Day 100 with no Nancy Guthrie found.
Nanos faces removal Tuesday.
TUSD votes on $800M budget.
PCC approves a Project Blue gift deal.
Read before the meetings.
🌵 Three Sonorans Government Watchdog
Day 100 and Counting: Tucson’s Week of Reckoning
Three governing bodies. Three budget crises. One missing abuela. And a sheriff who’s running out of excuses.
by Three Sonorans
Today is Day 100.
One hundred days since Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC’s Today anchor Savannah Guthrie, was abducted from her Catalina Foothills home in the dead of night.
She has not been found.
No suspect has been charged.
Savannah Guthrie posted a Mother’s Day tribute this weekend, and across the country, people are watching a clock that just won’t stop. Tomorrow, the Pima County Board of Supervisors meets, with the man responsible for finding her mother squarely in their crosshairs.
Before we dive deep, here’s the three-minute version of what you need to know about this week’s local government meetings, because democracy doesn’t take a day off, even when it’s doing a terrible job.
📋 The Fast Recap: Three Things, Three Bodies
👮🏻♂️ Pima BOS (Tuesday, May 12): Will Sheriff Nanos still have a job by Wednesday?
The five-member Board of Supervisors, two of them publicly and bipartisanly, have said they will file a motion to vacate the sheriff’s office if Nanos doesn’t resign before tomorrow’s meeting.
Nanos lied (allegedly) about his suspension history, allegedly bungled the Guthrie investigation by keeping the FBI waiting for four days, sent DNA to a lab in Florida instead of Quantico, and then skipped his own accountability hearing last month. The Board’s lawyers are in the war room; his deputies already voted no confidence.
Even Fox News says his days are numbered.
Come for the government procedure, stay for the drama.
🏫 TUSD (Tuesday, May 12): An $800 million budget and a school district asking: what do we close?
Tucson Unified is voting on a $799.6 million budget revision while quietly beginning a seven-month process that could shutter schools across the city for the second time in 15 years.
Also on the table: $815,000 to absorb students from the closing Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind into “cluster sites” that disability advocates are already raising alarms about.
It’s a meeting full of big numbers and bigger consequences, as communities whose needs keep growing watch the money keep shrinking.
🎓 PCC (Wednesday, May 13): A community college in a border city, fighting Trump’s education cuts in court.
Pima Community College lost $5.9 million in federal grants — TRIO Upward Bound programs and Hispanic Serving Institution funding — all killed by the Trump administration, citing PCC’s DEI policies.
PCC sued. A federal court ordered reconsideration.
Not restoration. Reconsideration.
Now the college’s Governing Board meets to approve a budget built on a shrinking foundation, give adjunct faculty a raise while quietly cutting $1 million in other personnel, and strategize, behind closed doors, about how to survive a federal government that seems to regard an open-admissions college in a Latino border county as the enemy.
And buried in the consent agenda? A private “gift” agreement from the same developer behind Project Blue, brought to you by a law firm whose partner is married to PCC’s own staff attorney. But we’ll get to that.
Now, let’s go deeper, compañeros.
🔫 Pima BOS: El Sheriff’s Day of Reckoning
Tuesday, May 12 | 1:00 p.m. Study Session + 5:00 p.m. Regular Meeting | 130 W. Congress
In the early morning hours of February 1, 2026, Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her Catalina Foothills home.
Her pacemaker disconnected from her phone at 2:28 a.m.
Her family called 911 at noon the next day.
A $1 million reward has been offered.
Bones discovered nearby were ruled unrelated last week.
As of this morning, she is still missing.
Into that wound, FBI Director Kash Patel poured salt publicly last week, blasting Nanos on a national podcast for keeping the FBI out of the Guthrie investigation for four critical days.
Patel said the bureau had hundreds of agents ready to move and offered to rush DNA directly to Quantico. Instead, Nanos reportedly sent it to a private lab in Florida.
The New York Times called the public clash “a striking example of open conflict” between the two.
Nanos fired back, insisting the FBI was involved from day one.
The public, after 100 days with no resolution, is not convinced.
The Sheriff’s Other Problems
The Guthrie case is the flame, but Nanos has been leaking fuel for months.
A Pima County Human Resources report found he “used his authority and department resources for political gain.” During a 2024 civil lawsuit deposition, he testified “no” when asked if he’d ever been suspended.
