⚖️ Pima's Top Administrator Gets $100K Raise While Workers Get Wellness Programs and Increased Premiums

🏘️ Housing Crisis by Design: When Public Servants Can't Afford to Live Where They Work 🌐 Digital Divide: How One Administrator's Raise Eclipses Indigenous Internet Access

🗣️ Key Quotes That Reveal the Real Story

• "I don't want to be a lefty nutbag wasting public funds, but this is a statement of our beliefs as a county board"

  • Supervisor Matt Heinz explaining his abstention, arguing Lesher deserved even more ($400K), inadvertently highlighting how disconnected leadership is from worker reality

• "We've been paying her 87 cents on the dollar, compared to Chuck Huckelberry"

  • Supervisor Heinz, attempting to frame a $330K salary as a gender equity issue while ignoring the broader wage inequality affecting predominantly female and minority county workers

• "I never like it when one position gets out of whack"

  • Jan Lesher herself, in a stunning display of irony given her salary is now 10x that of many county workers

• "I turned 70 this year... my goal for '25 is for some calm"

  • Lesher revealing plans for retirement just as she receives a massive pension-padding raise

• "I don't know anybody in all of the county who works harder than Jan Lesher. She's the first one there in the morning, she's here on the weekends, she's the last one out of the office"

  • Chair Grijalva justifying the raise while simultaneously approving a contract allowing three months of paid leave

• "We would have to create her in a laboratory to find somebody comparable"

  • Supervisor Scott's hyperbolic praise, ignoring countless qualified professionals from our diverse borderland community

• "For the sake of transparency and for getting information to the taxpayers who are funding this raise, what are the details?"

  • Supervisor Christy questioning the rushed process, met with Chair Grijalva's dismissive "I'm not going to do that now"

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😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾

🚨💰 The people in charge of Pima County just gave their boss a HUGE raise - more 💵 than most workers make in five years! 😮 At the same time, they're making it harder for regular workers to pay for 🩺 doctor visits and find affordable 🏡 homes. It's like having two different rules: one for people at the top 👔 and another for everyone else 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️. This matters because the money they're spending on one person's raise could have helped lots of families get better internet 🌐 access or cleaner air 🌬️ in their neighborhoods. 🏙️✨

🗝️ Takeaways

• 💸 One administrator's raise ($100K) equals 20% of the entire digital inclusion grant for Indigenous communities in rural areas

  • ⌛ 480 hours of paid leave means three months of paid leave

    • 💰 Potential $165K retirement cashout shows systemic inequality

• 🎭 Democratic supermajority prioritizes executive pay over worker welfare

  • 🏥 Workers face 4.5% healthcare increases while top executive gets six-figure raise

    • 🏠 County builds affordable housing instead of paying living wages

• 🌡️ Environmental justice reduced to monitoring without action

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🔥 Tale of Two Counties: Pima Supes’ $100K Administrator Raise Exposes Deep Inequities in ‘Progressive’ Governance

In a move that speaks volumes about who really matters in Pima County’s supposedly progressive government, the Board of Supervisors kicked off 2025 by handing their top administrator a staggering $100,000 raise while rank-and-file employees face increasing healthcare costs and uncertain futures.

This isn’t just about numbers—it’s about values, priorities, and the growing disconnect between proclaimed progressive ideals and actual governance in our borderland community.

New Leadership, Same System?

While Rex Scott’s elevation to Chair and Adelita Grijalva’s selection as Vice Chair might appear to be progressive victories, their actions in their first meeting merit scrutiny.

The choreographed committee assignments and rushed administrator contract approval suggest business as usual rather than the transparent, community-centered governance our region desperately needs.

💰 The $330,000 Question: Who Really Matters?

Let’s be crystal clear about what just happened: In a single vote, Jan Lesher’s base salary jumped to $330,000 (with over $30K in deferred compensation)—an amount that would take many county workers with advanced degrees more than five years to earn. The message couldn’t be more explicit: leadership values are worth ten times more than the lowest-paid worker values in Pima County.

