Brian Johnson resigns as Pima County treasurer

Pima County Treasurer Brian Johnson resigned on Friday, announcing the change in a letter to the Board of Supervisors and Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher.

“This was a very difficult decision, but recent urgent changes in my personal responsibilities have made it clear that I can no longer serve the citizens of Pima County at the level they deserve,” Johnson wrote on Friday.

“It has been a profound privilege to serve the residents of Pima County. I am deeply proud of the progress we have made during my time in office to work toward modernizing our operations, strengthening our fiscal safeguards, and managing our public funds with transparency and accountability.”

Johnson will leave effective Monday, June 15.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to my staff for their unwavering dedication and to the Board of Supervisors for their cooperation during my tenure,” Johnson wrote.

Chief Deputy Treasurer Jake Martin will take Johnson’s place.

The last elected treasurer also resigned for the post.

Beth Ford, a Republican who served as the treasurer since 2000, resigned in March 2024 and her top lieutenant Chris Ackerley took over the office. Ackerley tried to convince voters to let him continue as treasurer, but lost to Johnson in November 2024.

Johnson assumed office in January 2025.

It is unclear why Johnson resigned, though in recent weeks, he has locked horns with Pima County Assessor Suzanne Droubie over $5.8 million in property tax valuations—along with as much as $800,000 in interest—the Tucson Agenda reported.