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Don't bother inviting County Supervisor Ray Carroll and County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry to dinner together.
It's unlikely that they would accept the invitation.
The only time they're likely to be at the same table is during Pima County Board of Supervisors' meetings.
Even then there's no friendly chitchat between the two.
I suspect they don't like each other much - although neither is willing to publicly admit it.
"I'm not trying to disparage anyone," Carroll said.
Said Huckelberry: "He's entitled to ask any question he wants."
Last week, Carroll more than asked a question. He called for an outside audit of the county's road bond program.
Carroll said it's a mess.
In asking for an audit, however, Carroll is implying that Huckelberry's management is askew, at the very least.
At worst, Carroll is suggesting that Huckelberry is intentionally hiding information from the board.
Either way, Carroll isn't shying away from challenging Huckelberry.
"He's trying to delay the bad news," said Carroll, who is in California on a post-holiday vacation. "We're behind the eight-ball."
The Republican from District 4, which stretches from Tucson's East Side to Green Valley, would like to can Huckelberry. But he can't get two other votes from his four colleagues.
Instead, Carroll, who voted against a four-year contract for Huckelberry last year, will publicly admonish Huckelberry's management whenever he gets a chance.
In his latest dig, Carroll disputes Huckelberry's financial prognosis for repaying the bonds on the the county's beleaguered road construction projects.
Carroll contends that the shortfall to repay the bonds will total more than $500 million over 18 years.
Huckelberry said that his persistent critic is flat-out wrong. The shortfall is about $45 million, said Huckelberry.
In addition to the shortfall in the bond repayments, there is a gap in the cost of the transportation improvement program itself, which was approved by county voters in 1997.
Thirteen of the 58 road projects - six within the city of Tucson - are on hold because of the lack of money.
The projects' $350 million price tag has spiked upward to about $700 million.
Carroll isn't shy with his criticism of Huckelberry and county staff. He thrives on it.
"I'm not going to stick my head in the sand," said Carroll.
I suspect Huckelberry would like that. But he won't say it.
The supervisor, or any other supervisor, can ask any questions they want, said Huckelberry.
And they can ask them any way they want, Huckelberry added.
He doesn't seem to be bothered by Carroll's criticisms.
Huckelberry considers it part of his job, which he has held since late 1993 when the board brought him back to the county, where he had worked for 19 years before he briefly left.
Huckelberry bolted in the spring of 1993 after he lost out in a power struggle involving former supervisor Ed Moore and former county administrator Manoj Vyas.
Unfortunately, I wasn't living in Tucson and missed all the fun.
From all accounts, the county supervisors and administrators were at each others' throats.
That all made great stories, but the fighting had more to do with management philosophy and style.
I suspect that is what is going on here.
Carroll does not like Huckelberry's management style.
But until Carroll can convince two colleagues of the need for change, we can expect more of the same.