The approved package includes:

• Base salary increase to $330,000 (up from $260,000)

• $31,000 in deferred compensation

• $550 monthly car allowance

• 240 hours each of sick leave and vacation time

“I never like it when one position gets out of whack,” Lesher told the Sentinel, apparently missing the irony that her new salary is wildly “out of whack” with the economic reality faced by the vast majority of county employees.

This raise isn’t just a number—it’s a statement that one hour of administrator time is worth more than a full day’s work from the people actually delivering services to our community.

The Devil’s in the Details: Lesher’s Golden Parachute

Let’s discuss what privilege really is in public service. In addition to the headline-grabbing $100,000 raise, Lesher’s contract includes a stunning 480 hours—that’s three whole months—of combined sick and vacation time.

The irony is impossible to ignore: The Board justifies Lesher’s astronomical salary increase by portraying her as indispensable to county operations. Grijalva claims, “I don’t know anybody in all of the county who works harder than Jan Lesher.” 

Yet her contract allows her to be absent for up to a quarter of the year. If the county can function with its top administrator gone for three months, perhaps we should question the narrative about her irreplaceability.

But here’s where the real inequity becomes clear—if Lesher doesn’t use this time (and given her planned retirement in two years, why would she?), she can cash out these hours, up to six months worth. At her new $330,000 salary, that’s potentially another $165,000 windfall (that’s nearly half a million!) on her way out the door.

In essence, the Board has devised a clever way to increase her pension even further, as retirement benefits are calculated based on her highest earning years.

This isn’t just about the money—it’s about a system that creates two classes of public servants. While front-line workers face strict scrutiny over every sick day and vacation request, top administrators receive generous leave packages they can convert to cash. While rank-and-file employees struggle to build up enough leave time for family emergencies, executives bank hours for golden parachutes.

🎭 The Progressive Facade Cracks

While Supervisor Matt Heinz’s abstention was accompanied by righteous words about gender pay equity, the deeper question remains unasked: Why is any public servant worth over $360,000 while county residents face potential library closures, increased healthcare premiums, and front-line staff struggle to afford homes in the community they serve?

The timing is particularly telling.

Lesher plans to retire in two years, so this massive raise will conveniently pad her pension calculations just before departure. It’s a classic example of how the system is rigged to benefit those at the top while workers at the bottom are told to be grateful for wellness program discounts on their increasing healthcare costs.

🏥 The Healthcare Shell Game

Speaking of healthcare, let’s examine the supposed “win” for the county: a $12.48 per pay period reduction in premiums—but only if they participate in wellness programs.

Meanwhile, those who don’t participate face an approximate 4.5% increase. This isn’t progressive policy—it’s the continuation of a system that burdens workers with rising healthcare costs while executives receive six-figure raises.

🏘️ The Housing Irony

Perhaps the most bitter irony was that Desert Dove Apartments’ affordable housing funding was approved in the same meeting.

We need affordable housing in Pima County because county workers—the people who deliver services to our community—can not afford to live here on their current salaries.

The board’s solution?

Build subsidized housing rather than pay living wages.

🎯 A Progressive Path Forward?

True progressive governance would start by addressing the fundamental inequality in our compensation system. Instead of a $100,000 raise for one administrator, imagine:

• Living wage increases for all county workers

• Full healthcare coverage without wellness program hoops

• Housing allowances for public servants

• Real pension reform that benefits all workers, not just top executives

💻 Digital Inclusion: Too Little, Too Late

The $487,733 federal grant for digital inclusion barely scratches the surface of our region’s deep digital divide. While any investment in connectivity is welcome, this amount—less than Lesher’s total potential raise and benefits package—demonstrates misplaced priorities.

Our indigenous communities and rural residents have waited years for meaningful internet access while the county’s top brass receives six-figure raises.

🏘️ Desert Dove Apartments: Band-Aid on a Bullet Wound

Yes, the $1M funding for affordable housing is needed, but let’s be honest—we’re building subsidized housing because we refuse to pay living wages to our public servants.

