Steve Christy Wants Pima County Job – Any Job

Since before the time he was turned down for a job in the Governor’s Office, Steve Christy has sought a position in Pima County. Christy, one of three candidates for supervisor in District 4, is running as the candidate with connections and emails support that assertion.

Emails obtained through a formal request For Information filed by the ADI with the Pima County Clerk of the Board reveal just how connected Christy is. They also make Christy’s claim that he will fire Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry when he is elected very hard to believe.

While Christy’s claim might be questionable, his close relationship with Huckelberry and his apparent need for a paid position in Pima County government is not.

When he announced his candidacy in February 2016, Christy stated in a press release:

“I’ve considered running for the Board of Supervisors for some time as I believe that my experience could help provide three things this Board needs,” Christy said.

“The first is to accent and enhance the important goal of economic development which includes more than attracting new companies and new jobs, but also making sure that we aren’t losing any of those we already have.”

Whose Economic Development agenda?

One year earlier almost to the day, Christy had reached out to Pima County’s Economic Development Strategic Planning Director John Moffatt for a job. On February 18, 2015 Moffat forwarded an email from Christy to Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry:

From: steve@stevechristy.us
Sent: 2/18/2015 9:48 AM
To: John Moffat
Subject: Gov’s Office

Good Morning John!,
Ron Shoopman notified me this morning that I was not chosen for the Gov’s Office for So.AZ. I understand that a gentleman out of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber named something like, John Ciquamante’(?), through the efforts of Lea Marquez-Pederson go the job.
I would very much like to discuss working with you in the County’s Economic Development agenda, as we have discussed doing before. I tried calling you at 908-888 and was told it is not working. Looking forward to hearing from you. Steve Christy.

Christy was clearly eager to get the job in the Governor’s Office and it appears he had sought help from southern Arizona’s heavy hitters:

From: steve@stevechristy.us
Sent: Friday, January 02, 2015 11:13 AM
Subject: Vegas

Happy New Year to you and yours, too John! Yes, it’s been quite chilly lately here in Point Loma with temps in low 40’s and up to 9″ of snow in the mountains east of SD on 1-8.
Interesting article-thanks for sending it to me. They still like to highlight the emphasis of I-111 being between Phx and LV, though we did get an “honorable mention” for So AZ. Looks like Laura Douglas from ADOT got straightened out, too.
No word from the Gov’s Office. I think if he chose somebody else, we would have heard by now, so I guess no news is good news. He’s inaugurated this Monday so I’m sure he’s had a full plate in front of him. He’s scheduled to give the State of the State Address in Tucson on 1/12-maybe he’s holding off on an announcement of the appointment until that event. Talked to Hank Amos yesterday and he’s not heard anything either. Had a long talk with Jim
Click a couple of weeks ago, though typical Jim, he didn’t come right out with glowing words of supporting me, the feed back I’m getting is that he is. He’s funny with me that way-goes back to the “car-wars” days I guess.
Looking forward to your letter regarding the Sonoran Corridor to the Gov. Return to Tucson this Sunday. Hope to be seeing you soon. All the Best-Steve

By November 17, 2015 Christy had placed his Tucson home on the market. He listed for $ 979,000. On March 29, 2016 the price was dropped to $899,000. While that is not unusual, according to experts who say the house might be overpriced, what is unusual is that on April 26, 2016 the MLS listing was cancelled, but the house remains for sale. The agent’s note reads:

DO NOT CONTACT SELLERS’S LISTING IS STILL ACTIVE, THO NOT IN MLS. WE WILL BE RE-LISTING IN MLS IN THE FALL, IF NOT ALREADY SOLD BY THAT TIME *** 2 PARCELS INCLUDED IN SALE 114-40-268B. DRAPES/RODS/HARDWARE IN MASTER BDRM; DEN; LIVING RM AND DINING RM. AS WELL AS DINING ROOM CHANDELIER D
*AGENTS – PLS DO NOT CONTACT SELLER’S. LISTING STILL ACTIVE, NOT IN MLS, RELISTED IN MLS IN THE FALL

LISTING IS STILL ACTIVE

Obviously selling your house while running for office would make for bad optics.

Coincidental timing?

What sources believe is that Carroll could not survive a Republican Primary challenger. As a result he announced that he would not be running for re-election on February 5, 2016. One week later Christy announced his run.

Carroll is now tasked with getting Christy and Ally Miller’s challenger, John Winchester elected. To that end, a coordinated effort is underway to discredit Miller and sell Christy and Winchester to the public. That effort includes using County resources and “friendlies” in the media.

With less than a week away from the delivery of early ballots, the unsuspecting residents of Pima County are being asked to select Huckelberry’s new bosses. Huckelberry hopes they will choose the two who will keep him employed and the public in the dark for years to come.