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Facts vs Fiction
Misinformation & Misinterpretations

Vote Informed!

  • A PAC has put up a group of candidates to run against Republican Incumbents this year; and many of the stories being told share only partial facts, and deal primarily with two critical offices - County Attorney and Sheriff. 

Having the Right People in Place is Critical to Insure Effective and Efficient Government.

Please take time to review this information AND join me in voting JULY 30th!

Of course while we expect all Pinal County Staff and Representatives to exhibit professional conduct, with integrity and honesty, these Character Attributes are especially critical in Law Enforcement and our Legal​​ Department.

Half the County Budget funds the Sheriff’s Department and County Attorney’s Office.

There is a lot of misinformation this year about candidates for Sheriff and County Attorney.

I have personally worked with both and been impressed with their knowledge and character.

This election year, I invite you to join me as I VOTE for Ross Teeple and Kent Volkmer

 

Below you will find out why. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

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STORY: Kevin Cavanaugh Claims on his Campaign Literature to Have Been one of Mark Lamb’s Deputy Chiefs.

Mark Lamb confirmed Mr. Cavanaugh worked for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) very briefly, but was never a PCSO Deputy of any kind. He did serve another way, for less than four months… Sheriff Lamb hired Mr. Cavanaugh in early 2017, to serve directly under Deputy Chief Bryan Harrell as an Administrative Commander. Typically, that civilian position would not require a polygraph (which is required of all Deputies). However, Pinal County accesses a state criminal database called Arizona Criminal Justice Info System (ACJIS) which requires every employee who ‘might’ have access to their confidential criminal justice info to complete a Polygraph or other Truth Verification Exam. Mr. Cavanaugh refused both. That meant, if he remained employed with PCSO, Pinal County would not be able to utilize this valuable State resource. He left the Sheriff’s Department. * PCSO Org Chart: There is only one Chief Deputy position. This Officer serves directly under the Sheriff; and oversees two Deputy Chiefs who split supervision of the Sheriff staff: one over Patrol [Sworn Officers/Bryan Harrell] and the other over Detention [Jail/Matt Hedricks].

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STORY: Brad Miller Says Kent Volkmer is Soft on Crime. That is Just Not True!

Check out these Statistics Above!

Crime continued to decrease year after year once County Atty Kent Volkmer and Sheriff Mark Lamb teamed up in 2017; even as population steadily grew more than 25% over the past ten years. Their staff has been working together diligently and effectively, to keep the community safe; and they have received National recognition for their work! Crime has seen an uptick in the past year and a half due to the Fentanyl and Opioid Epidemic; so, that and Teen Violence are areas in which Volkmer and Teeple will be focused during this next 4 year term. The County will be receiving funding from a class action suit we joined against Pharma, which will help fund substance abuse treatment and other resources to help battle related crime.

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STORY: Brad Miller's Private Practice Website seems to have been Amended Many Times; a Better Political Image?

I am Brad Miller, the founder and managing partner of a small town law firm. I’ve been practicing criminal law for over a decade and am located in Florence, Arizona which is just south of Phoenix. I focus exclusively on defending those accused of violent and sex crimes—including murder, sexual battery, child molestation, aggravated assault with deadly weapons. I also handle DUIs (driving under the influence) and drug offenses.

(August 2023 screen shot)

 

Now the info has changed on his Law website, and  the viewer is re-directed to his campaign site.

Don't expect the drug issue to improve under Mr. Miller’s watch. He personally grew his Private Law Practice defending drug dealers and many of the most horrible types of crimes, as you can see from his past websites, which have all been conveniently amended or redirected since screen shots were captured last summer. Thankfully you can make up your own mind about what Brad Miller values most; and if he will now prosecute the types of crimes, and thousands of people he has been defending, and keeping out of jail, for more than 15 years. Now he has changed the info on his business website, and re-directed it to his campaign site, to 'present' a nice, polished, professional, community caring image of himself. Don't be duped!

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A County Attorney would never defend Fake Electors. Election Integrity is Too Important to Us All.

