Pima County Crisis: $150M in Cuts Threaten Services While 94% of Homeless Denied Housing
Health services, housing assistance, and workforce development at risk under new presidential orders
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
The Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting 🏛️ showed how government decisions 🏗️ directly affect people's lives 💔, even though most people don't pay attention to these meetings 📅. Officials discussed 💬 $150 million 💰 in funding that might be cut by the federal government 🇺🇸, which would hurt programs that help with housing 🏠, health care 🏥, and jobs 💼. The most shocking information 😱 showed that out of 7,689 homeless people who asked for housing help 🙏, only 535 actually got housing 🏡. A woman named Christina Clifford shared how her husband was murdered 💔 on Christmas Eve 🎄 after trying to help strangers 🚨, which showed how dangerous 😨 it is to live in remote areas 🌲 where emergency help 🚑 can take up to 16 hours ⏳ to arrive. While officials made speeches 📢 and voted 🗳️ on policies, real people's safety, homes, and well-being hung in the balance ⚖️.
🗝️ Takeaways
🔍 The homelessness response system failed 94% of people seeking housing assistance, with only 535 out of 7,689 applicants actually receiving housing
💸 Approximately $150 million in county funding is at risk due to federal executive orders, threatening essential services for the most vulnerable residents
🚔 Sheriff's Department budget requests faced unprecedented scrutiny after evidence of mismanagement, excessive overtime, and internal complaints surfaced
🚑 Remote areas of Pima County face emergency response times of up to 16 hours, with one resident murdered after helping stranded motorists
🔥 Climate concerns are increasingly affecting county policies, with drought conditions prompting stricter fireworks regulations despite business opposition
🏫 Early childhood education programs demonstrated significant positive impacts on development, with parents providing powerful testimony about kindergarten readiness
Inside the Pima County Board of Supervisors Meeting
In a meeting that stretched for hours on March 4, 2025 (the video of the meeting above is over 7 hours), the Pima County Board of Supervisors demonstrated once again how routine governance intersects with profound questions of resource allocation, public safety, and community priorities. Today's session revealed the stark contrasts between bureaucratic procedures and the lived realities of community members—from homelessness to fireworks regulations, from budget uncertainties to public safety in remote areas.
The Players: Who Holds Power in the Room
The Pima County Board of Supervisors consists of five elected representatives:
Rex Scott (Chair, District 1): A former school principal who manages meetings with procedural precision
Adelita S. Grijalva (Vice Chair, District 5): Advocate for community services and youth programs
Dr. Matt Heinz (Member, District 2): Physician who raised pointed questions about fiscal accountability
Jennifer Allen (Member, District 3): Newest member, representing rural areas with a focus on environmental concerns
Steve Christy (Member, District 4): Consistently conservative voice, often the lone dissenting vote
Key administrative figures:
Jan Lesher (County Administrator): Recently named alumna of the year by UA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, former Chief of Staff for DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano
Melissa Manriquez (Clerk of the Board): Manages administrative aspects of meetings
Samuel Brown (County Attorney representative): Provides legal guidance
The Ceremony of Governance: Opening Rituals
The meeting opened with the familiar ritual of the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Nick Weigel, Public Works Manager from the Pima Department of Environmental Quality, who briefly described his team's work responding to building, zoning, and solid waste complaints.
Perhaps more significant was the land acknowledgment statement, offered by Jacqueline Ortiz from Justice Services, recognizing "the ancestral homeland of the Tohono O’odham Nation and the multi-millennial presence of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe within Pima County."
This acknowledgment—while important—stands in stark contrast to the ongoing struggles for indigenous sovereignty and remains a symbolic gesture within a governance structure built upon colonial foundations.
Honoring and Recognition: The Politics of Celebration
The meeting included several celebratory moments that revealed whose contributions the county chooses to honor:
Supervisor Christy highlighted A-plus School of Excellence awards for Andrada Polytechnic High School and Mica Mountain High School in the Vail School District
Chair Scott announced Administrator Lesher's recognition as Alumna of the Year by the UA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
A proclamation designated March as "Procurement Month" and March 12 as "Procurement Professionals Day"
A powerful proclamation recognized March as "César Chávez and Dolores Huerta Month" in Pima County
The Chávez/Huerta proclamation was particularly moving, with speakers honoring these labor leaders' commitment to nonviolent protest and worker rights. Eva Carrillo Dong from the Arizona César Chávez and Dolores Huerta Holiday Coalition noted that at 94, "Dolores Huerta is still working to make this a better world." Another speaker highlighted Huerta's role as "a powerhouse of a woman who, for her life, embodied what it means to be a strong woman in the labor movement."
Community Voices: Call to the Public
The call to the public featured several speakers raising serious concerns:
Luke McKee (calling from Vietnam) claimed he was being "hunted down" by a county detective after making a critical phone call to the County Attorney's Office HR Division. His comments included disturbing antisemitic content that went unchallenged by the Board.
