September 8th Special: POST Meeting Report

The Board convened for a 7-minute Special Meeting solely to correct $73.7 million in tax levy errors affecting six school districts. The original levy packet was adopted on August 17, 2026.

Key Facts:

• 1 item — Amendment to the 2026 Tax Levy Packet
• $73,718,277 total levy adjustments across six school districts
• 4-0 vote (Debbie Lesko absent)
• Thomas Galvin made the motion (unusual — breaks Lesko dominance pattern)
• All supervisors remote due to technology issues
• No public comment — single-item meeting with no public participation

Bottom line: A procedural correction that raises questions about the accuracy of the original August 17 tax levy adoption and why these errors weren’t caught before initial passage.

🏛️ THE MEETING: A TECHNICAL CORRECTION

Attendance

Staff Present:

• Juanita Garza — Clerk of the Board
• Yasmin Romero — Minutes Coordinator (remote)
• Jen Pokorski — County Manager (remote)
• Brooke Worcester — Legal Counsel
• Diana Sleetakan — Chief of Staff for School Superintendent Bogs

Meeting Duration: ~7 minutes (scheduled for 10:00 AM, started approximately 10:18 AM due to technology issues)

🗳️ THE VOTE: UNANIMOUS AMONG THOSE PRESENT

Motion: Approve Amendment to 2026 Tax Levy Packet

Motion: Supervisor Thomas Galvin
Second: Supervisor Steve Gallardo

Result: PASSED 4-0 (1 absent)

Contract Reference: Amendment to C-18-27-008-X-00 (original adoption August 17, 2026)
New Amendment: C-18-27-008-X-01

📊 WHAT WAS CORRECTED

The amendment adjusts tax levies for six school districts that were discovered to contain errors after the August 17, 2026 adoption.

Affected School Districts

Total Levy Adjustments: $73,718,277

🎤 WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE SAID

Diana Sleetakan, Chief of Staff for Superintendent Bogs, explained:

“An error was identified in the levy information that was adopted on August 17th. And as soon as it came to our attention, we reviewed every other school district in the county to ensure that we did not miss anything. And we have confirmed that we needed to correct six different school districts total. We take the responsibility taxpayer dollars seriously and we don’t want a single taxpayer to be charged more than they owe and we do not want a district to be left short of what it needs to meet the obligations that its voters approved.”

Key points:

• Error discovered after August 17 adoption
• Reviewed ALL school districts in the county to check for additional errors
• Found six districts requiring correction
• Emphasized no taxpayer should be overcharged, no district left short

💬 BOARD QUESTIONS

Supervisor Gallardo asked for the six district names “for the public’s sake.” The districts were listed as:

1. East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT)
2. Creighton Elementary
3. Gila Bend Unified
4. Gilbert Unified
5. Madison Elementary
6. Union Elementary

No other substantive questions were asked. No supervisor asked:

• How the error originated
• What quality control processes failed
• Whether taxpayers in affected districts had already been billed incorrectly
• Whether refunds or supplemental billing would be needed
• Why the error wasn’t caught during the August 17 review

🚨 RED FLAGS FOR CITIZEN WATCHERS

1. The Error Itself

$73.7 million in incorrect tax levies is not a rounding error. The School Superintendent’s Office discovered it only after adoption — suggesting:

• Weak pre-adoption verification processes
• Insufficient review of levy calculations
• Potential for systemic issues in tax levy preparation

2. Debbie Lesko’s Absence

Vice Chair Lesko was absent with no explanation given. She is typically present and dominant in motion-making. Her absence on a tax levy correction — a core fiscal responsibility — is noteworthy.

3. Thomas Galvin Made the Motion

Lesko typically makes 90%+ of motions. Galvin making this motion breaks that pattern. Possible explanations:

• Lesko’s absence required another supervisor to step up
• Galvin has particular interest/knowledge on school levies
• Lesko deliberately avoided this vote

4. No Discussion of Impact

The Board spent zero time discussing:

• Whether property owners in affected districts had already received incorrect tax bills
• Timeline for correcting already-issued bills
• Cost of the correction process
• Accountability for the original error

5. Technology Issues

The meeting started approximately 18 minutes late due to “technology snafu.” All supervisors attended remotely. Chair Brophy McGee acknowledged the difficulty. While minor, this adds to a pattern of technical problems in MCBOS meetings.

6. No Public Input

Single-item special meetings exclude public participation by design. While procedurally acceptable for technical corrections, citizens had no opportunity to:

• Ask how the error occurred
• Request stronger oversight
• Understand implications for their tax bills

📋 PATTERN ANALYSIS

Motion-Making Breaks Lesko Dominance

• Typical pattern: Lesko makes 90%+ of motions
• This meeting: Galvin made the sole motion
• Significance: May reflect Lesko’s absence, or a shift in fiscal responsibility to other supervisors

Continued Unanimity

• Vote was 4-0 among those present
• No dissent, no abstentions
• Even on a correction of a prior error, no supervisor expressed concern

Remote Attendance Continues

• All four attending supervisors were remote
• No in-person participation
• Technology issues delayed start

🔍 WHAT CITIZENS SHOULD WATCH

1. August 17 Original Adoption: Review the August 17, 2026 meeting records to understand what review processes were in place when the original (erroneous) levy packet was adopted.
2. Taxpayer Impact: Determine whether property owners in the six affected districts received corrected tax bills or supplemental/refund notices.
3. Quality Control: Ask what changes the School Superintendent’s Office is making to prevent similar errors in future levy cycles.
4. Lesko Absence Pattern: Monitor whether Lesko’s absence on fiscal matters becomes a trend.