What Happened This Week
Two words: not much. At least not in public.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors held back-to-back closed-door meetings on Thursday, July 9 — a Special Executive Session and a Special Session — to discuss the ongoing legal crisis over election authority. The July 10 follow-up was cancelled before it started.
Here’s what we know, what we don’t, and why it matters.
The Meetings
Thursday, July 9 — Special Executive Session (9:00 AM)
What they discussed: Election administration, Board authority, and litigation strategy — all under attorney-client privilege.
Who was there:
- Kate Brophy McGee (Chair, District 3)
- Debbie Lesko (Vice Chair, District 4)
- Mark Stewart (District 1, remote)
- Thomas Galvin (District 2, remote)
- Steve Gallardo (District 5) — arrived late, missed the executive session vote
Outside counsel present: Kory Langhofer from Statecraft PLLC, not the County Attorney’s office.
Result: No public vote, no decision, no transparency. The Board recessed the executive session for continuation on Friday.
Thursday, July 9 — Special Session (immediately after)
The only public vote: Whether to enter executive session.
| Supervisor | Vote |
|---|---|
| Debbie Lesko | Aye (motioned) |
| Mark Stewart | Aye (seconded) |
| Thomas Galvin | Aye |
| Kate Brophy McGee | Aye |
| Steve Gallardo | Absent — arrived after vote |
Result: 4-0. Gallardo wasn’t there.
Open session agenda item: “Possible action on Board authority and responsibilities in administration of elections.”
Actual action: None. The Chair announced the executive session would remain in recess.
Friday, July 10 — Cancelled
Both the Special and Executive sessions scheduled for Friday morning were cancelled. No explanation given. No rescheduling announced.
The meeting simply vanished.
The Context: 84 Days and Counting
This wasn’t a routine meeting. It was the latest chapter in an ongoing constitutional crisis:
- April 16: Judge Scott Blaney ruled the Board exceeded its authority and ordered election functions returned to Recorder Justin Heap.
- May 29: Heap filed contempt motion after 43 days of non-compliance.
- June 7: The Board responded — expressing “disappointment” that Heap went to court.
- July 9: The Board met with outside counsel. Took no action.
- July 10: Cancelled the follow-up.
The primary election is imminent. The Board has now spent 84 days defying a court order with no resolution in sight.
Questions This Raises
Why outside counsel?
Kory Langhofer from Statecraft PLLC is not the County Attorney. The Board is paying private counsel to handle election authority questions that the County Attorney’s office should be equipped to answer. That’s taxpayer money for a private firm’s opinion — and it suggests the Board may not like what its own lawyers are telling them.
Why the cancellation?
Meetings get cancelled for lots of reasons. But cancelling the continuation of an executive session about ongoing litigation — without explanation, without rescheduling — suggests either a settlement was reached in secret, or the Board is still paralyzed by disagreement. Neither is reassuring.
Where was Gallardo?
Steve Gallardo arrived late to the only vote taken. This is not the first time. For a Supervisor who frequently votes differently than the majority, missing the votes that matter is a pattern worth watching.
What did they decide?
We don’t know. Executive session means no minutes, no transcript, no public record. The Board went behind closed doors to discuss its own legal defiance, emerged with nothing, and cancelled the follow-up.
If they reached a decision, the public hasn’t been told.
Pattern Notes
- The “No Action” Pattern: The Board holds executive sessions on controversial matters, emerges without votes, and kicks decisions to future meetings that may never happen.
- The Late Arrival Pattern: Gallardo’s timing on key votes continues to raise questions.
- The Transparency Gap: Executive sessions are legal. Serial reliance on them to avoid public accountability is a choice.
Looking Ahead
The next scheduled MCBOS meetings are July 14 (Emergency) and July 15 (Formal). Given the 84-day crisis and the cancelled follow-up, those meetings could be consequential — or more of the same.
We’ll be watching.
MCBOS Watch: Weekly Digest is a citizen-produced summary of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors activity. Sources: Official MCBOS meeting agendas, summaries, and public records. For the full July 9 post-meeting report, visit itisourduty.com.