CBS News then obtained records showing he was suspended eight times as an El Paso police officer for unnecessary force and tardiness. His attorney’s defense: he misunderstood the question and thought it only referred to his Pima County tenure.
Sure, boss.
On April 7, the Board voted unanimously to invoke A.R.S. §11-253, a territorial-era statute requiring county officers to submit a sworn report or face removal. Nanos filed a 22-page response through his attorney on April 21, but Supervisor
Supervisor Matt Heinz said it was “riddled with significant deficiencies” and wasn’t even properly sworn under oath as required. Then, for the April 28 follow-up hearing, Nanos didn’t show up at all; instead, they sent a lawyer and a letter.
His own deputies’ union passed a unanimous no-confidence vote in March, with rank-and-file officers describing his leadership as an “untenable situation.”
What to Watch for Tuesday
At 1:00 p.m. (Study Session), the Board goes into executive session with outside counsel to map out “potential actions related to the conduct of the Pima County Sheriff.”
That is lawyer-speak for: we are deciding whether to fire him today.
At 5:00 p.m. (Item 25), the Board publicly discusses, takes direction on, and potentially acts on Nanos’ report. Supervisors Heinz (Democrat) and Christy (Republican), a rare bipartisan duo, have both publicly committed to filing a motion to vacate if Nanos doesn’t resign first.
Supervisor Christy put it plainly: “If he doesn’t resign or retire honorably before the board meeting this week, I will support any efforts the Board of Supervisors vacate the office.”
Heinz went further, saying the Board should, at a minimum, pass a resolution of no confidence and refer the matter for prosecution. Nanos has called the pressure “white noise.” He is nothing if not committed to the bit.
The Tucson Agenda reports Nanos’ legal team is calling the Board’s §11-253 inquiry an “unlimited inquisition,” which is colorful language signaling the sheriff intends to fight removal in court if it comes to that.
This meeting will be watched from Washington to New York; Fox News, the New York Times, CBS, and Newsweek are all in the mix.
A pesar de todo — in spite of everything — Nancy Guthrie’s family is still waiting. And so is Tucson.
🗓️ Also on the BOS Plate
Don’t let the sheriff drama swallow everything else:
County Administrator Hiring Process (Item 20): The Board publicly sorts out how to fill this seat, quietly one of the most powerful positions in county government. Who gets this job shapes everything.
Governor Raúl H. Castro Memorial Highway (Item 22): A resolution to name portions of Arizona’s highway system after Tucson’s legendary Chicano governor. One of los nuestros deserves every sign on every road.
Hope, Healing & Solutions Month for MMIP (Item 9): A proclamation for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, presented alongside the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council and Tucson Indian Center, on the same day a missing abuela hits Day 100. The symbolism is not lost on us.
Period Poverty Awareness Week (Item 8): Partners include the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, TUSD Native American Services, and the YWCA. Bodies matter. Dignity matters.
RTA Special Election After-Action (Item 19): A review of what worked and what didn’t with the RTA vote, the new voting system, and the “Votemobile.” With the 2026 elections approaching, this matters more than it might seem.
FY 2024–25 Audit Results (Item 31, 6:00 p.m.): The Auditor General’s financial report drops at a time certain. Numbers don’t lie. Even when politicians do.
Wildfire Fuels Reduction (Item 29): $125,000 for wildfire education as the desert gets drier by the year. In June, this will feel urgent. It already is.
Article continued below:
🏫 TUSD: The District That Keeps Closing Things
Tuesday, May 12 | 4:30 p.m. Executive Session + 5:30 p.m. Public Meeting | Duffy Community Center, 5145 E. Fifth St.
TUSD is running a nearly $800 million budget and somehow still staring down a structural cliff. Enrollment has been declining, down roughly 3.3% and approaching 35,000 students across 88 schools, while the costs of serving higher-need kids keep climbing.
The district formally began a seven-month school consolidation process in April, with public closure proposals expected by August and a board vote in December. The campuses reportedly back in the conversation include some closed in 2012 and never truly recovered: Cragin, Manzo, and Sewell.
Tuesday’s vote on Budget Revision #3 ($799,599,608) sets the fiscal framework for those coming decisions.
The ASDB Transition: Disability Justice on the Line (Item 9.1)
This is the most morally urgent item on the TUSD agenda.
The Board will vote on $815,000, split as $515,222 for staffing and $300,000 for assistive technology and renovations, to absorb students from the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind, whose historic Tucson campus at 1200 W. Speedway is closing after more than 100 years.