Jason Pretty (a resident near Marana) spoke about serious issues with the Blanca Wash area, where illegal dumping, drug activity, and reckless off-road vehicle use have created health and safety concerns. He cited dust pollution worsening air quality and increasing the risk of valley fever. "The dust pollution worsens air quality, contributes to respiratory issues, and increases the risk of valley fever, a known concern for our region," Pretty emphasized.
Ken Den Victor questioned the Board about a previous rejection of fireworks permits, seeking clarity on the decision-making process.
Robert Royce delivered a reading from Thomas Jefferson on financial responsibility in government, highlighting the need to avoid excessive taxation.
Kayla Schupe and Corinne Cooper both spoke passionately about the Pima County Early Education Program and Scholarships (PEEPs), describing its profound impact on children's development and kindergarten readiness.
Dave Smith urged supervisors to focus on "mundane but essential" county matters like road maintenance and law enforcement, particularly in light of federal funding uncertainties.
Federal Funding Uncertainties: The Shadow of Federal Politics
One of the most consequential presentations came from the county's intergovernmental relations team, who outlined how presidential executive orders might impact county funding. The presentation revealed approximately $150 million in potentially affected county grants across 20 departments, with the Health Department and Community Workforce Development among the most vulnerable.
The situation is dire: Of the $150 million at risk, $94 million comes from programs like the American Rescue Plan Act, Emergency Rental Assistance, Emergency Food and Shelter Programming, and FEMA shelter services. The remaining $56 million represents discretionary grants for essential public health services, housing, workforce, and economic support.
The presentation exposed how federal political whims can devastate local communities that depend on these services. As the continuing resolution funding the federal government expires on March 14, the uncertainty grows.
Perhaps most alarming was the potential impact on Arizona's healthcare cost containment system (Medicaid), which serves 2 million Arizonans, including 300,000 in Pima County. The population most at risk includes adults within 138% of the federal poverty limit and childless adults—highlighting how the most vulnerable remain political pawns.
Budget Tensions: The Politics of Resource Allocation
The discussion of supplemental budget requests revealed tensions over resource allocation in times of uncertainty. The board reviewed over $41 million in potential budget supplements categorized by priorities:
Countywide organizational needs ($23.7 million)
Maintaining existing resources and assets ($19.6 million)
Expanding existing programs ($9.1 million)
New services or programs (not recommended for funding)
The presentation laid bare the hard choices facing the county, including:
Employee compensation (15.7 million for raises)
General fund contingency ($5 million)
Essential services like the Early Education EELS program ($3 million)
Public defense services ($3 million)
Sheriff's Department operations ($2.7 million)
Dr. Heinz raised pointed questions about Sheriff's Department funding, citing evidence of mismanagement, excessive overtime, and staff complaints about budget claims. He questioned why the department should receive additional funds given ongoing issues with fiscal management and internal policies.
The Board ultimately approved a motion to "direct the county administrator to continue the budget development process" rather than making specific decisions on supplemental requests.
Homelessness Crisis: Revealing Data and System Failures
Perhaps the most damning data came during a presentation on homelessness, which exposed catastrophic system failures. Of 7,689 individuals who completed coordinated entry assessments for housing and homeless services in FY 2023:
Only 1,069 (13%) met the "community established prioritization" criteria
Of those, only 535 (6% of the total) were actually served in a housing program
These statistics reveal a system fundamentally failing to address homelessness despite millions in funding. As Chair Scott noted, "The inefficiencies that are apparent in this data means that we're not meeting the needs of this population."
The presentation also highlighted increases in adults experiencing chronic homelessness and those with mental health illness or substance abuse disorders, complicating successful returns to housing stability.
The county's Loop patrol program, which cost nearly $100,000 over six months, has primarily focused on moving homeless individuals from the Loop area rather than providing meaningful services. The report noted that security guards encountered over 6,200 people in six months, with about 4,300 appearing to experience homelessness or engage in "criminal activity." This approach appears to simply displace vulnerable populations without addressing underlying needs.
Remote Area Safety: Tragedy Prompts Action
In one of the meeting's most emotional moments, Christina Clifford shared the heartbreaking story of her husband Paul's murder on Christmas Eve in the remote northeastern corner of Pima County. After being awakened to help stranded strangers near their home, Paul was murdered, and his body was left burning by the roadside.
"This senseless act of evil has exposed a critical vulnerability, the lack of adequate public safety resources in our remote areas of Pima County," Clifford testified. She described emergency response times of up to 16 hours and nonexistent cell coverage, leaving residents vulnerable.
"We don't feel safe," she said, describing how the tragedy "has forever changed" how residents will respond to strangers.
The Board unanimously directed the County Administrator to develop a comprehensive Remote Area Public Safety Plan within 90 days, exploring additional tools to enhance safety in underserved areas.
