SMITH: Setting the record straight

I am writing this note to inform you of a recent action taken by the Board of Supervisors and to set the facts straight.

In the year I have been in office, I have found many of the county’s systems are broken. A number of poor contracts, mismanagement and antiquated processes have caused money to bleed from the county. The good news is we are making progress in fixing the broken pieces.

Even the county’s pay structures, pay grade and job classifications are broken and have been for some time. There are employees who make so little income they are on food stamps, while at the same time some positions are overpaid when compared to similar positions. For example, the pay structure for our deputies and sergeants is a system that discourages promotion and causes turnover. This demonstrates how serious the problem is and why fixing it should be a priority.

This week, another example of a broken system hit closer to home. As you probably know, the county supervisor District No. 4 did not exist prior to 2013. When I took office, I was handed a job description for an executive assistant (EA) from the Human Resources Department and told to hire a person. I hired Marlene, whom many of you have met. I spent my first year really understanding my constituents and what it takes to best serve a district that stretches from Maricopa to near Tucson. For some districts the job of an executive assistant seems to be a valid job, but it doesn’t come close to serving the diverse needs of our constituents in District No. 4.

I decided I needed to fix what is broken especially when it is in my own district office. Matching the job that Marlene does to the need, I created the assistant to the board of supervisors job and mirrored it after a job description previously used in the county manager’s office.

This week the Board of Supervisors voted to approve the new assistant to the board of supervisor job description. An important thing to know is that our action did not increase personnel, and I will fund the increase from money I saved within our District No. 4 budget. I believe the benefit of continuing to have a more proactive office is that areas like Arizona City, SaddleBrooke, Hidden Valley and Thunderbird Farms are now getting the attention they deserve.