Over the sole objection of his former board adversary Ally Miller, retired Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll was appointed Tuesday as Green Valley justice of the peace.
Supervisor Steve Christy, Miller’s fellow Republican and the supervisor from Carroll’s old district, made the motion for his predecessor’s appointment.
Carroll was one of eight candidates who sought the job. Among the others were two attorneys, several of whom had worked as small-claims hearing officers at the court and others with years of court or law enforcement experience.
During the call to the public, Lou Sampson questioned Carroll’s qualifications , describing him as a “professional politician” and adding that there are “many highly qualified candidates for this job.”
Miller echoed those criticisms and also described the former colleague with whom she often clashed as a “carpetbagger.”
“Of all of the candidates who applied for this position, there is one who I don’t believe has the experience, qualifications or the temperament to be justice of the peace,” she said.
His other former colleagues, on the other hand, came to Carroll’s defense.
Supervisor Richard Elías said Carroll, who was appointed to the board in 1997 and elected several times before retiring in 2016, would make a “fine justice of the peace,” and that he had served as supervisor “without a stain upon his record.”
Carroll said his years on the board will help him make “fair and reasonable decisions” as a judge, and he intends to begin taking courses soon to prepare for the job. Among the goals he has for his tenure is to respond to the declining caseload in the precinct, which is a major reason why the previous judge resigned. Justice of the peace salaries are based in part on caseloads.
“I think it’s important for all of us to know that I have a lot to learn and I’m aiming to make that a reality in a very short time,” Carroll said, adding later of the job’s responsibilities: “I take it very serious, people’s freedom.”
As to Miller’s claim that he wasn’t a precinct resident, Carroll said he has been renting in Green Valley since August and intends to sell his current home .
Green Valley’s previous JP, Lisa Royal, endorsed Ron Newman, a local attorney who has served as a judge pro tempore at the court and ran unsuccessfully for JP in Precinct 10 in 2016. A number of residents also sent letters in support of R. David Kryder, a business consultant and small-claims officer who lost a bid for the judgeship in 2010. Like Carroll and most of the candidates, he is a non-attorney. Arizona law does not require justices of the peace to be attorneys.
Many also sent letters backing Carroll.
“He has much experience dealing with difficult issues and has always been a gentleman, regardless of the situation,” Michael Lund of Green Valley wrote of Carroll. “In addition, he has taken a mediation course which is certified by the Arizona Bar Association.”
Some raised concerns about the appointment adding to Carroll’s pension. However, Christian Palmer, a spokesman for Arizona’s Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, which oversees the Elected Official Retirement Plan, said that because Carroll already retired and is receiving benefits, there is no way for him to add to those benefits with additional years working for the county. He is also ineligible for an additional pension.
The job will come with a pay bump, though. In 2016, Carroll’s last year on the board, the supervisor was paid $78,706, according to salary records. That same year Royal made $94,750, less than her fellow justices because of the declining caseload.