Recounts were done all over the state. Many people were unhappy with the results of the 2020 election, and eight lawsuits unsuccessfully challenged the election results. Legal options to reverse the election outcomes were exhausted; so the Wards and nine other individuals around the county filed official documents to lawfully represent us, when they were not actually the legal Electors for Arizona. Pinal County will not stand for election fraud from anyone, of ANY political party or persuasion. We value the right of every qualified voter to have a voice in the decisions made on our ballots. Especially this month, as we honor the many Veterans who have laid their lives down to protect our Liberty, and the Privilege we have as Americans to elect our government, you have to know Election Integrity is most important to everyone who works in Pinal County. We have teams who have been working diligently the past three years to fine tune and improve the processes, adding redundancies and increased security. We will always look to find the best and most secure way to conduct this important right of all voters!

STORY:  Two Candidates are Running for Pinal County District 4 Supervisor. 

​My Opponent, Pete Sabin Claimed

Sovereign Citizenship Recently. 

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Excerpts from Brad Miller's previous
Business Websites (images follow)...

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STORY: Supervisors Accept Federal Grants with ESG Mandates Attached

Some say Pinal should not accept money with these kinds of strings attached. Federal overreach is the worry. ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance requirements. Property tax revenue accounts for only 25% of the annual budget. Pinal County does apply for many State and Federal Grants to help fund another 25% of the County’s Annual Budget. According to the County’s Budget and Finance Dept. the concern noted above is not an issue for Pinal County because only the highest dollar level grants include ESGs, and Pinal does not have a need for, nor do we apply for, those levels of funding with such stipulations. There are other types of very large State and Federal grant opportunities we do seek out, such as those to fund highway construction; but any added Federal requirements attached to those are typically only transportation related, and there are limited resources to fund our major road infrastructure; so those dollars are critical to transportation infrastructure and our ability to reduce traffic and improve travel safety. We did in early 2021 receive COVID money from the Feds that included a stipulation tied to extra money that could be spent on a staff member, or fund a temporary employee, who would see to it that communication about COVID related information made it to the far reaches of typically underserved and rural communities. We used a small share of that money to fund part of a health position for a short period of time, who did just that. There were no Federal stipulations or requirements to retain/share data about people in our community, or to require people to be vaccinated. If we did not need, or chose not to use the money to ensure everyone was informed, we had the option of returning the funding to the Feds. I first voted no on this grant in order to have an extra week or two to personally investigate this further, to be sure we were not beholden to infringing Federal mandates; and did vote to approve the grant funding at the following BOS meeting.

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STORY: Pinal Does Not Support Small Business Development – Oracle Coffee Shop

A local woman decided to purchase an abandoned Circle K Gas Station and turn it in to a coffee shop in the small rural mountain town of Oracle in Eastern Pinal County. She went to the Pinal County Planning and Development office to find out what was required of her to open a business in this space. There she received a large packet of requirements for business development in Pinal, one of which was to hire and Engineer/Architect to draw up plans for her project. This is a typical requirement in most cities and counties, to have a certified professional with a current license create the blueprints and plans for the project, to insure public safety of any renovations or new construction. Another requirement for food service operations is to obtain a permit from the county Health Department, for which commercial equipment must be approved, and operational procedures and menus are approved before opening. The Health Department then returns every six months thereafter to insure food safety procedures are being followed and equipment is running and in good condition. These processes and permits serve the County’s AZ statutory requirement to protect the health of its residents and public. Unfortunately, the engineer hired by the business owner mistakenly thought the County would require her to install a turn lane in the main road, to turn into her parking lot; but that was not true. He told her to expect it would cost her more than $1million. Unfortunately, the owner also received poor advice from other sources, such as not needing a Health Department permit if she made it a private club, or she could avoid following the County rules if she declared Sovereign Citizenship. Instead of shutting her down, the County worked for many months to straighten out and clarify the issues. Today she has a thriving business that is a wonderful asset to the community, and draws people from outside Oracle. This, with other stories from small business and resident constituents around the County, prompted a deeper look into the processes, requirements, and timelines associated with gathering all the needed information to acquire permits and open a business, complete a remodel on a residential property, or begin a major commercial building project such as a new Fire Station. The County is looking into ways to simplify and streamline the processes, tailor the permit requirement booklets to specific types of projects, and to improve the customer service experience for all concerned. This year a new position was added to the County staffing. Each District has a liaison to interface between their area customers and County staff in the process, to track and facilitate the pathway through the system, eliminating un-necessary work and offering help through the challenges. This coming year, work will continue to analyze the processes and revamp the system as needed to help speed the timeline and make the entire process much more practical, and less frustrating.

