Maricopa County Board of Supervisors selects new chair for 2026

PHOENIX – The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on Monday unanimously selected Kate Brophy McGee as 2026 chair of the metro Phoenix governing body.

Brophy McGee, one of four Republicans on the five-member panel, is taking the gavel from 2025 Chair Thomas Galvin. The board selects new leadership at the start of each year.

“It means the world to me to be elected to lead this fabulous board,” Brophy McGee said after getting her colleagues’ approval during a special meeting.

She was vice chair under Galvin and selected Supervisor Debbie Lesko to serve in that role this year.

Brophy McGee thanked her predecessor for his year as chair.

“Some people have vision but can’t build the consensus to get things done. Others are good team players but not leaders. You are the best of both worlds, and we’re all better for it here in Maricopa County,” she said while addressing Galvin.

Brophy McGee is entering the second year of her first term representing District 3, which covers a swath of central and northern Phoenix as well as Cave Creek, Anthem, New River and Paradise Valley. She previously spent a decade in the state Legislature.

Maricopa County 2026 chair reveals her top priority

She said her top priority as chair will be to renew a sales tax that funds public safety in Maricopa County. The Jail Excise Tax is set to expire in 2027.

The 0.2% tax raises about $300 million annually. It was originally approved by voters in 1999 and renewed in 2002.

“This tax has provided sustainable public safety funding for nearly three decades, and it is my first priority as chair. … It gives the sheriff, the courts and our other public safety partners the resources they need to keep the entire community safe,” Brophy McGee said.

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