Disability Rights Arizona has raised sharp alarms about the “cluster site” model that blind and visually impaired students will now enter in public schools. TUSD is stepping up, but $815,000 doesn’t automatically mean equity for students whose entire educational lives were built around specialized environments.
Expect disability advocates, Deaf community members, and parents at the Call to the Audience. Hopefully, TUSD will provide the ASL interpreter this time, which they failed at last time.
Seven Labor Agreements Behind Closed Doors (Item 1.5)
AFSCME, CWA, and the Tucson Education Association are negotiating seven separate agreements covering everything from substitute teachers to food service workers for 2026–27 and 2026–28 in executive session.
These MOUs cover the 2026–27 and 2026–28 periods, meaning the outcomes will shape wages and working conditions for hundreds of district employees as the district faces a budget contraction.
The public deserves to know what those deals look like before the rug gets pulled.
Interim Principals Everywhere (Items 8.5–8.8)
Four schools are heading into the final stretch of the school year with interim principals: Catalina High, Utterback Middle, Hollinger K-8, and Collier K-6.
That’s a lot of instability during a period of fiscal stress. “Interim” is bureaucratic language for “we’ll figure it out later,” and the kids at these schools, many of them in high-need communities, deserve better than later.
Other Items Worth Your Eyes
A Confidential $5,000 Settlement (Item 6.13): A staff member resigns, and a prior Statement of Charges is withdrawn, with no public explanation. In a district with an $800 million budget and a superintendent already under fire for dismissive behavior toward community members, a confidential settlement is the institutional equivalent of a swept rug that still has the lumps.
AI in Education, First Read (Item 9.2): TUSD proposes expanding AI tools to grades 6–12. It goes to public comment for 30 days. The robot is already in the classroom, compañeros. Now they’re just filling out the paperwork.
Oscar Romero Ballpark Expansion (Item 6.12): Coach Oscar Romero’s family is requesting the renaming of the entire Cherry Field complex, not just the baseball fields, to honor 40-plus years and 488 wins at Tucson High. This one gets applause, not controversy. Dale, coach.
Catalina High Weatherization, $1.35M (Item 6.7): Over a million in capital investment at a school getting an interim principal at the same meeting. Capital investment in a school without stable leadership is a pattern worth watching.
Removal of Audit Committee Member (Item 6.14): Buried in the consent agenda is a motion to remove John Blackshire from the Audit Committee, with no public justification provided. In a nearly $800 million district, who sits on the audit committee matters. A lot.
🎓 PCC: A College Fighting for Its Soul
Wednesday, May 13 | 3:00 p.m. Executive Session + 5:30 p.m. Regular Meeting | District Office, C-105, 4905 E. Broadway
Pima Community College is an open-admissions, Hispanic-Serving Institution in a border county, which apparently makes it a target.
The Trump administration killed 5 of PCC’s 10 TRIO grants in 2025, all of which were Upward Bound programs for high school students, with proven 47% higher degree completion rates. The Department of Education cited PCC’s DEI policies and “racial justice workshops” as justification.
KJZZ first broke that story in October 2025. PCC also lost $2.7 million in HSI grants as part of a $350 million national wipeout of Hispanic Serving Institution funding, part of which Three Sonorans documented in depth.
Arizona alone lost at least $13 million across its colleges and universities. PCC sued the U.S. Department of Education for $6 million, and in January 2026, a federal court ordered reconsideration of some canceled grants. Not restoration. Reconsideration. A partial win is still a fight you’re still in.
Before the Public Even Gets in the Door
The Board’s 3:00 p.m. executive session is where the real strategy happens: legal advice on how to survive Trump’s executive orders, updates on the TRIO and HSI litigation, two pending Office of Civil Rights cases, and Arizona House Bill 2876, which could affect how much the public ever gets to know about what happens in future executive sessions.
PCC’s Chancellor has already issued guidance to students and employees on immigration enforcement on campus.
This is a college preparing for a siege.
The Budget: Raises With One Hand, Cuts With the Other (Items 5.4–5.6)
The Board will vote on $47.5 million in capital projects for FY2027, and a salary package that sounds good on paper: a 3% raise for adjunct faculty (to $1,061–$1,114/load hour), a minimum 2.5% step increase for regular staff, and a $2/hr bump in supplemental faculty pay.
But read the fine print in Item 5.5: $1 million in personnel costs will be cut via attrition. That’s the Uno Reverse Card of compensation packages — give with one hand, quietly don’t refill with the other.
