Although her fellow supervisors submitted notes of support for the bond measure in the state law required Pima County Publicity Package for the upcoming election, those same supervisors are now claiming that she violated the law by posting an anti-Prop 415 message on her Facebook page.
They claim, according to the Arizona Daily Star, that “On Sept. 21, in a post that has since been removed, the first-term supervisor wrote on her Facebook page — which includes a link to her county-sponsored web page — “VOTE NO on Prop. 415 … we can’t afford the debt and we can’t afford the maintenance. Did you get your tax bill yet?”
Although the supervisor says she does not post to Facebook on county time, the fact that her Facebook page has a link to her official county website, she has violated Arizona Revised Statute 16-192 which says that it’s illegal for any public authority to use public resources to influence an election. Those resources include web pages, personnel “and any other thing of value of the public entity,” according to the Star.
Panic is settling in the County Administrator’s camp as opposition to the proposition grows.
Although Huckelberry claims that the Pima County Animal Care Center has not had any improvement since the 1960s an invitation by Supervisor Sharon Bronson to a groundbreaking event is making the social networking rounds.
A group of Pima County residents has also gained momentum with their Stop Prop 415 campaign.
According to the Star, the penalty for Miller’s alleged action, if proven true, is $5,000. “The statute says to “influence an election means supporting or opposing a candidate for nomination or election to public office or the recall of a public officer or supporting or opposing a ballot measure. …,” writes the Star reporter.
It is unknown at this time if complaints will be filed against Miller or the other supervisors who offered their input on the Voters’ Guide.
While the supervisors’ Publicity Package comments amount to a call for action and are signed by them, the link to which Chuck Huckelberry hopes to hang Miller with is a link to her private website; www.allymiller.com. That site then offers a link to a Pima County page.
Miller told the Star reporter that she “would certainly post ‘Vote no on Proposition 415 again because that is my opinion. There was no county funding to do that post.”
Huckelberry told the Star, “I think it’s obvious we go to great lengths to be neutral, and the staff cannot take a position on a proposition one way or another. All we can do is factually provide information,” he said. “This clearly is something that ought to be reviewed by the county attorney.”
To read Huckelberry’s memo:PACC draft bond ordinance, click here.