What Happened This Week
One meeting. Five minutes. Three closed-door topics. Two outside law firms. Zero public output.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors convened on Wednesday, July 23 for a Special Meeting that existed solely to vote itself into Executive Session. The public portion lasted roughly five minutes. What happened behind closed doors involves your property taxes, school funding, and millions in technology spending.
Here’s what we know — and what we don’t.
Wednesday, July 23 — Special Meeting
The Only Public Vote
Motion: Enter Executive Session
| Supervisor | Vote | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Debbie Lesko | Aye | Motioned |
| Thomas Galvin | Aye | Seconded |
| Kate Brophy McGee | Aye | Chair |
| Mark Stewart | Aye | Remote |
| Steve Gallardo | Absent | — |
Result: 4-0. Gallardo wasn’t there.
Then the doors closed. For the rest of the afternoon.
What They Discussed Behind Closed Doors
Three topics. Three sets of lawyers. One CFO present for all of them.
Topic 1: School District Cash Deficit Levies
What it means: When school districts run short on cash, Maricopa County fills the gap through property tax levies. The Board was getting legal advice on how much to levy, when, and on whom.
Who was there: School Superintendent Shelli Boggs, her finance team, County CFO Mike McGee, and Deputy County Attorneys.
Why it matters: School funding shortfalls = property tax hikes. The Board was deciding how to backstop districts without publicly discussing the amounts, the timeline, or the taxpayer impact.
Topic 2: Treasurer’s Office Technology Update
What it means: The Treasurer handles billions in property tax collections. Any technology change involves massive financial risk and likely significant procurement dollars.
Who was there: Outside counsel Steve Tully (Tully Bailey LLP), the Treasurer’s CTO and Chief Deputy, and — again — County CFO Mike McGee.
Why it matters: This is the third time in two weeks the Board has brought in outside counsel for technology matters instead of using its own County Attorney. On July 9: Kory Langhofer for election tech. On July 13: Tully Bailey for Treasurer tech. Now July 23: Tully Bailey again. Either the County Attorney’s office lacks expertise — or the Board doesn’t trust what they’re being told.
Topic 3: Tax Levy and Tax Rates; Board Authority
What it means: The Board sought legal advice on its own authority to set tax rates — potentially involving limits, calculations, or challenges to its discretion.
Who was there: Outside counsel Emily Craiger (Taft Law), plus — once more — County CFO Mike McGee.
Why it matters: Two different outside law firms (Tully Bailey and Taft Law) in one closed session. Tax authority is the Board’s core fiscal power. When they need specialized outside counsel to tell them what they can and can’t do with your tax rates, something is contested. We just don’t know what.
The Patterns
The CFO Shadow
Mike McGee attended every Executive Session discussion. When the CFO is in closed session for tax authority, school levies, and technology procurement — money is on the table. Potentially lots of it.
The Outside Counsel Habit
In July alone, the Board has now retained:
- Statecraft PLLC (Kory Langhofer) — election authority
- Tully Bailey LLP (Steve Tully) — Treasurer technology (twice)
- Taft Law (Emily Craiger) — tax authority
That’s three outside firms in three weeks for matters the County Attorney should handle. Your tax dollars at work — paying premium rates for private legal opinions while the elected County Attorney sits on the sidelines.
The Gallardo Absence
Steve Gallardo was absent. July 23 timing suggests possible DNC convention travel. His absence on a day discussing tax authority and school levies — core issues for his Democratic constituency — is notable. He missed the July 9 executive session vote too, arriving late. Pattern or coincidence?
The Lesko Motion Monopoly
Debbie Lesko made the sole substantive motion. Again. She has now made virtually every recorded motion across consecutive meetings. One supervisor controls the procedural agenda for the entire Board.
What We Don’t Know
- How much will school levies increase?
- What technology is the Treasurer buying, and for how much?
- Why is the Board’s tax authority being questioned?
- What decisions were made — if any — in that closed session?
Unlike some Executive Sessions that result in public votes or announcements, this meeting produced zero public record of decisions or action items. Citizens have no visibility into what was decided or what comes next.
The Bigger Picture
This was a quiet week on the surface. One short meeting, no votes, no public action. But beneath that quiet surface:
- Property taxes were potentially being recalibrated
- School funding gaps were being legally engineered
- Technology contracts worth millions were being discussed with outside counsel
- Board tax authority was being tested — with help from private lawyers
The Board is making consequential decisions about your money. They’re just not making them in front of you.
Looking Ahead
The next scheduled MCBOS meetings are July 29 (Executive + Special). Given the pattern of closed-door sessions and the topics on deck, we expect more of the same: legal advice, outside counsel, and decisions deferred.
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 23 post-meeting report, visit itisourduty.com.