremonies and religious practices, further divide its people, and harm the natural environment. "Don't they care about us? They're further dividing our people again," Jose quoted elders as saying at a meeting with about 20 of them earlier that morning. "They don't care about the land. And they don't care about the animals."

Jose said the nation has approved vehicle barriers, patrol roads, forward operating bases, integrated fixed towers and checkpoints, and spends millions of dollars of its own tribal funds annually on border security. Apprehensions of people crossing illegally on the reservation have dropped by more than 95% over the past two years, he said, citing the federal government's own reported data. "Today, virtually no one is crossing the border illegally on our lands, which raises the question: if no one is crossing, why do we need a border wall?" Supervisor Rex Scott, reading from the resolution — which credits measures including the all-native Shadow Wolves tracking unit — called the wall "a medieval solution to a modern problem." Resolution 2026-37 — which opposes President Donald Trump's executive order to build the wall on the nation's border with Mexico, and was brought by District 3 — passed 4-1.

Asked by Chair Jennifer Allen about the threat to Quitobaquito Springs, Jose said a planned secondary wall would have a "major impact" on the site, which lies in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument rather than on the reservation and is home to three endangered species that "are not found anywhere else in the world." He said earlier wall construction blew through Monument Hill, a marked archaeological burial site, leaving "fragments of bones scattered all over that mountain" despite a tribal monitor having been assigned to the area. "Thousands of years destroyed," he said. Jose also said crews have been working 150 to 200 feet beyond the 60-foot Roosevelt Reservation boundary they had said they would stay within.

Nonprofit Funding Cut 61% — With No Discussion

The board voted 4-1 to adopt the Outside Agency Committee's funding recommendations for fiscal 2026/27, approving $3,936,620 against $10,059,380 in requests — a cut of roughly 61% to the local nonprofits that provide food assistance, domestic violence services, homeless case management and child care. The item drew no substantive debate.

Among the reductions in the approved package: the Community Food Bank's emergency food assistance program requested $375,000 and received $262,873; Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse requested $325,000 for comprehensive domestic violence support services and received $115,798; Catholic Community Services' emergency food pantry and clothing closet requested $75,000 and received $15,000. Nine programs were recommended for no funding at all, including a University of Arizona Foundation program that had requested $2,687,974.

The item reached a vote twice. Supervisor Scott first moved items 26 through 29 as a bundle, and they passed without discussion. Supervisor Christy later asked the board to reconsider item 26, telling colleagues he "got a little bit exuberant with all the bundling that my colleague, Supervisor Scott, was doing." That reconsideration passed 5-0. Supervisor Cano then moved the item as recommended by staff, and it passed 4-1. No supervisor discussed the substance of the cuts on the record.

Treasurer Appointment Postponed After Executive Session

The board voted unanimously 5-0 to continue the appointment of a new Pima County Treasurer to its next regular meeting on July 28 — unless a special meeting is called before then — after recessing into a roughly 30-minute executive session with legal counsel.

Supervisor Scott, who made the motion to continue, said the decision was made "on the advice of legal counsel" and expressed regret to the treasurer's office staff and applicants who had waited through the lengthy meeting. "We didn't want to continue this item, but again, upon the advice of legal counsel, it was the most prudent action for the board to take," Scott said. The vacancy followed the June 12 resignation of former Treasurer Brian Johnson, which came after multiple county employees accused him of sexual harassment and inappropriate workplace conduct. County records detailing the allegations became public in late June and were reported by the Arizona Daily Star, AZPM, KOLD and the Tucson Sentinel; County Administrator Jan Lesher had met with Johnson on June 10 and suggested he consider resigning, and Human Resources was still gathering evidence when he stepped down two days later. Nine people applied for the vacancy, among them Chief Deputy Treasurer Jake Martin, who has run the office's daily operations since Johnson left.

Several treasurer's office employees addressed the board during call to the public, uniformly urging Martin's appointment and pushing back against what they characterized as unfair criticism of his age and experience. One employee also rejected an accusation that Martin had coerced staff into signing a letter of recommendation on his behalf: "They chose to stoop so low to accuse Jake of coercing our staff into signing a letter of recommendation," she said, adding that she co-wrote the letter, that she and a colleague authored it independently, and that staff were asked neutrally whether they wished to sign. "That is an outright lie."

Board Creates Debt and Financial Transparency Advisory Commission

Supervisors voted 4-1 to establish a new Debt and Financial Transparency Advisory Commission, a six-member citizen body designed to provide independent oversight of county finances ahead of Proposition 425, the ballot measure asking voters this fall to permanently raise the county's constitutionally imposed expenditure limit by 75%.

