On Wednesday, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors gave notice to Assessor Paul Petersen that there will be a public meeting on Monday, October 28 to consider suspending him without pay.
Arizona law gives the supervisors the authority to suspend a county assessor or treasurer for neglect of duty.
In cases in which neglect of duty is alleged, the Board is required to provide the person a five-day notice prior to suspension. Wednesday’s action passed on a unanimous vote.
The possible suspension relates to:
● Petersen not being physically present in the office due to his detention
● An internal audit that found documents on Petersen’s county computer related to his private legal practice
● Petersen is currently in federal custody, accused of crimes in three states related to his private legal practice
State law does not allow the Board of Supervisors to fire another elected official. If the Board suspends Petersen, board members must appoint a new person to fill the position. Each member of the Board of Supervisors had previously called for Petersen’s suspension.
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