PHOENIX — The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors gave an initial approval Monday to a $3.955 billion budget. But they said a dispute with the county recorder over election management could mean some small budget cuts.
The proposed budget includes a property tax cut, pay raises for Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office patrol officers and detention officers and funding for a new election tabulation center.
Board of Supervisors Chair Thomas Galvin applauded the budget’s cutting of the overall tax rate.
“And it highlights the fiscal responsibility, the good stewardship of this county, this board,” he said, adding that he is proud of cutting tax rates.
About half of the budget, which would take effect July 1, goes to public safety, with another 19.1% going to health care spending mandated by the state.
Cuts may be needed for increased election spending
The budget does not include any cuts – but that could change if the board does not strike a deal with the county recorder on elections. That’s because supervisors can’t add any spending once they approve a budget proposal, but they anticipate increased costs without a new shared services agreement.
“We would have to cut,” County Manager Jen Pokorski said. “We would have to take a look to see what other areas we would have to cut the funding for.”
At issue is who handles in-person early voting.
Shortly after taking office, County Recorder Justin Heap threw out an agreement the previous recorder had negotiated with the board last year. He has proposed moving oversight of early voting locations to his office, instead of the board.
That change will also happen without a new agreement, according to county officials. Without a deal, the recorder will handle early voting while the supervisors manage Election Day voting and emergency voting the weekend before.
Such an arrangement would require "two completely separate” systems, Assistant County Manager Zach Schira told supervisors at Monday’s meeting, including separate machines and warehouses.
“So in terms of adding machines and staff for the recorder to take on this responsibility, that would go above and beyond our current capacity,” he said.
Schira estimated the costs at between $11 million and $13 million in one-time capital costs and $1.8 million in ongoing costs, in addition to an almost $900,000 in election costs that’s budgeted every two years.
“Once you get into all of those details, it starts to add up,” he said.
Heap: Separate election systems not needed
Heap told ABC15 after the meeting that he didn’t think any duplication would be needed, saying his office would set up early-voting locations and then turn them over to the supervisors.
“The recorder's office would be responsible for running that 28 days of early voting, and then we would simply step aside and hand that off to the board,” he said.
The Board of Supervisors, Heap said, would then handle Election Day voting and the counting of votes.
“We think the clearest way to do it would be just to go back to what Arizona law says, and have the recorder responsible for early voting, have the board responsible for day of and tabulation,” he said.
State law doesn’t require the recorder and the Board of Supervisors to cut a deal. Without one, Heap will manage early in-person voting, while the board continues to oversee Election Day voting. And supervisors may need to make cuts in their budget to fund separate election systems.
Maricopa Supervisor Steve Gallardo called on Heap to negotiate a deal that works for voters.
“So the idea of us going in our separate corners is really an injust to the voters, to the citizens of Maricopa County,” he said.
Supervisors will vote on the budget June 23.