Real estate developers get richer while workers remain trapped in a cycle of rental dependency. True progressive policy would focus on both affordable housing and wage justice.

🌱 EPA Grant: Environmental Justice or Paperwork Exercise?

The $662,489 EPA grant for air quality monitoring sounds impressive until you realize what it doesn’t do—actually reduce pollution in our most impacted communities.

While Supervisor Christy opposed even this basic monitoring, progressives should demand more than just measuring the problem.

Where’s the action plan for actually addressing environmental racism in our industrial corridors?

🚗 RTA Drama: Transit Justice Takes a Back Seat

The heated discussion around PAG/RTA representation exposed the board’s priorities.

While they argued over who gets the prestigious appointment, fundamental questions about transit equity and sustainable transportation remain unaddressed.

Our working-class communities need reliable public transit more than they need political positioning.

📊 Vote Breakdown: The 4-1 Pattern

The consistent 4-1 voting pattern, with Supervisor Christy in opposition, might look like progressive victory.

But when those votes prioritize executive compensation over worker welfare and symbolic gestures over structural change, we need to question what “progressive” really means in Pima County politics.

💰 Fiscal Impact: Following the Money

Let’s put these decisions in perspective:

• Administrator raise: $100,000+

• Digital inclusion grant: $487,733

• Desert Dove funding: $1,000,000

• EPA monitoring: $662,489

When one person’s raise equals 20% of a federal grant meant to serve thousands, we have a problem with priorities.

⚖️ Social Justice Analysis

The real story of this meeting isn’t about partisan divisions—it’s about class solidarity among political elites. Whether Democrat or Republican, the leadership class takes care of its own while workers get wellness programs instead of living wages, air quality monitoring instead of pollution reduction, and affordable housing instead of housing affordability.

Our community deserves genuine progressive leadership that:

• Prioritizes worker compensation over executive enrichment

• Addresses root causes of inequality, not just symptoms

• Centers Indigenous voices in environmental decisions

• Makes public transit accessible and reliable

• Creates pathways to homeownership, not just rental assistance

Until then, we’re watching political theater masquerading as progress.

The Bottom Line

When the Board of Supervisors approved this massive raise while workers faced uncertain futures, they revealed their true priorities. It’s not about gender equity or fair compensation—it’s about maintaining a system where those at the top continue to accumulate wealth while workers struggle to make ends meet.

This isn’t progressive governance—it’s business as usual with a progressive veneer. Our community deserves better.

Complete Vote Tracking

Unanimous Approvals (5-0):

1. Committee Appointments:

   • Supervisor Allen to Arizona Border Counties Coalition

   • Supervisor Scott to County Supervisors Association

   • Supervisor Scott to Sun Corridor Inc.

   • Supervisor Grijalva to Visit Tucson

   • Supervisor Scott to Metropolitan Education Commission

   • Supervisor Allen to Board of Health

2. Administrative Items:

   • Employee Medical Insurance changes for FY 2025/26

   • Quarterly Report on Collections

   • Renaming of Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission

   • River Road right-of-way designation

   • Flowing Wells Irrigation District certification

Split Votes (4-1):

1. PAG/RTA Representation:

   • Motion to appoint Chair Grijalva

   • Supervisor Christy opposing

   • Quote from Scott defending rotation: “We’re all on an equal plane as supervisors. We’re not mayors.”

2. Desert Dove Apartments:

   • $1M funding approval

   • Supervisor Christy opposing

   • Clear example of affordable housing prioritization

3. Digital Inclusion Grant:

   • $487,733 federal funding

   • Supervisor Christy opposing

   • Critical infrastructure for marginalized communities

4. Mission Garden Funding:

   • $100,000 for cultural preservation

   • Supervisor Christy opposing

   • Significant for Indigenous cultural preservation

3-1-1 Vote:

• County Administrator Employment Contract

  • Approved with Supervisor Christy opposing and Supervisor Heinz abstaining

📊 Vote Analysis

The consistent 4-1 split on major spending initiatives, with Supervisor Christy in opposition, reflects the ongoing tension between progressive investments and fiscal conservatism.

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