Megan Spielman was sworn in as County Administrator of La Paz County on February 22, 2021. She met with Pioneer on March 4 to discuss the past year. She has primarily worked on building a foundation to solidify the county's finances, she said. That, she said, is her biggest accomplishment and biggest challenge. Part of her duties included developing a balanced budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year.

These tasks turned out to be very large and urgent. Shortly after his appointment, Mr. Spielman received one of the rudest surprises a new county administrator would receive. It was that the county's general fund was bankrupt.

“This was not what I thought I was going to get into,” she told the Pioneer.

At the April 19, 2021, Board of Supervisors meeting, consultants Jay Park and Karen Ziegler told the board that the county's general fund is short $3.4 million over the four-year period ending July 2020. I told him. By July 1, 2021, the start date of 2021, -22 fiscal year, that shortfall amounted to $4.2 million.

Park and Ziegler said the county borrows from special funds to support the general fund, which is illegal.

The issue reminded everyone of a similar fiscal crisis the county faced in 2017. Szpilman said it goes back even further.

“It’s because good practices aren’t being followed,” she said.

Szpilman said the county has implemented new policies, controls and procedures regarding the finance department. These include new reporting requirements.

The Treasury Department plans to submit quarterly reports to the Oversight Committee that will include actual numbers, not just estimates. They have already filed one report, and Spielman said a second report is in the works.

One of District 2 Supervisor Duce Mine's complaints was not receiving financial reports that reflected the actual numbers.

Among the new policies were rules regarding the use of county credit cards.

“It's the people's money,” Spielman said. “I take that seriously. We need to handle the public's money carefully and responsibly.”

One of the issues Spielman said was difficult was cutting services. He said county residents expect the services the county provides.

“It's not easy to cut services,” she says. “It's not fun. It was something we had to do.”

One of the services cut was the county justice court. After months of discussion, supervisors voted on Jan. 18 to consolidate three county courthouses into one courthouse in Parker. Miner and District 1 Supervisor David Plunkett voted in favor of consolidation, while District 3 Supervisor Holly Irwin voted against consolidation.

Spielman estimated this would save the county $700,000 annually from its general fund. Opponents argued this would deprive remote areas of the county of critical services. They also noted that the courthouse is self-sufficient, bringing in $1.5 million in revenue with $1.3 million in expenses.

Spielman said he understands the opposition given his years of experience in the courtroom. Prior to her appointment as county administrator, she served as a clerk of the Superior Court.

“If I could have kept that courtroom, I would have,” she said.

“We're in survival mode,” Spielman said. “We will continue to provide those services. We have to be creative.”

Another issue that needs to be addressed is the La Paz County Jail. When it was built, it was intended to house federal prisoners and prisoners from other jurisdictions as a means of making money for the county. But the number of federal prisoners decreased several years ago when President Barack Obama pulled federal prisoners from Arizona prisons over SB 107, an anti-illegal immigration law. They are not going back to prison.

As a result, the jail is now a drain on county general funds. By law, every county in Arizona must maintain a jail, and any shortfall in jail revenue must be met from the county's general fund.

“Other counties have general funds available to subsidize their jails,” Spielman said. “La Paz County doesn't have any money in the general fund. We have a revenue problem and a spending problem.”

Plunkett said if the county wants to solve its financial problems, it needs to find some way to fund the prison without federal prisoners.

“We're going to work on it,” Spielman said of the prison. “We're lobbying state legislatures, Congress and other jurisdictions. We're making sure the sheriffs are involved as well.”

Spielman said he is grateful to county officials and the chief. She works with a great group of people, she said. She said this is especially important because many of the county's knowledgeable, longtime employees have retired or retired.

“The county is full of great people who are passionate about this cause,” she said. “They are willing to put in the effort it takes to change the direction of the county.”

“We are so grateful to the good people who have worked for our county,” she added.

Spielman admits it hasn't been easy and is grateful for the support she has received.

“I had a lot of bad days,” she said. “But I have great support from my supervisor.”

Spielman said her work in the courtroom helped her become who she is today. She says she learned what it means to be a public servant. She added that she has come to understand the importance and responsibility of looking after the public interest.

Spielman said there are things to consider as the county enters its budget for 2022-23. These include the common goals of county departments, the county's mission and values, and priorities.

Spielman said he wants the county's finances to be healthy and sustainable and is grateful to be a part of making that happen.

“I am proud and honored to be in this position,” she said.