Under the structure approved by the board, each supervisor will appoint one member, the county administrator will appoint one, and the Director of Finance and Risk Management will serve as an ex officio member. Members will serve staggered terms. County Administrator Jan Lesher said the commission is modeled largely on the county's existing bond advisory commission and would monitor debt levels, review the county's financial audit, assess reserve policies and the long-term financial forecast, and recommend improvements to financial reporting and public engagement — "another set of eyes from the community to watch over all we do as it relates to our finances." Supervisor Scott, who sponsored the item, said that with the county asking voters to lift the expenditure limit for the first time in 45 years, "we need to double down on those commitments to openness and transparency." Asked by Supervisor Andrés Cano whether the commission is intended as a standing body regardless of how voters decide the expenditure limit measure, Scott said yes. The item, brought by Scott's District 1 office on behalf of county leadership, passed 4-1.

Scott also praised the staggered terms as an aid to "continuity and institutional knowledge" while still bringing in new voices.

Southern Arizona Rescue Association Contract Tabled Until September

The board voted 5-0 to continue a funding discussion for the Southern Arizona Rescue Association — a volunteer search-and-rescue organization — until the first September board meeting, after supervisors raised questions about the source and history of the $100,000 annual contract.

The item had been pulled from the June 23 draft agenda at the emailed request of the county's emergency management director. Deputy County Administrator Chad Kasmar told the board he "was in support of and gave direction to pull that item," calling it "really a timing issue" after the county learned its grant award had been reduced by "several hundred thousand dollars" — a shortfall he said raises broader questions about other pass-through grants the Office of Emergency Management administers. Supervisor Cano, who moved to continue the item, said he wanted clearer information on the organization's funding history, whether the request came from a supervisorial office or from the organization itself, and how the group's services differ from search-and-rescue functions already within the Sheriff's Department. Supervisor Dr. Matt Heinz pressed that last question as well.

Supervisor Christy, who brought the item back to the board, said the request did not originate with his office: "This isn't coming from District 4. It's not a supervisorial issue." Kasmar, however, told the board the item came forward after "a conversation between [Southern Arizona Rescue Association] leadership and District 4." Lesher said the current contract has been in place since fiscal 2023 and that the county funded the organization at a lower level before that; Christy said the arrangement has existed "for decades." Cano also called for a unanimous board letter to federal officials expressing concern about the impact of federal funding cuts on the organization.

County Administrator Search Timeline Released

Human Resources Director Kathy Bolen presented a proposed timeline for the recruitment of a new county administrator, with a finalist selection targeted for either the October 27 or November 10 board meeting.

The county has contracted with Slavin Management Consultants and assigned executive recruiter John Cross to lead the search. According to the timeline, an updated recruitment brochure and website will be posted by July 24, with a first review of applications completed by August 21. Cross is expected to present a semifinalist report to the board by September 18, with an executive session scheduled around the September 22 board meeting. A search committee will interview semifinalists after that date before forwarding finalist recommendations to the full board for interviews in mid-October.

Also discussed:

The board proclaimed July 2026 Disability Pride Month, recognizing the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Recipients called on the board to ensure the disability community is included in all county policy decisions.
Michael Racy, Pima County's contract lobbyist at the state Legislature, briefed the board on the just-concluded 153-day session, which he called "a bit of a mess" — a record 2,030 bills introduced, forcing the state to renumber into the 4000s for the first time in its history, plus two vetoed budgets before a final one and more than 150 vetoes overall. He cited $2 million in coordinated reentry funding, which he said Pima County had been excluded from until this year, and modernization of the state's publication statutes. He also said the delegation preserved state funding for probation officer salaries, which he estimated would otherwise have been a $3.5 million hit to Pima County out of a roughly $10 million statewide burden across 14 counties.
Jacob Emmett, legislative director of the County Supervisors Association of Arizona, presented Rep. Stahl Hamilton — who represents Legislative District 21 and portions of Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise counties — with one of the association's 2026 Good Government Awards, citing her work on probation officer funding and wildfire resources. Emmett noted Supervisor Scott serves as the association's president-elect.
Elections Director Constance Hargrove told the board the Department of Justice sent a letter regarding Section 203 bilingual language accessibility compliance, which she said she answered that day. She said DOJ plans to send about four to six people to assess whether the county is complying with its obligation to assist bilingual voters in the July 21 primary. Hargrove noted federal monitors have been present in Pima County since 2022.
The board approved a $20 million, four-year contract with OverDrive for the Pima County Public Library, sitting as the Library District board.
A hearing on a plat note modification for a residential property in the Rancho del Cerro area was continued 5-0 to the July 28 meeting at Chair Jennifer Allen's suggestion, to allow time for the applicants to meet with neighboring residents.
JD Wallace, a retained speaker for Tucson Electric Power, told the board during call to the public that the utility now has 550 megawatts of battery storage — more than 10 times the 50 megawatts it had this time last year — and spent $320 million on grid upgrades in 2025, plus $30 million on distribution lines. He said a storm on Saturday left 11,000 customers without power, with all residential customers restored by the weekend.