Kate Brophy McGee Elected Chair of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors

PHOENIX (Jan. 5, 2026) – Kate Brophy McGee is the first female chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in nearly a quarter century. Unanimously elected by her colleagues today, Brophy McGee laid out a vision for Maricopa County that includes new initiatives to prevent evictions, reduce the backlog of seriously mentally ill individuals needing treatment, ensure efficient elections, and promote balanced, sustainable growth.

PHOENIX (Jan. 5, 2026) – Kate Brophy McGee is the first female chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in nearly a quarter century. Unanimously elected by her colleagues today, Brophy McGee laid out a vision for Maricopa County that includes new initiatives to prevent evictions, reduce the backlog of seriously mentally ill individuals needing treatment, ensure efficient elections, and promote balanced, sustainable growth. "Your county government is already doing a lot of things right: keeping the property tax rate low; following constitutionally mandated spending limits; and making long-term investments that improve government service and promote community well-being," said Chair Brophy McGee, who represents supervisorial district 3 comprising much of the City of Phoenix and its northern suburbs, including Anthem, Cave Creek, Carefree, New River and Desert Hills. "My promise to you is that we will maintain that strong fiscal position, protect taxpayers, and meet service demands, regardless of what comes our way." In the coming year, Chair Brophy McGee said she would focus heavily on quality-of-life issues, such as housing security and safe communities. Evictions Maricopa County Justice Courts processed more than 80,000 eviction filings in 2025, the third year in a row above 80,000. Brophy McGee said, at her direction, Maricopa County will take new steps to keep more families in their homes. These include a pilot program with the City of Phoenix to find interventions that are both effective and financially sustainable. "Together, we're going to build a model that works," said Brophy McGee. Public Safety and Mental Health Issues Maricopa County typically devotes about 50% of its annual budget to public safety measures. Brophy McGee pledged to work with Presiding Judge Pam Gates to address a backlog in the treatment admission process for individuals in the justice system experiencing serious mental illness. "By working together, we can strengthen this process and better ensure timely access to care for people during their time of greatest need," she said. The new chair said she would continue to prioritize law enforcement through the budgeting process and by working through the court system to end the costly federal oversight of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Infrastructure A recent survey of Maricopa County residents found one of the top issues of concern was the region's rapid growth. Chair Brophy McGee said county government plays an important role in ensuring developments have the necessary water, roads, and drainage. She cited a streamlined and centralized permitting process and a modernized zoning ordinance as building blocks for what she would like to accomplish in the coming year. "We're going to put in place Infrastructure Readiness Assessments so we can get early visibility into unincorporated county areas where capacity is lagging, and we will make this information easier for the public to access with a Development Pipeline Dashboard," said Brophy McGee. "This dashboard will provide a real-time view of development activity and associated infrastructure so we all know what's happening in our neighborhoods." Elections Maricopa County will administer four elections in 2026 including the midterms for state and national office in August and November. Also this year, the County will release the results of an independent, outside review of election processes, including technology and chain of custody. "Where auditors have identified ways we can be better, we'll move swiftly to make those changes," said Brophy McGee. She then reiterated her call for the County Recorder to explain the increased rate of voters who had their signatures rejected in the November 2025 jurisdictional election. "We want to be sure those voters can participate in future elections if they are eligible to do so." A Momentous Time Brophy McGee noted several times her desire to embrace the "boring business of good government" but the year started with a proverbial bang. Brophy McGee is the first female chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors since Jan Brewer in 2001. Brewer was one of several influential Arizona female leaders in attendance at today's Passing of the Gavel ceremony, which is occurring in the months before America celebrates its 250th birthday. "When we follow the example of these trailblazing leaders—when we do the hard thing, when we refuse to give into political pressure—we are doing what the founders intended and what American democracy demands," Brophy McGee said. You can learn more about Chair Brophy McGee's priorities on the District 3 website at Maricopa.gov/District3.