At their April 21 meeting, the Gila County Board of Supervisors held a work session discussing the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System fund for the sheriff’s office, as the plan’s funded status has dropped below 100%. A PSPRS representative told supervisors that the change does not mean the pension system is in trouble or that benefits are at risk; they were encouraged to continue reviewing the fund on an annual basis.
During reports from staff, County Manager James Menlove informed the supervisors that funds from the county’s $18 million flood recovery bond are expected to be available this month.
The supervisors also heard presentations from the president of the Tonto Basin Chamber of Commerce and the coordinator of Payson’s Beeline bus system.
During a work session, the supervisors discussed the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System fund for the sheriff’s office after the plan’s funded status dropped from slightly overfunded to 98.6%. Clark Partridge, senior executive consultant and interim administrator with PSPRS, told supervisors the fund now has an unfunded actuarial accrued liability of about $375,000, compared with being overfunded the previous year.
Partridge emphasized that the change does not mean the pension system is in trouble or that benefits are at risk. He explained that pension funding changes from year to year because actuaries update assumptions based on real conditions, including salaries, employee turnover, inflation, retirements, life expectancy and investment performance.
The sheriff’s office pension liability increased from about $25.3 million last year to about $26.6 million this year, while assets were about $26.2 million. The difference between those two numbers results in the unfunded liability.
Partridge said the plan remains in a strong position compared with many others. On a market-value basis, the sheriff’s office fund was still above 100% funded as of June 30, 2025, dropping only from about 103% to 102%. The lower 98.6% figure is the actuarial value, which smooths investment gains and losses over time.
“I think that you guys really have done a lot of good things … It will really pay off for your taxpayers going forward.” — Clark Partridge, senior executive consultant and interim administrator with PSPRS
The fund also has more than $1 million in investment gains still “in the pipeline” that will be recognized over the next several years and could help raise the funded status if other assumptions do not move against the plan.
Discussion centered on whether the county should make an additional payment now or wait for the next valuation. Partridge said that depends on the county’s funding policy and budget priorities, but he suggested a cautious wait-and-see approach may be reasonable because of the relatively small unfunded amount and the investment gains still pending.
“A pension is never a set it and forget it thing,” he said. “It's always going to be some degree of volatility and change from those assumptions and estimates, because life always turns out differently than what we planned.”
He noted, however, that state law requires the county to have a plan for returning to 100% funding when an unfunded liability exists.
Supervisors asked whether market volatility was the main concern. Partridge said investments matter, but they were not the primary reason for the recent drop. He pointed instead to broader actuarial assumptions, including salary increases, inflation and employee-related changes.
Partridge advised supervisors not to overreact to a single year’s movement, but also not to ignore changes if the fund drifts further from full funding.
For sheriff’s office employees and retirees, the main takeaway is that the pension remains close to fully funded, benefits are still being managed on a long-term basis, and the county will continue reviewing the fund annually.
Christa Lombardo, president of the Tonto Basin Chamber of Commerce, outlined recent growth and activity at the chamber, including expansion to 95 members, new community programming, business promotion efforts and improvements to the chamber facility.
Lombardo took over as president on May 1 last year, and since then, the chamber has brought in 70 new members, with more ready to join. It has also launched a newsletter, available in both print and digital forms, and updated its bylaws to change from a May to April fiscal year to January to December.
The chamber holds a breakfast club every third Wednesday from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., as well as mixers in different locations around the community. They also honor a community member of the month to recognize people who serve the community without pay.
“We have a lot of new businesses that have come into Tonto and we want to see them grow.” — Christa Lombardo, president of the Tonto Basin Chamber of Commerce
Last year, the chamber sponsored the food ministry, the library, the fire department and the school carnival. Wild West Days, which the chamber co-hosts, is a major fundraiser, and the chamber also raises funds through a silent auction, live auction, raffles and similar events.
The chamber operates entirely through volunteers, and Lombardo said they plan to hire part-time support to sustain growth.
Julie Leonard, economic development coordinator with the Town of Payson, provided an update on the Beeline Bus system, which provides transport in Payson and Star Valley. The system serves a wide range of users, including commuters, students, and residents traveling to medical appointments, with 70% of riders relying on the bus as their primary transportation. The system had 9,374 riders last year.
Leonard highlighted the monthly free ride day, where riders can ride free on the grocery store discount day held on a Wednesday every month. All buses are wheelchair accessible.
The Beeline Bus has been operated by the town of Payson since 2023. Since Payson took over, ridership has increased significantly, and it continues to grow. Rider numbers were up 28% in the first quarter of 2026 over the previous year.
“If you’ve been in Payson and you’ve seen one of our buses, it’s much prettier now.” — Julie Leonard, economic development coordinator with the Town of Payson
Ongoing improvements include the addition of a new grant-funded bus expected to arrive in December or January, as well as expanded marketing efforts, new bus shelters, and proposed route expansions to serve the Apache Tonto area and community recreation events. The bus system will also partner with the high school this fall to help the school reduce its transportation costs.
Running the buses costs a little over $300,000 per year. Total operating costs have slightly decreased, but rising fuel, personnel, and maintenance expenses are placing some strain on the system. The county makes an annual $73,000 contribution toward operations. An Arizona Department of Transportation grant pays for the operations and admin of the buses.
County Manager James Menlove provided an update on the county’s $18 million flood recovery bond, reporting that bids had come in with interest rates below 4%, with funds expected to be available by May 14.
Supervisor Tim Humphrey hosted a Tonto Basin community meeting on April 7, followed by an internal coordination meeting on April 8 with county leadership, including the county manager and department heads. He attended a Lincoln Day dinner on April 10, then held additional community meetings in Gisela on April 11 and Roosevelt on April 13. On the same day, he participated in an ADOT listening tour meeting in Globe-Miami and appeared on KQSS radio.
Humphrey also attended a multiagency flood planning meeting on April 15 with representatives from Globe, Miami, Gila County and mining companies. The group discussed forming a coordinated partnership to develop a long-term flood mitigation plan, noting that joint efforts could improve access to funding. Humphrey expressed support for the collaboration, but emphasized that formal participation would require full board approval, which he plans to bring forward as a future agenda item.
Vice Chairman Woody Cline served as a judge at the April 11 4-H beef cook-off at the fairgrounds, noting strong youth participation and turnout. On April 15, he joined a Zoom meeting with Resolution Copper and county staff regarding zoning in the Skunk Camp area, where tailings are planned. He raised concerns about the company’s large-scale land acquisitions and the potential long-term impact on property tax assessments if those lands move into mining operations, noting that mines can self-assess, creating uncertainty for county revenues.
He also participated in the multiagency flood coordination meeting with Globe, Miami, and mining partners, and attended additional meetings related to economic development and county governance, including a County Supervisors Association executive board meeting in Phoenix. He is involved in planning a future mining tour as well as upcoming zoning discussions with his appointees. He also highlighted an upcoming ADOT listening session in Young and promoted a May 9 fundraiser at the Pleasant Valley Veterans Retreat.
Board Chair Steve Christensen attended a presentation at Gila Community College on a new observatory project. He also met with the Discover Gila County board and met with constituents on various issues. He shared observations from a recent presentation on data centers, describing them as an emerging industry with significant energy demands but potentially less water impact than commonly assumed.
In addition, he attended a Payson event on biochar production — an approach to converting wood into charcoal for beneficial reuse — and expressed interest in its potential role in wildfire mitigation.
To view this meeting online, click here. To access documents related to the meeting, click here.
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