What Happened This Week
Four meetings in three days. $32 million. One split vote. And a whole lot of questions about who’s running the show.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors met on Monday (Informal + Executive), Tuesday (Emergency), and Wednesday (Formal) — handling everything from road de-annexation to a $20.89 million settlement that ends an 18-month election authority crisis.
Here’s the week, start to finish.
Monday, July 13 — Informal & Executive
The 5-Minute Meeting
The public portion lasted roughly five minutes. Two votes, both unanimous.
Vote 1: Set a public hearing for de-annexing a stretch of Miami Avenue in Avondale (District 5, Gallardo’s district). Adds 0.0006 square miles to county ownership. Approved 5-0. Lesko moved, Gallardo seconded.
Vote 2: Enter executive session. Approved 5-0. Same motion maker, same seconder.
Then the doors closed.
What They Discussed Behind Closed Doors
Ten agenda items — legal advice on everything from Treasurer technology to code enforcement violations:
| Item | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Treasurer’s Office Technology Update |
| 2 | Budget & Finance — Expenditure Limitation |
| 3 | School District Cash Deficit Levies |
| 4 | Board Authority: Open Meeting Law |
| 5-9 | Code enforcement violations (5 properties) |
| 10 | Air Quality — DHS Funding Opportunity |
Notable: Item 4 — the Board sought legal advice on Open Meeting Law, the same law that mandates transparency, while holding the 85th consecutive day of election authority discussions behind closed doors. The irony is not lost on us.
Also notable: Item 1 brought in Tully Bailey LLP (Steve Tully) as outside counsel for the Treasurer’s technology update. That’s two outside law firms in one week — Statecraft PLLC on July 9, Tully Bailey on July 13. The County Attorney’s office appears to be getting sidelined.
Tuesday, July 14 — Emergency Meeting
The Headline: $20.89 Million to Settle the Heap Dispute
After 18 months of litigation and 84 days of defying a court order, the Board approved a settlement with Recorder Justin Heap. The price tag: $20.89 million immediately, with a projected total of $32.4+ million when all costs are counted.
What the Money Buys
Immediate ($8.2 million):
- 8 new IT positions ($1.35M)
- 2 early voting positions ($169K)
- 10 ballot replacement site positions ($953K)
- New IT system ($3M)
- Election equipment ($2.7M)
Still coming ($23.7+ million):
- Full IT system development ($11.5M)
- Facilities/licensing ($2.1M estimated)
- Ongoing staffing for 20 new positions (annual, recurring)
What the Settlement Does
The Board effectively split Maricopa County’s election administration in two:
| Function | Who Controls |
|---|---|
| Early Voting | Recorder Heap |
| Election Day Voting | Board of Supervisors |
| Emergency Voting | Board of Supervisors |
| Canvassing | Board of Supervisors |
| Tabulation | Board of Supervisors |
| Late Early Ballots | Board of Supervisors |
Two bureaucracies. Two chains of command. Two sets of equipment. What could go wrong?
The Vote: First Split in Memory
This was the first non-unanimous vote in recent MCBOS history.
Budget Adjustments (Item 1):
- Galvin: Aye (“Heap already signed”)
- Lesko: Aye (“Win for Maricopa County voters”)
- Brophy McGee: Aye (“Make Maricopa County boring again”)
- Gallardo: NO (hyperpartisanship concerns)
- Stewart: Absent (ill)
Result: 3-1
Settlement Agreement (Item 2):
- Galvin: Aye (“Off-ramp from highway to hell”)
- Lesko: Aye (thanked mediator Judge Corey)
- Brophy McGee: Aye (“Your vote will count”)
- Gallardo: NO (8-minute dissenting statement)
- Stewart: Absent
Result: 3-1
Gallardo’s Dissent: Worth Reading
In an 8-minute statement, Gallardo laid out his concerns:
“For over 35 years, 40 years… previous recorders operated that office not as Republicans or Democrats.”
“We don’t have that with Recorder Heap. He has made his desire, he’s made it clear that he is going to favor one side or the other.”
“They worked so hard on this 12-point plan… now they’re so quick to settle and take on less responsibility. That just baffles me.”
“This is not the last of it. $20 million is just part of it. He will come back for more.”
He also noted that someone on Heap’s executive team “sits there and tweets on how bad and evil Democrats are” during county hours.
The Motion Monopoly
Debbie Lesko made both substantive motions — continuing a pattern where one supervisor controls the procedural agenda for the entire Board. She has now made virtually 100% of recorded motions across multiple consecutive meetings.
Wednesday, July 15 — Formal Meeting
The Return of Unanimity
After Gallardo’s blistering dissent, the Board snapped back to 100% unanimous votes. Twelve motions. Zero dissent. All 5 supervisors present (Stewart remotely).
What Passed
Denied: Trulieve marijuana dispensary in Happy Valley (District 4, Lesko’s district). First major denial in recent meetings. Strong local opposition from Peoria officials and Planning Commissioners who happen to live nearby. Approved 5-0 to deny.
Questioned then approved: GPEC reappointments. Mark Stewart actually asked a question — rare for him — about the selection process. Lesko explained they were reappointments, not new selections. Approved 5-0.
Pulled, no vote: Item 104, settlement in Maricopa County v. Howard and Kiekebusch. This appears related to the July 14 emergency settlement. The Chair chose not to vote on it.
Continued: IGA with State of Arizona for Worker’s Compensation, to August 19.
Money approved: $1.15M in grants and contracts, including ACJC drug/gang/violent crime funding and DUI abatement.
Public Participation
Six speakers. Two — Tom Arnold and Leah Cartwright — asked pointed questions about real estate transactions (accountability, alternatives, measurement of success). The county acknowledged the questions, then approved the items unanimously.
The pattern continues: questions are noted, then rubber-stamped.
The Bigger Picture
One Supervisor, Two Law Firms, $32 Million
This week saw:
- Debbie Lesko making every motion
- Outside counsel replacing the County Attorney on two separate matters
- $32.4 million committed with one dissenting vote
- Steve Gallardo as the lone public opposition — when he wasn’t missing votes
The Split Administration Problem
Maricopa County now has two separate election bureaucracies. The Recorder controls early voting. The Board controls Election Day. They’ll need “mutual approval” during transition. A Special Master (Judge Corey) will adjudicate disputes. The Arizona Supreme Court is the only appeal path.
This is not a recipe for smooth election administration. This is a recipe for chaos in November.
Questions Going Forward
- Will the new IT system be ready before the primary?
- What happens when Heap and the Board disagree on transition timelines?
- Why is the Board using outside counsel instead of its own County Attorney?
- Where was Mark Stewart during the most consequential vote of the year?
- Will Gallardo keep dissenting, or was July 14 an anomaly?
MCBOS Watch: Weekly Digest is a citizen-produced summary of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors activity. Sources: Official MCBOS meeting agendas, summaries, transcripts, and public records. For full meeting reports visit itisourduty.com.