Pima County Board Supervisor Richard Elías dies at 61

Sudden death ends 20 years of service

TIME LEADERS HAS SUDDENLYDIED.

IT WAS ANNOUNCED LATETHIS AFTERNOON -- THAT RICHARDEL"AS -- CHAIRMAN OF THE PIMACOUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS --HAS PASSED.

NINE ON YOURSIDE'S CRAIG SMITH OFTENCOVERED EL"AS AND HIS WORK.

HEHAS MORE ON THE MAN AND SOMEOF THE PEOPLE REMEMBERING HIM.CRAIG: "PEOPLE WHO WATCHED ANDWORKED WITH RICHARD ELIAS OVERHIS TWENTY YEARS AS A COUNTYLEADER SAW HIM AS PASSIONATE,SOMETIMES PRICKLY BUT ALWAYSDEDICATED TO WHAT HE THOUGHTWAS BEST FOR THE PEOPLE OFPIMA COUNTY AND FOR PIMACOUNTY EMPLOYEES." ELIASBIOGRAPHY ON THE COUNTYWEBSITE DESCRIBES HIM AS ANADVOCATE FOR THE SONORANDESERT, FOR AFFORDABLEHOUSING, AND ELIMINATINGHEALTH-CARE DISPARITIES, HEWORRIED ABOUT COUNTY WORKERSWHEN A DISPUTE DELAYED THECOUNTY BUDGET LAST SUMMER 1:26"AND I THINK IT'S BAD TO MOVEFORWARD WITH PLACING FURTHERRESTRICTIONS ON HIRING BECAUSEOUR STAFF HAS BEEN BEAT UPCONTINUALLY OVER THE LAST TENYEARS AND WE'RE CONTINUING TODO THAT IF WE APPROVE SOME OFTHE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAPPENEDTODAY." 1:41 ELIAS FATHER,ALBERT ELIAS , WAS A UNIONLEADER AND FOUNDER OF ONE OFTHE MOST INFLUENTIAL SPANISHLANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS.

AS A BOY,EL"AS DELIVERED PAPERSTHROUGHOUT NEIGHBORHOODS.COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR CHUCKHUCKELBERRY REFERRED TO HOWTHAT HISTORY GAVE ELIAS A DEEPKNOWLEDGE OF THE PEOPLE HESERVED.

HE DESCRIBED ELIAS AS"&.A FRIEND, A COLLEAGUE, ACOMPATRIOT, AN OCCASIONALADVERSARY, AND A SUPERBSUPERVISOR WHO SERVED HISCONSTITUENTS AND THIS COUNTYFAITHFULLY, EARNESTLY,HONESTLY AND ALWAYS WITH ANETHOS FAMILIAR TO PHYSICIANSDO NO HARM." BEFORE WINNINGMANY ELECTIONS AS ASUPERVISOR, RICHARD ELIAS WASAPPOINTED TO THE BOARD WHENRAUL GRIJALVA BECAME ACONGRESSMAN.

OF HIS OLD FRIENDGRIJALVA SAID, "HE CARED ABOUTREGULAR FOLKS AND THE ISSUESTHAT MATTERED TO THEM.

HE LEDWITH HIS HEART AND USED HISMIND AND BODY TO CONSISTENTLYFIGHT FOR THE RIGHT THING FORPEOPLE.

THE LOSS OF A THINKERAND ADVOCATE LIKE HIM WILL BESORELY MISSED IN OURCOMMUNITY." CRAIG: "ELIASDEATH LEAVES THE BOARD ONESUPERVISOR SHORT AND WITHOUTIT'S CHAIRMAN AT AN ESPECIALLYCRITICAL TIME.

ELIAS HAD BEENACTIVE IN THE COUNTY'SRESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS.STATE LAW SAYS THE REMAININGSUPERVISORS AND THE CLERK OFTHE BOARD WILL APPOINT SOMEONEFROM ELIAS DISTRICT TO FILLHIS SEAT." CRAIG SMITH, KGUN9ON YOUR SIDE