The ongoing saga of negotiating a new Shared Services Agreement (SSA) between the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the County Recorder took a step forward, with the Board unanimously agreeing to send a revised SSA draft to the Recorder. According to Maricopa County's official announcement, this move comes after a comprehensive presentation detailing the protracted nature of discussions, highlighting the concessions made by the Board in the latest agreement.
Chairman Thomas Galvin pointed out, "For months, the Board and its staff have been negotiating details of a new SSA in good faith.” He acknowledged the scope of the challenges faced thus far, emphasizing, "It’s time the public knows the full story, and this latest agreement includes many concessions from our Board." The negotiations resumed even after the SSA's previous version was annulled by Recorder Heap in late January. During the process, allegations arose concerning the Recorder's credible threats of litigation against the Board, disrupting the flow of negotiations.
Controversy clouds the negotiations with Supervisor Kate Brophy McGee criticizing the Recorder's approach by stating, "Recorder Heap has not been a trustworthy partner in these negotiations. He doesn’t seem to know what he wants. He doesn’t seem to understand his statutory responsibilities. The only thing he seems to be really good at is threatening lawsuits." She remarked in support of the deal coming to fruition, saying, "But there’s time for him to change. He can come back to the table and sign this agreement. I hope he does. Successful elections in Maricopa County depend on it."
Other supervisors expressed their vexations openly, with Supervisor Debbie Lesko reflecting on a recent interaction, saying, "I’m beyond frustrated,” recounting how a seemingly productive meeting turned sour. "After the April 11th meeting between Recorder Heap and Supervisors Galvin and Brophy-McGee, Justin texted me saying the meeting ‘went very well, we seem to be in agreement on 95% and are only discussing minor details on how to effectively split the IT team.’ Our lawyer writes up the agreement based on the meeting and then, next thing I know, Justin fires his attorney and we seem to be back to square one.”
The most recent draft of the SSA was first handed to the Recorder’s attorney on April 12, and subsequently in a letter to Recorder Heap himself, containing revisions specifically requested by the Recorder and his team. Supervisor Mark Stewart remains cautiously optimistic, reaffirming, “Based on my conversations with Recorder Heap and the Board, we are 95% of the way to a final SSA agreement. I am optimistic that a new SSA will be signed soon. That's what voters deserve and that's what we should all be focused on and that is good news."
In light of the pivotal role Shared Service Agreements play where election duties are split between county recorders and boards of supervisors in Arizona, a resolution to these negotiations is crucial. Supervisor Steve Gallardo highlighted the urgency and the unusual nature of this case, saying, "It’s time to get this done. In all my time on the Board, I’ve never had SSA negotiations drag on this long or involve a recorder who goes out in public and bad mouths us or threatens litigation. C’mon, Recorder Heap. Let’s put the voters first.” The final agreement, if reached, will be up for public scrutiny and comment before it's put to a vote at a public meeting.
