Since stepping into the role of Pima County Treasurer in April, Republican Chris Ackerley says he’s made it a priority to ensure operational continuity and a seamless transition for the office.

He’s looking to continue that work, saying that central to his vision is a commitment to community engagement. Ackerley was appointed to the position in April, following the resignation of longtime treasurer Beth Ford. He’s being challenged for the seat by Democrat Brian Johnson.

“One of the couple of things that I intend to work on, should I be elected as Treasurer for the upcoming term, is constituent outreach,” he told Tucson Spotlight.

The Treasurer’s office operates much like a credit union, serving various jurisdictions within the county, including school districts and fire districts.

Ackerley says he’s taken a proactive approach in this regard, attending frequent school board and fire district board meetings.

As the office processes roughly 1 million tax payments annually, Ackerley is keen to enhance efficiency through online payments, which he views as the most cost-effective method for both taxpayers and the office. 

“We still process quite a few physical checks through our office and then also a surprisingly significant amount of cash payments as well,” he said. “As a goal, I would like to see us continue to increase the number of those payments that are made online via check and look to improve the interfaces that we have in order to do that.”

While he’s already made some updates to the Treasurer’s website this tax cycle, he envisions a future where the payment process is even more user-friendly. 

Turning to the county’s investment strategy, Ackerley highlighted his core responsibilities: safeguarding funds, managing cash flow and achieving optimal returns within statutory limits. 

“A big chunk of the pooled cash…is on deposit with the state treasurer’s office in what we call a local government investment pool,” he said, adding that the pool has been delivering competitive rates.

He also said a significant portion of the portfolio is invested in U.S. treasuries and government-backed agencies, alongside a robust collection of certificates of deposits, kept below FDIC insurance limits for security. 

Ackerley has been clear about his commitment to keeping the Treasurer’s office non-political. 

“I don’t believe this office should be political,” he said. “I don’t think we should be making political statements...Those are more appropriately made by elected bodies that actually serve a public policy setting function.”

There’s where he and Johnson differ, he said.

“He believes that this office should be involved in politics and one of his platforms is that he will evaluate all of the different investments in the county based upon the county’s Prosperity Initiative,” Ackerley said. “I don’t really have any idea how he intends to accomplish that without, you know, significantly increasing staff.”

Managing nearly 600 certificates of deposit spread across various banks would require additional personnel for individual assessments, he said. 

Though he and Johnson agree on the need for better constituent outreach, they differ significantly on the technological direction of the treasurer’s office. 

“Currently, our office uses a proprietary system...there’s a reason for that separation, and there’s a reason that we use a proprietary system in the treasurer’s office. Security,” he said.

Ackerley was adamant about the benefits of internal hosting, which he believes provides greater control, lower costs and enhanced security. He also said the Teasurer’s office and county finance department utilize separate systems to maintain checks and balances on financial data. 

Ackerley has remained steadfast during campaigning about his commitment to keeping the Treasurer’s office free from political influence, emphasizing the importance of transparency and responsible financial management.

He said these principles will guide his approach if elected.

Isabela Gamez is a University of Arizona alum and reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact her at gamezi@arizona.edu.

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