Pima County approves $250,000 contingency to bolster domestic-violence victim services and emergency sheltering

The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to allocate $250,000 from contingency funds to support domestic-violence victim services, including after-hours victim advocates, emergency sheltering and forensic strangulation exams; the package also included $90,000 to fund half of a firearm-transfer program tied to domestic-violence case processing.

Administrator Lesher presented the recommendation as a targeted, time-sensitive appropriation to address gaps created by reductions in other funding streams and to maintain critical services while the county and partners pursue longer-term solutions.

Why it matters: advocates and court stakeholders had urged continued funding for emergency shelter and services, arguing that losses in federal or other grant funding put survivors at immediate risk. Supervisors described the request as a prudent use of contingency money that enables partners such as Emerge to keep services operational.

Representative quote
“This proposal is prudent and meets the needs of our time,” Supervisor Conno said during discussion, noting the urgency of maintaining shelter and advocacy services.

Outcome and next steps
The motion passed on roll call with recorded votes and instructions for staff to coordinate the funding distribution with partner agencies and the county attorney’s office. Staff will report back to the board on implementation and expected duration of the support.