Pima County Board of Supervisors Meeting - October 13, 2026

The Pima County Board of Supervisors’ study session on October 13, 2026, included a report from Tucson Medical Center (TMC) on the emergency department project supported by the County’s $6.3 million ARPA-funded partnership. TMC described a new department with treatment and behavioral-health rooms, improved imaging access, and related data infrastructure; the presentation cited approximately $2.3 million for design and $2.3 million for equipment, with remaining funding supporting digital infrastructure and collaboration. The project was nearing its planned opening. Supervisors requested a follow-up from the County Health Department on the partnership’s effects. No new TMC contract or procurement award was considered.

The main budget discussion concerned staff recommendations for approximately $14.5 million in additional fund balance for current-year programs and projects. Proposed uses included about $1.31 million for targeted recruitment and retention, $4.66 million to raise starting pay for lower-paid employees, $2.7 million for on-call and shift differentials, and about $1.9 million for added Superior Court operations. Other proposals included roughly $500,000 for downtown safety efforts and $677,000 over two years for public-parking access, including equipment for County garages and a proposed $5 fee. Supervisors also discussed alternatives such as child savings accounts, food-access support, affordable housing, and early-childhood scholarships. The fund-balance item was discussion-only, with no allocation vote taken; it was to be considered on the regular-meeting agenda.