The small county is blaming state officials for failing to uncover the alleged embezzlement of $39 million.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Ariz. — Santa Cruz County recently filed a civil lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court against the State of Arizona and Arizona Auditor General Lindsey A. Perry.
The county is suing former county treasurer Elizabeth Gutfahr for negligence in failing to adhere to generally accepted accounting practices and principles, which made possible the alleged embezzlement of about $39 million.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors released the following statement: “The Board uses this lawsuit to ensure that the Comptroller General strengthens safeguards to ensure consistency with generally accepted accounting principles and that other counties and public entities that rely on its audits We hope that we will not be dependent on “to endure the abuses inflicted on our community.” ”
RELATED: Audit: County treasurer suspected of embezzling millions went undetected for years
RELATED: This small Arizona county accuses former treasurer of embezzling $39 million
Locals refer to the Phoenix metropolitan area as “The Valley.” It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
In addition to Phoenix, the Valley is made up of a variety of other major cities, including:
- mesa
- chandler
- scottsdale
- Tempe
- glendale
- surprise
- Peoria
- gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Lichfield Park
- goodyear
- buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where the city is in relation to Phoenix.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the total population of Valley cities is 4,845,832. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country, behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How large is Maricopa County?
According to the 2020 Census, Maricopa County is the fourth largest county in the United States with a population of 4,485,414 people.
The county contains approximately 63% of Arizona’s population and covers an area of 9,224 square miles. This makes the county larger than seven U.S. states: Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
One of the largest park systems in the United States is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks, including hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers, and campgrounds.
The county seat is Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the fifth most populous city in the United States according to the census.
The county is named after the Maricopa or Piipaash Native American tribe.
