Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher got a raise as part of a new two-year contract approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors.
The contract, which outlines her salary, benefits and contract terms, will increase Lesher’s annual salary by approximately 27%, from $260,000 to $330,000.
The vote occurred shortly after the swear-in ceremony for the board. Democrat Rex Scott will serve as board chairman.
Jan Lesher, Pima County’s administrator, will have her salary rise to $330,000 a year under a new contract approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors.
Terms of the contract apply from Jan. 8 through Jan. 7, 2027, with the option to renew the contract two additional periods, up to one year each. Lesher has been county administrator since April 2022.
Lesher assumed the county’s top post when former County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry retired after suffering injuries from a bicycle crash. Before this role, Lesher served as chief deputy county administrator since 2017.
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The board went into executive session to deliberate the terms of Lesher’s contract. Supervisor Steve Christy did not participate, questioning if the private session was violating the state’s Open Meeting Laws by not having a draft contract publicly available.
Vice Chair Rex Scott called on Chief Civil Deputy Sam Brown to address the legal requirements for what needs to be attached to stay within open meeting laws.
Rex Scott takes the oath of office during a swear in ceremony before Tuesday’s Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting. Scott will serve as the board’s chair.
“Because of open meeting law, the board members cannot discuss or negotiate as a group before we get into executive session,†Brown said. “There really is nothing to present to the public until there is a final version that’s after the negotiations.â€
Supervisors passed the contract 3-1 with one abstention from Matt Heinz.
Christy voted against the contract, questioning the board on its decision to not conduct a performance review on Lesher. “It seems inconsistent that if this was in a private sector situation, this would not forgo a raise ,†Christy said.
Scott explained the deliberation process, saying the board compared the salaries of those with similar expertise and roles as Lesher before arriving at the contract salary amount.
Heinz abstained from the vote saying he wanted a higher salary for Lesher.
“I really don’t support this, but I don’t want to vote no because, of course, I support hiring Jan Lesher, so I’m abstaining,†Heinz said.
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