Meeting Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at 9:30 AM
Location: Supervisors’ Auditorium, 205 W. Jefferson, Phoenix
Chair: Kate Brophy McGee (District 3)
Vice Chair: Debbie Lesko (District 4)
⚠️ Context: This Meeting Follows Historic Budget Adoption
Just 48 hours prior (June 22, 2026), this same Board:
- Adopted $4.32 billion in budgets (County + special districts)
- Approved $21.1 million in new tax levies
- Debbie Lesko made 100% of recorded motions (8 of 8)
- All votes were unanimous 5-0
This pattern of unanimity and motion dominance deserves scrutiny.
Read our post-meeting report here: Triple Meeting: Executive, Informal, and Special Sessions
Meeting Overview
This is an exceptionally large agenda with 117 items plus Call to the Public. 98 items are bundled into the Consent Agenda (approved by single motion unless pulled for discussion).
Critical Note: This is a DRAFT agenda subject to change until the final version is posted 24 hours before the meeting.
🔥 Items Requiring Citizen Attention
1. 2026 Primary & General Election Plans (Item 108)
When: Regular Agenda (after Treasurer items)
What: Presentation and adoption of election administration plans
Presenters: Zach Schira (Assistant County Manager) and Scott Jarrett (Elections Director)
Why This Matters:
- Elections are the flashpoint between this Board and Recorder Justin Heap
- Multiple court cases ongoing: Maricopa County v. Heap, Heap v. Board contempt motions
- AG Kris Mayes formally rejected Heap’s claims of exclusive election authority
- This plan determines: poll workers, drop box procedures, tabulation oversight, chain of custody
Citizen Questions to Ask:
- What safeguards ensure bipartisan oversight of ballot handling?
- How are drop box security and monitoring addressed?
- What role (if any) does the Recorder’s Office play in this plan?
- Are the Melendres consent decree requirements incorporated?
2. Revolving Lines of Credit – $35 Million (Item 107)
When: Regular Agenda
What: Approval of Business Loan Agreements with JPMorgan Chase Bank
Maximum Commitment: $35,000,000 for County line (additional for Districts)
Term: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 (automatically renewable)
What This Means:
- County can borrow up to $35M to pay obligations before tax revenues arrive
- County Treasurer has sole authority to draw on this line (Agent for County)
- Districts have separate credit limits; County not liable for District defaults
- JPMorgan Chase is also the servicing bank (Item 109 – $3M contract)
Pattern Alert: Combined with Item 109 (Bank Servicing Agreement), JPMorgan Chase becomes the dominant financial partner for County operations.
3. Microsoft Enterprise Agreement – $46.1 Million (Item 48)
Consent Agenda Item – Pull this if you want discussion
Amount: Not-to-exceed $46,146,911 over three fiscal years (FY2027-2029)
Purpose: Windows, Office, Exchange (email), SharePoint, Office 365 licensing
Questions:
- Was this competitively bid?
- What alternatives were evaluated?
- How does this compare to previous agreement costs?
- Are cloud services (Azure) included or separate?
Note: This is one of the largest IT contracts on the agenda. Buried in Consent Agenda.
4. Behavioral Health Services Funding – $91 Million (Item 52)
Consent Agenda
IGA with AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System)
Total Funding: $91,044,098 for FY2026-27
Breakdown:
- Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI): $86,187,522 ($4.1M increase from prior year)
- Non-SMI services: $3,366,705
- Substance abuse: $1,489,871
Context: This is a mandated County obligation under Arizona law, but the inflation adjustment deserves scrutiny.
5. Sheriff’s Training Academy Rate Increases (Items 28-34)
Multiple Consent Agenda Items
Effective: July 1, 2026
Rate Hikes:
| Agency | Old Rate | New Rate | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinal County Detention | $250 | $1,000 | 300% |
| City of Peoria Sworn | $750 | $1,500 | 100% |
| ADCRR Sworn | $750 | $1,500 | 100% |
| City of Goodyear Detention | $250 | $1,000 | 300% |
| Pinal County Sworn (new) | $750 | $1,500 | 100% |
| Salt River PMIC Sworn (new) | $750 | $1,500 | 100% |
Question: Why are training costs tripling for some agencies? Is this cost recovery or revenue generation?
6. MCSO Professional Standards Bureau Pay Increase (Item 55)
Consent Agenda
Current: $20/hour supplemental pay for Melendres backlog investigators
Proposed: $50/hour (150% increase)
Extension: To October 1, 2027
Background: These investigators are clearing internal affairs cases under the Melendres consent decree (ongoing since 2007). The 150% pay increase suggests either:
- The work is exceptionally difficult/rare
- They’re having trouble finding volunteers
- Or it’s a retention issue
7. Statutory Hearings – Environmental (Items 7-8)
Item 7 – Air Quality Rule 230: Expands “general permits” to larger pollution sources, reducing business costs but potentially reducing oversight. SIP revision required.
