Three supervisor candidates seek votes

Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson, in a re-election appearance Friday, told Green Valley voters how state supervision can limit what counties can do to cope with problems.

Arizona’s 15 counties are actually arms of the state Legislature, and it decrees what a county can and cannot do.

At a Chamber of Commerce candidate forum, another supervisor candidate, Donna Branch-Gilbey, also said of counties, “There are things we can do, but it is limiting.”

Bronson has been a supervisor for 12 years in the county’s largest supervisor district. Branch-Gilbey was first vice chair of the Arizona State Democratic Party. She resigned to challenge Bronson.

Another candidate for the board of supervisors at the forum was Republican Barney Brenner, running unopposed for the nomination. He’s a retired Tucson businessman.

Bronson mentioned that her district shares 133 miles of international border with Mexico, “the longest border of the 24 U.S. counties.”

Bronson said the election this year is “really about the economy,” and that she wants to be a part of the process to cope with the sour parts of it.

Branch-Gilby said the county is “in a financial drought,” and said candidates “need to be fact-based on what counties can and cannot do.”

Brenner said, “Small businesses are the backbone of the economy,” and said he would get “people involved in government from private businesses.”

Brenner said he arrived in Tucson years ago in a Volkswagen with just $100 in his pocket, but he put his skills as a mechanic and businessman to work and eventually owned a small string of auto parts stores catering to foreign cars.

He said the smaller business owners and individuals can do the job of running the county.

He said the county “should not develop a cozy relationship” with developers and other big growth businesses.

Bronson said Pima County is in good financial shape, noting that it is the only one of the state’s counties with a “revenue neutral budget.”

The county has actually lowered the property tax rate, but growth has provided more money to pay for the $1.4 billion annual budget.

The tax rates are due to be adopted in Tucson Monday.

Branch-Gilbey said she was disappointed in how next year’s budget was adopted. It was discussed at only two board sessions and “there were no study sessions.”

She said “the county should stay of business that’s not our business,” citing creation of a stadium and becoming involved in recruiting spring training baseball teams.”

Brenner said the county should do a better job of putting “money into infrastructure,” and said programs that have failed “should not be allowed to fail for another four years.”

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749