Well whaddya know, another county elected official is calling the Board of Supervisors out for taking retaliatory actions against him. The County Supervisors have mismanaged money for years, spending irresponsible amounts of tax dollars on environmental programs like “Bring Back Blue” and “Running out of Air,” which didn’t work so they were dropped. They also hired a “diversity manager” who set up an entire diversity department which plastered the county with politically correct rainbow posters. Now they want other county agencies, including law enforcement agencies like the Sheriff’s Office and County Attorney’s Office, to cut 15% of their budgets. This is irresponsible. If there is one function of government that is more important than any other, it is public safety. Now we hear about inmates going on food strikes because they don’t like the bare bone meals they’re getting. The courts are getting backed up because the Sheriff doesn’t have enough officers any more to transport them to court every day. The Sheriff has been losing over 10 employees a month but has not been allowed to hire anyone to replace them. Meanwhile, the County Supervisors are telling him he can’t replace them, instead the County Supervisors insist on fully funding the $347 million court tower, and stealing $6 million from the County Attorney to set up their own competing legal department since they don’t like him! Well they don’t have that power, the people elected him, not the County Supervisors.

Thanks to one of our commenters yesterday who pointed out that this violates the law, by law the County Attorney is authorized to be the legal counsel for the county, not the Supervisors –

COUNTY ATTORNEY
A.R.S. 11-532. Powers and duties
A. The county attorney is the public prosecutor of the county and shall:
1. Attend the superior and other courts within the county and conduct, on behalf of the state, all prosecutions for public offenses.
2. Institute proceedings before magistrates for the arrest of persons charged with or reasonably suspected of public offenses when the county attorney has information that the offenses have been committed.
3. When not engaged in criminal proceedings in the superior court, attend upon the magistrates in cases of arrest when required by them, and attend before and give advice to the grand jury.
4. Draw indictments and informations, defend actions brought against the county and prosecute actions to recover recognizances forfeited in courts of record and actions for recovery of debts, fines, penalties and forfeitures accruing to the state or county.
5. Deliver receipts for monies or property received in the county attorney’s official capacity and file duplicate receipts with the clerk of the board.
6. On the first Monday of January, April, July and October in each year, file with the board of supervisors an account, verified by oath, of all monies received in the county attorney’s official capacity during the preceding three months, and at the same time pay it to the county treasurer.
7. When required, give a written opinion to county officers on matters relating to the duties of their offices.
8. Keep a register of official business, and enter therein every action prosecuted, criminal or civil, and of the proceedings therein.
9. Act as the legal advisor to the board of supervisors, attend its meetings and oppose claims against the county which the county attorney deems unjust or illegal.
10. Act as attorney for school districts except as provided in section 15-343, or except in any lawsuits involving a conflict of interest with other county offices at which time the attorney general may represent the school district.
11. Act as attorney for the community college district except as provided in section 15-1448 or except in any lawsuits involving a conflict of interest with other county offices, at which time the attorney general may represent the community college district.
12. Defend all locally valued and assessed property tax appeals as provided in section 42-16208.
B. Upon receipt of an appellant’s brief in a criminal appeal, the county attorney shall furnish the attorney general with a true statement of the facts in the case, together with the available authorities and citations that are responsive to the assignments or specifications of error.
C. The county attorney may represent a school district governing board member against whom an action is brought in the board member’s individual capacity until such time as it is established as a matter of law that the alleged activity or events which form the basis of the complaint were not performed, or not directed to be performed, within the scope or course of the member’s duties.
D. Notwithstanding the provisions of article 12 of this chapter, in connection with the investigation or prosecution of any matter involving the death of a person, the county attorney may request that the medical examiner, for the county in which the prosecution will take place, conduct the medical examination.