Item 8 – Wastewater Treatment Plants: Eliminates County regulation entirely, leaving ADEQ as sole regulator. Effective immediately upon approval.
Citizen Impact: Both items reduce regulatory oversight. If you care about environmental enforcement, these warrant attention.
8. Palomino Acres Irrigation District (Item 5)
Statutory Hearing
Location: District 1 (Mark Stewart) – Gilbert area
What: Creating new special district for irrigation water delivery
Process:
- Board approves impact statement
- Petitions circulate within defined boundaries
- If petitions sufficient, election held
- If created, new taxing authority
Watch For: Is this a precursor to development? New special districts = new taxing authority.
📋 Consent Agenda Highlights (Items 9-106)
The Consent Agenda bundles 98 items for single-motion approval. Key items include:
Housing & Community Development
- Multiple HUD program agreements with 12+ cities/towns (Items 62-81)
- HOME Investment Partnerships funding for housing
- Community Action Program (CAP) services for low-income residents
- CDBG/ESG program extensions through 2029
Financial Operations
- Electronic Funds Transfer Authorization (Item 50): $278.6M in debt service payments
- Designee for Expenditure Limitation Report (Item 49): Mike McGee, CFO
- Treasurer’s Office budget adjustments for tax collection
Public Safety
- Data Sharing Agreement with NYU (Item 24) – research collaboration
- HonorHealth, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, ChildHelp forensic services agreements
- ATF MOU for firearms enforcement collaboration
Infrastructure
- Road File declarations for Azure Canyon and Zanjero Trails subdivisions (District 4)
💰 Financial Summary
| Major Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (3 years) | $46,146,911 |
| AHCCCS Behavioral Health Services | $91,044,098 |
| Revolving Line of Credit (max) | $35,000,000 |
| Electronic Debt Service Transfers | $278,621,756 |
| Jurisdictional Elections | $3,873,715 |
| Bank Servicing Agreement (3 years) | $3,000,000 |
| Floodprone Property Assistance | $700,000 |
| Housing/Homeless Programs (various) | ~$6M+ |
Note: Consent Agenda contains dozens of additional contracts.
🏛️ Board Structure & Accountability
Who Represents You:
| District | Supervisor | Party | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mark Stewart | R | Business conflicts documented (GameDay Men’s Health) |
| 2 | Thomas Galvin | R | Appointed, GPEC conflict |
| 3 | Kate Brophy McGee | R | Chair, Valleywise dual role |
| 4 | Debbie Lesko | R | Made 100% of motions June 22 |
| 5 | Steve Gallardo | D | Minority party |
Pattern to Watch: Will Lesko continue motion dominance? Will anyone second from Brophy McGee?
🎯 Critical Questions for Wednesday
About Process:
- Why is this agenda 117 items? Is this a deliberate strategy to limit scrutiny?
- Why are major contracts ($46M Microsoft, $91M AHCCCS) in Consent Agenda?
- Will any items be pulled for discussion?
About Elections (Item 108):
- How does this plan address the ongoing litigation with Recorder Heap?
- What are the chain-of-custody procedures for ballots?
- Are poll watchers from all parties accommodated?
- What happens if Heap refuses to comply with this plan?
About Finance:
- Line of Credit: Why JPMorgan Chase for both servicing (Item 109) and credit line (Item 107)? Is this competitive?
- Microsoft: Were alternatives evaluated? Is this the best value?
- Training rate hikes: Why 300% increases for some agencies?
About Accountability:
- Will the Board continue unanimous 5-0 votes?
- Will Lesko make all motions again?
- Will public comment time be expanded, limited, or cut off?
📢 How to Participate
In Person:
- Arrive by 9:00 AM (30 minutes early for access)
- Sign up for speaker’s form with Clerk of the Board
- 2-minute limit per speaker
- Chair may expand, limit, or suspend comment
Written Comments:
- Email: Agenda.Comments@maricopa.gov
- Will be summarized at meeting (topic only)
- Forwarded to all Board offices
Statutory Hearing Items (Items 5-8):
- Comments accepted via Agenda.Comments@maricopa.gov
- Must reference specific item number
Bottom Line for Citizens
This Wednesday’s meeting is dense with major financial decisions buried in a 117-item agenda. The critical item is #108 – Election Plans – this determines how the 2026 elections will be administered amid ongoing litigation between the Board and Recorder.
Key Pattern to Watch: After June 22’s 100% motion dominance by Lesko and unanimous votes, will this Board demonstrate independent oversight or rubber-stamp everything?
Recommended Action:
- Email comments on election plan (Item 108) before meeting
- Attend if possible – especially for Item 108
- Watch for Consent Agenda items being pulled for discussion
- Track who makes motions and seconds
