NOGALES, Ariz. (KVOA) — For the first time since being elected to the position by the Board of Supervisors, we'll hear from Santa Cruz County's new interim treasurer.
This all comes after a recent flurry of confusion when the county discovered suspicious wire transfers from a bank.
We heard from him after he was elected interim Santa Cruz County Treasurer.
Alejandro Paz was elected interim treasurer by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors last week.
Paz has experience working in financial institutions, but knows he must earn the trust of county residents.
“I graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in business administration,” Paz said.
Paz later moved to Wells Fargo, where his LinkedIn page lists more than 10 years of experience.
He too was born and raised in Santa Cruz County.
“And I recently came back to Santa Cruz County about three years ago, almost four years ago, to do something bigger than myself,” Paz said.
Paz walks into the Santa Cruz County complex building during a turbulent time.
The previous treasurer resigned just a month ago amid the discovery of unrecorded wire transfers from the county's bank, Chase Bank.
“The commission has a responsibility and it was their job to stop this from happening in the first place,” said Rio Rico resident Gregory Benoit.
“In my eyes, this is completely illegal tax representation,” said Sonoita resident James Gottlob.
Some Santa Cruz County residents don't trust their government, so News 4 Tucson asked Paz why they should trust him.
“Managing money for major financial institutions has really given me the experience to put money in place so that the public has confidence in me,” Paz explained.
Benoit, a Ricorico resident, wants better safety measures with taxpayer money.
“Please conduct regular Pace audits and review transaction details on a weekly basis,” Benoit said.
“The commission has contracted with Booth Management, Inc., they are a consultant to help provide policy procedures,” Santa Cruz County Supervisor Manuel Ruiz said.
Lewis told News 4 Tucson the board would like to see more oversight from the Department of Finance.
“How is the money coming in? How is it distributed? How does it get to other organizations? We want to make sure our finance staff has access to bank statements,” Lewis said.
Paz has been in the job for just two days and has a lot of work to do, but he says he's learning fast and remains open to anything.
“Our board of supervisors brought in the Coconino County treasurer to help me get into that position and I encourage you to come in and ask questions,” Paz said.
Paz will serve as interim financial chief until the end of 2024.
He plans to run unopposed for Santa Cruz County Treasurer in the July 2024 primary election.