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STORY: Innovative Regional Economic Development Plan or Risky LUCID Investment?

Lucid was interested in Casa Grande due to its proximity to railways, highways and a population center that could provide employees. As counties cannot offer any tax incentives available to cities and states, Pinal County bonded for the purchase of land. Lucid would pay all bond finance costs and repay the bonded debt within 5 years. The bond was collateralized to protect Pinal’s Investment; and was paid back in full, ahead of schedule, with no cost to the taxpayers. If a default occurred, PC would recoup its loss by taking back the property, including all upgraded infrastructure and be able to sell the land to another buyer, or interested business developer. The result: Thousands of high paying jobs, long term property and business tax revenue for the County and Casa Grande, benefits of Lucid’s long term growth plan, and enhanced ripple economic development – attraction and future interest in Pinal County by related/partner industries as well as a variety of support and local businesses, large and small that will also bring jobs and revenues. A Safe Investment with a BIG Payoff.

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STORY: Diversion is a Bad Program that Puts Dangerous Criminals Back on the Street - NOT

Impressive Stats & Success Stories. Listen to a quick summary of Diversion given by Kent Volkmer to the BOS. Have more time? Listen here to a 25 minute podcast interview with Pinal County's Diversion and Re-entry Leadership Team PODCAST: The Diversion Program & How It Makes Pinal County Safer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIBPCEG_yIQ

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STORY: Pinal Central Editorial by Donovan Kramer Jr.

 

Beware...
 

Most of the primary election choices in Pinal County are for Republican voters and independents who are so inclined to decide. What they may not realize is how some candidates are working together to challenge what has been an effective, stable government. Four years ago Kevin Cavanaugh got a surprise win of a seat on the Board of Supervisors in what had been a Democratic district. He previously had run for sheriff, Congress and justice of the peace without success. Since then, his antics have cost the county a huge amount of wasted time and dollars. After redistricting, he now mainly represents Maricopa instead of central and eastern Pinal and would have faced strong opposition in a run for reelection. Instead, he is running for sheriff. Cavanaugh this year complained that the county recorder, Dana Lewis, had played “white noise” in her office citing fears Cavanaugh was tapping it. Cavanaugh earlier had voted against the board’s agreement with Lewis to have her supervise elections and raised some odd points about how the county conducts them. In spite of that, Lewis has done a serious and competent job in an area that faces intense scrutiny. Cavanaugh’s notice of claim seeking almost half a million dollars was referred to the county’s insurance carrier under its normal operating procedures. Last year, Cavanaugh and the county each had to pay $20,000 to settle a lawsuit by two county employees over outrageous personal allegations he had made. Regardless of whether insurance coverage is involved, taxpayers clearly are impacted. He also has caused wasteful investigations with unfounded claims about colleagues. Cavanaugh’s opponents for the sheriff nomination are Lt. Ross Teeple, a military and Arizona Corrections veteran who has been a competent leader in the Sheriff’s Office, and Charles G. “Chas” Austin Jr., who also has law enforcement experience. The Democratic candidate is a veteran police chief, Patrick Melvin, who will advance to the general election. Meanwhile, Cavanaugh’s former chief of staff, Brad Miller, is challenging incumbent Kent Volkmer for county attorney. Volkmer has done an exemplary job of reorganizing an office that, under his predecessor, was costing the county a fortune in over-charging cases, including multiple death penalty cases that never should have been filed that way. Many other defendants had been languishing in jail with public defenders, all at taxpayer expense, when their cases should have been resolved. Brad Miller’s connection to Cavanaugh is a serious red flag. The election of either one could turn county government into a circus. Volkmer and Teeple clearly deserve nomination. In Volkmer’s case there will be no general election opposition, which would mean a third term that is good for Pinal County. — Donovan Kramer Jr.

Make the Best Choices

...so we can continue to invest
wisely and thoughtfully in
Pinal County's Future and Safety

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