Who They Are: Pima County
Pima County's government serves 1.1 million people: five elected supervisors set policy and hire one administrator, who runs the departments. Seven more county officers are elected on their own, countywide, and answer to voters rather than to the board.
Also: Tucson · Oro Valley · Marana · Congress · Arizona Legislature
Board of Supervisors6 people
Five members elected by district to four-year terms, all on the presidential-year ballot. The board sets the budget, hires and fires the county administrator, and sits as the board of the flood control, library and wastewater districts.
Countywide elected officers7 people
Each runs their own office and answers to voters, not the board, though the board sets their budgets. All seven seats are on the presidential-year ballot.
County Administrator1 person
Hired by the board. Runs day-to-day county government, proposes the budget, and supervises every department that is not headed by an elected officer.
Administrator's office4 people
Three deputy administrators split the departments among them; the chief of staff runs the office.
Department directors8 people
The directors the administrator's office hires. Not every department is listed yet; these are the ones that have come before the board in our reporting.
What's changing
- Jorge Soto, Treasurer: Appointed by the Board of Supervisors after Brian Johnson resigned. Whether the seat goes on the 2026 or 2028 ballot is being checked.
- Jan Lesher, County Administrator: Retiring when her contract ends Jan. 7, 2027. The board is recruiting a successor; its Sept. 22 study session takes the hiring process into executive session.
Seats and terms come from each government's own pages and election canvasses; each person's list of reports is drawn from What They Decided. Tell us what's wrong or missing: nicholas@tucsondailybrief.com.
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