By Tom Sockwell, Mohave County Supervisor, District 2

Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce has introduced a bill which will make elected county offices totally dysfunctional and far more expensive.

Pearce’s Senate Bill 1017, if passed by the Legislature and signed into law, would give all elected county officers “full authority and discretion to choose the appropriate means to accomplish the statutory duties” of their offices including hiring, control of personnel and salary, and entering into agreements or contracts. The result would be the elimination of budgetary control which would lead to redundant expenses, counterproductive activities, lack of transparency and liability without accountability.

Right now, the Board of Supervisors approves the county budgeting process, including new initiatives and expenses. We have oversight to make sure county spending stays out of the red. Mohave County has one Human Resources Department that keeps an eye on all merit and exempt personnel for all of our departments.

When I first came into office in 2001, this county was in debt. The Board hired County Manager Ron Walker and we – staff, department heads and elected officials – worked together, tightened our belts, developed long-term planning and, within a couple of years, paid off those debts. We also began the long process of rebuilding the county’s infrastructure, all the while passing balanced budgets every year.