Good news, Sheriff Chris Nanos: You won your reelection bid over Republican Heather Lappin, who works for you at the Pima County Jail.

Bad news, sheriff: The Pima County Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on whether to censure you for suspending said opponent and muzzling her from discussing that action during the campaign. 

You accused her of colluding with a journalist to pay inmates for stories because she allegedly facilitated a phone call between a reporter and somebody being held.

Journalists don’t pay for stories, because that’s not ethical, but they are still allowed to do things like buy a source a cup of coffee, a drink or a sandwich. Back in old timey days when all calls from the jail were collect, the Tucson Citizen newsroom got them routinely and just about always picked up the call. Now inmates pay for them out of accounts people can put money into for “costs” that may come up. The reporter did nothing wrong here, despite PCSD’s insinuations.

The department also placed Aaron Cross, head of the singularly named Pima County Deputy’s Organization, on leave for wearing clothes resembling his official uniform while campaigning for Lappin.

Nanos has drawn criticism from Democrat Matt Heinz, who called for the censure, and Republican Steve Christy. The two otherwise spend their time on the board looking for ways to metaphorically shank each other. So strike a blow for bipartisan unity.

“Sheriff Nanos’ reckless and vindictive action against his political rival is nothing but an attempt to smear and silence his opponent,” Heinz said, when first calling for the censure in October, concerned that Nanos “must not be allowed to use his office to manipulate the free and fair voting process in Pima County.”

The Supes are also about to appoint their umpteenth constable in the last however many months. It’s getting hard to keep track.

George Camacho is the incumbent but failed to gather the required number of signatures to make his way to the ballot. Two write-in candidates failed to have enough voter scribble in their names to secure a victory in the race for constable of the 9th Justice of the Peace Precinct.

Constables serve warrants and legal notices like evictions.

The board is not in a position to eliminate this precinct like they did with JP 5 in 2022. County Administrator Jan Lesher told the board in a memo that such a move would have to be accompanied by folding the West Side precinct into surrounding precincts prior to the election so voters could have the final say.

Lesher wants the board to request applications due by Nov. 27 and then have them reviewed for qualifications (over 18, registered to vote, residing in the precinct). The plan would then be to have the winning applicant appointed by the first of the year.

Big transition

The county board is also looking at a policy governing naming rights for facilities that are built with the help of donors.

Big donors could, under the proposed policy, have buildings named after them if that was part of the deal for writing a check. The donation must be substantial enough to warrant the naming right and the donations have to be open to others to allow a degree of competition for the right.

The restrictions seem pretty standard, including the notion that a naming right can’t come with the appearance of a conflict of interest. These individuals also can’t take ownership of the building named after them.

So the Blake Morlock Sustainability Campus won’t be owned by Blake Morlock.

There goes my retirement.

I don’t love the idea of selling naming rights to defining community infrastructure and public places but for a transition center at the jail or an affordable apartment complex, who cares?

Also on the affordable housing front, supervisors will vote on a $1 million grant funding La Frontera’s effort to build an 85-unit apartment complex at 20 E. Ochoa Street. The units would be rented to low-income earners.

If approved, the 585-square-foot, one-bedroom units will be leased to tenants earning 60 percent area median income or less and most would go to people over 55 and those with disabilities. One of the apartments has been set aside for an employee.

The supervisors will also be voting on $3.2 million contracts for various organizations to house people involuntarily committed to mental health treatment.

The recipients would be: Sonora Behavioral Health to the tune of $1.5 million. Banner Health slated for $889,541. Palo Verde Behavioral Health is on tap for $700,000. Connections Health Solutions for $75,000.00 and Banner-University Medical Group at $30,000.

Finally, supervisors will get an update on progress at the Pima County Jail’s Transition Center, providing services to inmates processing out of custody.

The goal is to reduce homelessness and recidivism. Lesher has been proud of this program as a key element of the county’s initiative to keep people off the streets.

So far, it appears to be working with fewer than 10 percent of those who take advantage of the services being booked into the jail within 30 days. What the county calls a “control group” was rebooked at 27 percent within that period. It saved 158 misdemeanor bookings a month into the jail at a cost of just shy of $1 million.

I use quotes because it would seem weird if they told a certain number of people “you aren’t allowed to use wraparound services.”

One in 10 people released going back into jail within just 30 days does seem kind of high but it’s better than one in four, I guess.

A simple plan

The Vail Unified School District Governing Board will discuss goals for the 2024-25 school year.

For instance, 85 percent of kindergartners at Acacia Elementary School shall achieve mastery of letter sounds or improve by 25 points on district standardized tests this year.

Faculty shall contribute to the district’s Beyond Textbooks curriculum in the form of videos or written reports suggesting ways that teacher can improve on student’s learning.

District office administrators shall conduct multiple walk-throughs  each month to measure student engagement, healthy classrooms and other priorities.

It’s nice to have a plan. It does leave me to wonder “they shall or what?”

Board members will also get an advisory about the changes to policies required this year to comply with edicts from on high, mostly the Legislature.

There are 10 new policies including changes other districts have already implemented involving the prohibition of hiring sex offenders or those who are guilty of crimes against children. These changes also include administering medicine. 

No, not that kind of medicine. We’re not back in 2020.

Under this plan, diabetic students can store glucagon at a school in case it’s needed for administering during an emergency.

In Sahuarita, the school board will hear a similar review of 21 policy advisories. None require action but they all, apparently, require attention.

More policy

Faculty leading student activities in the Amphitheater Unified School District Governing Board are in for some minor adjustments in how they apply for a position and how they are judged. Pay will basically remain the same.

Diving, chess, Spanish, Academic Decathlon and Odyssey of the Mind positions will no longer be funded. A faculty member has been added to run the National Honors Society.

There’s also an outline of the duties involved in being the educator in charge of these programs and the list is about what would be expected: Be a positive role model, support student achievement, help round out the student through participation, supervise activities and be available as required for the various sports and clubs.

The new rules drew upon the existing guideline for coaches working in interscholastic athletics and applied them more broadly to all programs.

The Flowing Wells Unified School District Governing Board will vote on five new policies during their Tuesday meeting.

One requires purchasing to comply with state and federal regulations. Two others involve prohibiting the hiring of applicants who have a criminal record of crimes against children.  Another just cleans up language to make it clear certified personnel are not required to serve on curriculum committees and a final new policy will, if approved, make clear that service dogs are the responsibility of handlers and must be tethered or leashed at all times.