Today’s meeting was a rapid-fire informal session (approximately 5-7 minutes) followed by a substantial executive session with 10 agenda items covering Treasurer technology, budget law, school levies, Open Meeting Law, and 5 code enforcement violations. All votes were unanimous. Notable: Board seeking legal advice on Open Meeting Law while maintaining opacity on election authority.
Meeting Details
| Meeting | Time | Duration | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informal Session | 9:30 AM | ~5-7 minutes | Completed |
| Executive Session | Immediately after | Unknown (multiple items) | In progress at time of reporting |
Location: Supervisors’/Sullivan Conference Room, 301 W Jefferson, 10th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003
Attendance – All Present
| Supervisor | District | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Kate Brophy McGee | 3 | Chair, Present |
| Debbie Lesko | 4 | Vice Chair, Present |
| Mark Stewart | 1 | Present |
| Thomas Galvin | 2 | Remote |
| Steve Gallardo | 5 | Present |
Note: Thomas Galvin attended remotely; all others in-person.
Informal Session (9:30 AM)
Vote 1: Avondale Deannexation Hearing
Purpose: Set public hearing for July 15, 2026 to determine if de-annexing road right-of-way from City of Avondale serves public interest
Location: Portion of Miami Avenue from Avondale Boulevard to 111th Avenue, District 5 (Gallardo)
Impact:
- Adds 0.000619 square miles to County ownership
- County assumes road maintenance responsibility
- Contract: C-06-27-017-X-00
Statutory Authority: A.R.S. §9-471.03(D)
Process:
- July 15 hearing (first) – MCDOT prepares analysis
- If Board finds public interest served, second public hearing required
- Board files ordinance with legal description
| Vote | Supervisor |
|---|---|
| Aye | Thomas Galvin |
| Aye | Kate Brophy McGee |
| Aye | Mark Stewart |
| Aye | Debbie Lesko |
| Aye | Steve Gallardo |
Result: Approved 5-0
Motion Made By: Debbie Lesko
Seconded By: Steve Gallardo
Vote 2: Enter Executive Session
| Vote | Supervisor |
|---|---|
| Aye | Thomas Galvin |
| Aye | Kate Brophy McGee |
| Aye | Mark Stewart |
| Aye | Debbie Lesko |
| Aye | Steve Gallardo |
Result: Approved 5-0
Motion Made By: Debbie Lesko
Seconded By: Steve Gallardo
Public portion adjourned immediately after vote.
Executive Session Agenda (10 Items)
| Item | Topic | Statutory Authority | Outside Counsel? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Treasurer’s Office Technology Update | A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3) | Yes – Tully Bailey LLP |
| 2 | Budget & Finance – Expenditure Limitation | A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3) | No |
| 3 | School District Cash Deficit Levies | A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3) | No |
| 4 | Board Authority: Open Meeting Law | A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3) | No |
| 5 | Health Code Violations – 6611 S. 44th Ln, Laveen | A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3), (A)(4) | No |
| 6 | Health Code Violations – 2512 N 191st Ave, Buckeye | A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3), (A)(4) | No |
| 7 | Zoning Violations – 19332 W Flower St, Litchfield Park | A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3), (A)(4) | No |
| 8 | Zoning Violations – 2500 W New River Road, New River | A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3), (A)(4) | No |
| 9 | Zoning Violations – 1248 N 101st Place, Mesa | A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3), (A)(4) | No |
| 10 | Air Quality – DHS Funding Opportunity | A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3) | No |
Key Executive Session Details
Item 1: Treasurer Tech Update – Outside Counsel Involved
Law Firm: Tully Bailey LLP (Steve Tully)
Notable: Second outside counsel engagement in one week
Attendees:
- John Allen (Treasurer)
- Michael Hunter (Chief Deputy Treasurer)
- Jordan Dale (Chief of Staff)
- James Moore (CTO, Treasurer’s Office)
- Mike McGee (CFO, Budget & Finance)
- Bridget Harper (Deputy Finance Director)
- Richard McHattie (CIO, Enterprise Technology)
Item 4: Open Meeting Law – Ironic Timing
Presenter: Wesley Van Cleve (Deputy County Attorney)
Critical Note: The Board is seeking legal advice on Open Meeting Law—the same law that mandates transparency—while holding 85+ days of election authority discussions in executive session and taking no public votes on the matter.
Items 5-9: Code Enforcement Violations (5 Properties)
| Address | Violation Type | Department |
|---|---|---|
| 6611 S. 44th Ln, Laveen | Health Code/ARS | Environmental Services |
| 2512 N 191st Ave, Buckeye | Health Code/ARS | Environmental Services |
| 19332 W Flower St, Litchfield Park | Zoning/ARS | Planning & Development |
| 2500 W New River Road, New River | Zoning/ARS | Planning & Development |
| 1248 N 101st Place, Mesa | Zoning/ARS | Planning & Development |
Legal Team: Rosa Aguilar Dhakal, Caitlyn Mitchell, Stephanie Large (Deputy County Attorneys)
Management: Darcy Kober (Assistant County Manager)
Departments: Andy Linton, Amanda Bond (Environmental Services); Tom Ellsworth, Charles Hart, Kathryn Garcia (Planning & Development)
Pattern Analysis
The “Outside Counsel” Pattern
| Date | Outside Counsel | Matter |
|---|---|---|
| July 9 | Kory Langhofer (Statecraft PLLC) | Election Authority |
| July 13 | Steve Tully (Tully Bailey LLP) | Treasurer Technology |
Question: Why is the Board increasingly relying on outside counsel rather than County Attorney’s office?
The “Quick Vote, Long Executive” Pattern
- Public portion: 5-7 minutes, unanimous votes, no discussion
- Executive portion: 10 agenda items, extensive staff time, no public outcomes
The “Missing Election” Gap
Critical: After cancelling July 10 meetings and failing to reconvene the July 9 executive session on election authority, today’s agenda contains NO election authority items.
The 85+ day constitutional crisis over election administration remains unaddressed with primary election days away.
Staff Load Analysis
This executive session required significant staff resources:
- County Attorney’s Office: 6 Deputy County Attorneys
- Treasurer’s Office: 4 senior officials
- Budget & Finance: 3 officials (including CFO)
- County School Superintendent: 2 officials
- Environmental Services: 2 officials
- Planning & Development: 3 officials
- Air Quality: 1 Director
- County Manager’s Office: 5 officials
- Enterprise Technology: 1 CIO
Total: 27+ staff members for one executive session.
Key Findings
- Unanimous Votes: Both votes today were 5-0 with Lesko making motions and Gallardo seconding
- Gallardo Participation: Unlike July 9 (arrived late), Gallardo was present and active today
- No Election Authority Discussion: Despite ongoing crisis, no election items on agenda
- Outside Counsel Again: Treasurer’s Office using Tully Bailey LLP instead of County Attorney
- Code Enforcement Cluster: 5 separate violation properties discussed—suggests ongoing enforcement challenges
- Open Meeting Law Irony: Board seeking legal advice on transparency law while maintaining opacity on elections
Open Questions
- What is the status of the July 9 election authority executive session that was left in recess?
- Why is the Treasurer’s Office using outside counsel (Tully Bailey LLP) rather than County Attorney?
- What outcomes resulted from today’s 10-item executive session?
- Will the Board address the election authority crisis before the primary election
- What is the pattern of code enforcement violations requiring executive session discussion?
* Report compiled from official Maricopa County Board of Supervisors meeting documents. Public record.