Which positions?
Which programs?
Which first-gen students lose a resource they were counting on?
Those questions deserve answers before the vote.
The FY2027 budget will be published in The Daily Territorial on May 21 and June 1, with a public hearing and final adoption on June 10, when property tax rates are also set.
Mark that date, Pima County taxpayers.
⚠️ WATCHDOG ALERT: Follow the Beale Money (Item 5.3)
This is the sleeper story inside the PCC story, and it deserves your full attention.
On Wednesday, the PCC Governing Board will vote on a five-year restricted gift agreement with Beale Infrastructure Group, LLC to fund workforce programs in IT, cybersecurity, electrical, and skilled trades.
Beale Infrastructure is the developer behind Project Blue, the massive proposed data center complex near the Pima County Fairgrounds that Three Sonorans has covered extensively.
The same Beale that promised Pima County $15 million in community investments, including a $5 million STEM scholarship fund, when the land deal was under fire, commitments Pima County supervisors noted came with no signed agreements and no enforcement mechanism. The Arizona Luminaria reported those promises offered “more publicity than protection.”
Now here is where it gets interesting.
The land-use law firm that designed the zoning framework for Project Blue, represented Beale before Pima County, and then carried those same applications to Marana — where the Town Council voted 6-0 to rezone 661 acres for a data center — is Lazarus & Silvyn, PC.
Its founding partner is Keri Silvyn, a top figure in the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC), the private power-broker network whose fingerprints are on most major development decisions in this region. Protests have already been held outside Lazarus & Silvyn’s offices.
Keri Silvyn’s husband is Jeff Silvyn, PCC’s staff attorney.
As Three Sonorans documented in our Project Blue Christmas series, at least four current PCC leaders — from the Chancellor and Provost to Board members — are SALC members.
Beale won Pima County.
Beale won Marana.
Now Beale wants a five-year agreement with PCC, whose own attorney is married to Beale’s architect and lobbyist. When your college’s lawyer’s wife is the architect of the deal your college just approved — that’s not a conflict of interest, that’s a family reunion.
This isn’t a conspiracy theory.
It’s an org chart.
The Board should be asked: Who negotiated this agreement on PCC’s behalf? Was Jeff Silvyn recused? What does “restricted” mean for program autonomy, and what does Beale get in return for this “gift”?
Private money filling the gaps left by gutted federal grants isn’t inherently evil, but it comes with strings. Ask about the strings.
The UA and ASU took money from Epstein, as did Noam Chomsky. If any PCC board member chooses to be permanently associated with Project Blue, especially when future history books record the ecological collapse and credits loyal SALColytes for pushing it through, that decision is on them.
But as a college, they should know to do their homework first.
The 2026–2030 Strategic Plan (Item 5.2)
The Board will formally adopt its five-year strategic priorities roadmap.
It means nothing if the federal government continues to gut the grants that make those priorities possible — and if private infrastructure money is quietly reshaping the college’s curriculum and workforce pipeline without public scrutiny.
🌊 The River Running Under All of It
All three bodies are navigating the same storm from different angles: federal hostility to equity programs, declining local revenue, and communities whose needs keep growing while the money keeps shrinking.
The BOS is this week’s explosive headline, watched nationally from Fox News to the New York Times. But don’t let that fire drown out the quieter burns at TUSD and PCC, where decisions made this week will shape Tucson’s educational and civic landscape for years.
Streams & Logistics:
🔴 BOS: Live at pima.granicus.com or on PimaCountyArizona YouTube, starting 1:00 p.m. Tuesday
🔴 TUSD: Public meeting 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Duffy Community Center; comment forms due by noon to governingboard@tusd1.org
🔴 PCC: Public comment opens 5:30 p.m. Wednesday; pre-register by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday at pcc-boardstaff@pima.edu
Show up. Speak up. Make them answer for every single decision made in your name, y que no se les olvide que los estamos mirando. 👁️
Three Sonorans is an independent Substack born in Tucson, raised in the borderlands, and answering to nobody but the community. We cover the meetings the powerful wish were boring, the deals they hope you’ll never connect, and the people who get forgotten when the budget lines get trimmed. We followed Project Blue from the barrio to the data center to the boardroom — and now, apparently, into the community college. If this week’s watchdog report lit something up for you, share it. That’s how the signal gets through when the powers that be would rather keep you watching something else.
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