Pima Supes to review jobs, pay of constables; Nonprofits to get funding | The Tucson Agenda

I spent 10 years covering the Pima County Board of Supervisors as a daily news reporter and never once had to devote any speck of energy toward considering the term “constable.”

The only thought I really gave them was to ask “Why the hell are we electing them? How is it that they make twice as much money as me?” (Answering the last, I was a journalist. Costco checkout clerks made more than me. With less experience.)

Well, for the last five years or so, the position has found itself newsworthy for reasons good, bad and tragic. The office saw its ranks dwindle to seriously low numbers. County Administrator Jan Lesher sought to gain some control over the elected positions, with the threat of a pay cut. This week, the Board of Supervisors will review a general outline of what the job of constable is, how it ought to be performed and look at solidifying the pay.

Constables handle court documents and each serves a Pima County Justice Court precinct. Need a court order served? Find a constable. They are most commonly known as the people who serve notices of eviction at apartments when tenants are ordered to leave by the court.

It was the beloved (by some) Constable Kristen Randall who first really made headlines for finding all sorts of good trouble during the pandemic.

She flat refused to just evict people during this social, medical and economic crisis, without pointing them to resources. If the pandemic brought out the worst in many of us, it brought out the best in Randall. She would insist tenants and landlords work together to find a solution and she would slow walk the eviction in the meantime.

This kind of work wore her down and eventually she resigned.

Her replacement, Deborah Martinez, was shot and killed in August 2022 while she was serving an eviction notice at an apartment complex near North Palo Avenue and East Fort Lowell Road.

By November, Pima County had just three working constables in Tucson. One was rehabbing after foot surgery, another was suspended for doing stuff they shouldn’t have done on the job, and another constable just stopped working after Martinez was shot.

Lesher decided the constables needed a shake-up and threatened to cut their pay to the minimum allowed by state law, which was $48,294 a year, down from $67,000 annually. They had to agree to some professional standards.

So Tuesday, the Supes will discuss the constables’ workload, the training and equipment they require to do their jobs, and look at filling a vacancy by August. Presiding Constable Eric Krznarich would like the board to consider raises as well.

Krznarich wrote in a memo to the board that he would like the chance to discuss how well the Constables Office is running after changes made in recent months.

So maybe the office is turning around.

On a different note, the supervisors will also discuss whether to join Santa Cruz County in establishing protection for the river that bears its name. The Santa Cruz River Urban National Wildlife Refuge is currently in the works.

What’s an urban natural wildlife refuge? I had the same question.

According to the University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment, “an urban national wildlife refuge designation protects crucial green space, improves and maintains wildlife habitat connectivity, ensures equitable access to the river and surrounding landscape for local communities, and honors the rich cultural and historical connections to the revitalized river.”

OK, that sort of helps. It’s actually a federal designation under the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife that will put restrictions on development along the river. 

The idea is to establish a collaborative approach to protect urban wetlands. Pima County took the first step when it built a pair of water treatment plants that were used to restore a portion of riparian habitat along the Santa Cruz River.

A list of more than 40 Southern Arizona sponsors helped crowdsource the proposed Santa Cruz River Refuge Coalition, meant to protect the watershed.

Federal money is available – $7.7 million nationally – to support community conservation efforts.

It’s part of the ground-up, local-first environmentalism that arose in the late 20th century. Communities had complained that too much environmental protection was being dictated from Washington and in ways that harmed local economies.

The secretary of the Interior Department has the authority to establish a refuge but this process is still pretty young. The coalition published its working document in the last six months. Given the ever-increasing plausibility of a second Donald Trump administration, proponents had better work fast. Otherwise it will be the Santa Cruz Golf Resort and Monster Truck Bog.

The county is beginning a new budget year and supervisors will vote on shipping $5 million to dozens of Southern Arizona nonprofits.

It’s about getting money to charities already doing work, rather than administering programs through the county. Government programs often lack the flexibility needed to properly serve communities in need.

For instance, the Pima Council on Aging will get the most money, as it is set to receive $288,000 for family caregiver support, meal delivery and to defend the rights and benefits for seniors.

The money is slated to pay for emergency food and clothing, senior support, domestic violence, youth and young adults, and family support and general services.

Dozens of these organizations will receive tens of thousands of dollars to provide services to the community.

Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz would like the board to spend an additional $5 million for fiscal year 2026 on a housing trust fund.

The Pima County Regional Affordable Housing Commission recommended in May that the board look for new dedicated revenue sources for the fund.

The commission wanted the extra money for the fiscal year 2024-25 budget, which takes effect July 1. Heinz now wants the board to discuss options in September, after asking staff this week to brainstorm options.

This is a very light week in government meetings. It’s summer. The budgets are done and the Tucson City Council, et. al., are taking time off for the July 4 holiday. The council will meet again in August, after canceling what are nominally mandatory meetings in July due to a planned lack of quorums. It’s kind of like how college students skip the first class after midterms.