Pima County Supervisors Approve $300,000 Lobbying Contract

On Tuesday, the Pima County Board of Supervisors in a 4-1 vote approved a two year contract with lobbyist Michael Racy in the amount of $300,000.00 for federal lobbying services. Supervisor Ally Miller pulled the item from the Consent Agenda and was the lone no vote.

CONSENT AGENDA JANUARY 21, 2020

Racy Associates, Inc., Amendment No. 1, to provide for federal legislative representation services and extend contract term to 2/3/22, General Fund, contract amount $300,000.00 (CT-CA-18-203)

CONTRACT AMENDMENT- Board of Supervisors

The parties agree to amend the above-referenced contract as follows:

$300,000.00
$300,000.00
$600,000.00

1. Background and Purpose. On February 4, 2018 the Board of Supervisor approved the original two year agreement with Racy Associates, Inc. for federal lobbying services. The agreement can be extended for up to 4 additional 1-year periods. County requires additional continued representation of lobbyist services related to federal legislation.

2. Term. The Term of the Contract is hereby extended to February 3, 2022.

3. Maximum Payment Amount. The maximum amount the County will spend under this Contract, as set forth in Section 5, is increased by $300,000.00 ($150,000.00/ per year). County’s total payments to Contractor under this contract, including any sales taxes, will not exceed $600,000.00.

The effective date of this Amendment is February 3, 2020. All other provisions of the Contract not specifically changed by this Amendment remain in effect and are binding upon the parties.

In November of 2018, the Board approved a 2 year $280,000 contract for Racy to represent the County at the Arizona Legislature.

Racy has earned his money on the state level and federal levels pushing County Administrator Huckelberry’s agenda. Meeting on December 3, 2019, the Pima County Board of Supervisors approved Resolution 2019-89 setting out the County’s state legislative agenda compiled by County Administrator Charles Huckelberry. In it were tax increases, cuts in service and pension contributions, and major hits to county transparency. [Related article: Pima Supervisors Rubber Stamp Huckelberry Plan To Increase Taxes, Reduce Services]

Included in the package, the County wants the State to approve a fifteen-cents per gallon increase in the gas tax and an equivalent “road tax” for electric vehicles. There is also a proposed excise, sales or “transaction privilege” tax to fund pensions for elected officials and public safety “participants.” Huckelberry’s memo to the BOS says any tax plan should “not severely harm the County taxpayer.”

The ADI reported in December 2019, that Racy is a lavish contributor to political campaigns, dispensing over $10,000 in 2016 to both Democrats and Republicans.

Racy has also been instrumental in pushing the “Sonoran Corridor” leg of I-11. [Related article: Pima County’s Secret Government… Continued]