PHX Reporter

Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap has issued a timeline regarding his ongoing dispute with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors over election authority. This comes amid public concern and reports of misinformation related to the county's election processes.

Elections in Arizona require collaboration between the County Board of Supervisors and the County Recorder, as outlined in Arizona's election laws under A.R.S. Title 16. The law provides flexibility for these entities to negotiate a Shared Services Agreement (SSA) to determine which office will perform specific functions.

For over three decades, Maricopa County's SSA assigned all election responsibilities to the Recorder. However, in 2019, an agreement was reached to divide duties, with the Recorder handling early voting and the Board managing in-person voting and tabulation. This arrangement continued through updates in 2019, 2021, and 2023.

The conflict arose when outgoing Recorder Stephen Richer and a majority of lame-duck board members executed a new SSA on October 18, 2024. This agreement transferred nearly all election duties from the Recorder to the Board without consulting incoming officials. It reassigned staff from various departments to the Board and shifted budget control away from the Recorder's office.

Recorder Heap consulted with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and formally terminated this SSA, stating it is not binding on current officials without their consent. He requested an executive session with the Board to discuss terms for a new SSA but has received no response despite multiple attempts at engagement.

Heap emphasized that without an SSA, Arizona’s most populous county faces potential inefficiencies that could impact upcoming elections. He proposed reinstating elements of previous agreements while restoring certain staff positions and authority over early voting.

“Stephen Richer’s parting gift to the voters of Maricopa County...was a punitive backroom agreement,” said Heap. “For weeks...I’ve sought reasonable solutions...only to be ignored.”

“With an election less than 90 days away,” Heap warned he might take legal action if necessary steps are not taken by the Board: “If...unwilling...to have good faith discussions...perhaps it is time to return all election responsibilities to the Recorder’s Office.”