Tag: Shared Services Agreement

Maricopa County Supervisors Provide Draft Agreement to Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap Purporting to Give Some of His Office Back

Rachel Alexander
Justin Heap

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS) held a special public meeting on Wednesday to discuss a Shared Services Agreement (SSA) drafted by the MCBOS to give Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap some of his job responsibilities back. The previous MCBOS, even though it was in lame duck status at the end of their term, executed an agreement with the previous recorder Stephen Richer in October that took away Heap’s IT department and other significant powers. 

Until 2019, the recorder’s office handled all election responsibilities, not just early and mail-in voting. After then-recorder Adrian Fontes mishandled the 2018 election, he agreed with the MCBOS to turn over Election Day administration to the MCBOS. The October SSA took away even more authority from the recorder, and the new board appears reluctant to return much of the authority.

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Public Records Reveal Extent of Previous Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer’s Collusion with County Supervisors on Elections Power Grab

Rachel Alexander
Stephen Richer

Two grassroots organizations in Arizona that investigate election corruption examined recent public records from the Maricopa County Recorder and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS) in an attempt to get to the bottom of a Shared Services Agreement (SSA) the previous recorder Stephen Richer made with the MCBOS in October turning over control of much of his office to them. The new recorder, conservative Justin Heap, demanded control of his office back, pointing out that the agreement was made at the last minute at the end of the year with lame-duck supervisors. However, one of two remaining supervisors on the board, Thomas Galvin, who is the chair, refuses to relinquish control. 

Merissa Hamilton, co-founder of EZAZ, asked the other four supervisors on X to challenge Galvin, “I urge @KateMcGeeAZ @DebbieLesko @MarkStewart_AZ @Steve_Gallardo to take back control of the Board and direct the County Manager to stop the chaos in election administration!”

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