Board accepts resignation of Supervisor Adelita Grijalva and approves expedited selection process for District 5 replacement

The Pima County Board of Supervisors unanimously accepted the resignation of Vice Chair Adelita Grijalva, effective April 4. Grijalva spoke briefly and thanked colleagues, staff and community members for the opportunity to serve; the board then voted to accept her resignation.

Following the acceptance, the board approved an expedited selection process to fill the vacancy for District 5. The clerk will begin accepting submissions on April 2; candidates must file a letter of interest, résumé, required financial-disclosure and conflict-of-interest forms, and will undergo a background check by Human Resources. The application deadline is Monday, April 7 at 5:00 p.m.

The board asked the clerk to arrange a League of Women Voters-style public forum during the week of April 11 to allow voters and stakeholders to hear from candidates. Supervisors may conduct individual candidate interviews and expect to place the appointment on the board agenda for consideration at the next meeting. The County Attorney’s Office confirmed the process is consistent with state statute; staff noted ARS 11-4-02 requires that appointed candidates be able to read and write English.

Chair Scott emphasized the need to appoint a replacement before upcoming budget deliberations so District 5 has representation. Supervisors said they would meet individually with applicants if desired and that the public forum and interviews would give residents an opportunity to observe candidates and inform the board’s choice.

Why this matters: The selection process determines who will represent District 5 for the remainder of the term; the board moved to accelerate the timeline so the district has representation during fiscal decisions and other imminent board business.

Provenance: Board accepted the resignation and then discussed and approved the selection timeline and process during the addendum portion of the meeting.