The Pima County Board of Supervisors has come under fire for the hostile approach to, and interaction with the public and other board members by the Board’s chair, Supervisor Adelita Grijalva and Supervisor Matt Heinz.
Heinz has been known for lashing out during the Call to the Public portions of meetings, having interrupted speakers and referring to some as murderers. Heinz has even suggested that the call to the public is not needed. He has also become well known for not attending Board of Supervisor meetings in person and for frequently disappearing and not being responsive when participating via video conference.
Heinz is best known, of course, for his remote appearance from a cruise ship during which he was being video bombed by a scantily clad young man. The video went viral, sparked outrage, and raised questions as to the attention Heinz pays to his constituents.
During the March 21st Board of Supervisors meeting, the call to the public was moved to the end of the meeting which angered those in the audience because by the time they were able to speak on issues important to them, the votes had already been taken. Critics say there could be no clearer message sent about how a majority of the board feels about hearing from the public.
With the exception of Supervisor Steve Christy, Board members under the leadership of Grijalva have seemed comfortable showing their disdain for the public. Christy has been hailed for fighting on behalf of the public’s voice including a lady who was banned from meetings for 3 months when she as a former nurse, questioned the age of the young man appearing on Heinz video feed from the cruise ship and who asked for Heinz to be investigated.
Heinz’s behavior has resulted in a challenger for the District 2 Supervisor seat stepping forward – John Backer. Backer has run for the District 4 supervisor seat twice before against Supervisor Steve Christy. Redistricting has resulted in Backer now living in Supervisor District 2. When Backer was asked how he feels about the prospect of serving on the Board of Supervisors with Steve Christy, he responded, “I have a great deal of respect for Steve Christy and appreciate his efforts to defend the residents of Pima County. We have not always agreed on every policy issue, but our interactions have been professional and I’m excited at the prospect of serving alongside Supervisor Christy who is serving District 4 so well.”
During the March 21st Board of Supervisors meeting, Backer addressed the call for civility often broached by Grijalva, but rarely practiced:
If Backer’s speech is representative of the voters of Pima County, Heinz and Grijalva could face an uphill battle steeper than the one members of the public have in accessing their supervisors.