Fireworks Regulations: Public Safety vs. Business Interests
A heated discussion ensued over proposed changes to fireworks regulations, with Chair Scott proposing amendments to the county code to impose stricter drought-related restrictions and notification requirements for public fireworks displays.
While Scott framed the changes as "proactive and preventive," business representatives argued they were excessive. Fireworks company owner Kerry Welty claimed the regulations would cost his business over $30,000 annually and said he would no longer conduct shows at La Paloma following a wildfire incident there.
The Board ultimately directed Administrator Lesher to meet with fireworks industry representatives to seek compromise, though Scott insisted there should be "no compromise" on the 10 mph wind speed restriction.
Voting Record: Power Dynamics in Action
The meeting's voting patterns revealed consistent power dynamics, with Supervisor Christy often standing alone in opposition to grant funding:
Conclusion: Behind the Procedures, Real Lives Hang in Balance
Today's meeting illustrated how real human lives hang in the balance behind every budget line item, every administrative procedure, and every policy discussion. From Christina Clifford's tragic loss to the thousands of unhoused individuals unable to access services, from early childhood program participants to residents of remote communities, the consequences of governance extend far beyond the boardroom.
As federal funding cuts loom and critical decisions about resource allocation await, the true measure of the Board's effectiveness will not be its procedural efficiency but its responsiveness to the community's most vulnerable members. Today's meeting showed both progress and persistent gaps in that moral responsibility.
This article was produced by El Tres Sonorans, a progressive Indigenous Chicano publication committed to exposing systemic inequities and advocating for social justice in our community. We believe in using data, history, and firsthand accounts to hold power accountable.
Quotes
"This senseless act of evil has exposed a critical vulnerability, the lack of adequate public safety resources in our remote areas of Pima County." — Christina Clifford, widow whose husband was murdered after helping stranded motorists
"The inefficiencies that are apparent in this data means that we're not meeting the needs of this population." — Chair Rex Scott on data showing only 6% of homeless individuals seeking services received housing assistance
"We don't feel safe... several residents have told me this has forever changed them, how they live their daily lives, and how they will respond to strangers in the future." — Christina Clifford on the impact of her husband's murder on the remote Reddington community
"Dolores Huerta is still working to make this a better world." — Eva Carrillo Dong, Arizona César Chávez and Dolores Huerta Holiday Coalition
"The dust pollution worsens air quality, contributes to respiratory issues, and increases the risk of valley fever, a known concern for our region." — Jason Pretty on environmental impacts of illegal activities in the Blanca Wash area
"If this county wanted to be brave like the city of New York in their safe bridge program... your police dollars would be better spent are swabbing the rabbi's mouth for baby penis blood." — Luke McKee, making antisemitic comments during call to the public that went unchallenged
"I'll lose $30,000 or whatever, but I want to be able to save the other ones..." — Kerry Welty, fireworks business owner, on his decision to stop La Paloma shows after wildfire incidents
People Mentioned and Notable Quotes
Rex Scott (Board Chair, District 1): Former school principal who noted "the inefficiencies that are apparent in this data means that we're not meeting the needs of this population" regarding homelessness services
Adelita S. Grijalva (Vice Chair, District 5): Said about fireworks, "I've lived in the center of town by Sentinel Peak my whole life. And so, we sort of would pivot around in the back yard on who, where the fireworks are coming from next so we wouldn't have to drive all over the place."
Dr. Matt Heinz (Supervisor, District 2): Physician who questioned Sheriff's Department funding requests, noting concerns about staff complaints and financial mismanagement
Jennifer Allen (Supervisor, District 3): Pointed out "people in District 3 are extremely concerned for drought at the level that we're at" while advocating for scientific data in decision-making
Steve Christy (Supervisor, District 4): Conservative member who consistently voted against grant funding for vulnerable populations
Jan Lesher (County Administrator): Recently recognized as alumna of the year by UA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, former Chief of Staff for DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano
Christina Clifford: Widow whose husband was murdered on Christmas Eve, testified "We don't feel safe" and described emergency response times of up to 16 hours in remote areas
Eva Carrillo Dong (Arizona César Chávez and Dolores Huerta Holiday Coalition): Said "Dolores Huerta is still working to make this a better world" at age 94
Jacqueline Ortiz (Administrative Specialist, Justice Services): Delivered land acknowledgment recognizing Tohono O'odham and Pascua Yaqui territories
Jason Pretty (Resident near Marana): Described environmental hazards in Blanca Wash area, noting "the dust pollution worsens air quality, contributes to respiratory issues, and increases the risk of valley fever"
Kerry Welty (Fireworks business owner): Claimed new regulations would cost his business $30,000 annually
Kayla Schupe and Corinne Cooper: Parents who testified about positive impacts of early childhood education programs
Dave Smith: Urged supervisors to focus on "mundane but essential" county matters like road maintenance
Luke McKee: Made antisemitic comments during call to the public that went unchallenged by the Board
