The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has appointed an acting administrator to oversee the Assessor’s Office. Bill Wiley is an experienced leader with deep knowledge of Maricopa County. He most recently served as Chief Engineer of the Flood Control District of Maricopa County. Prior to that, he was Director of Maricopa County’s Air Quality Department. Wiley has also served in leadership roles with the Phoenix Street Transportation Department and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality as well as in the private sector.
Wiley will provide oversight and guidance to the Assessor’s Office following the suspension of Assessor Paul Petersen. On October 28, the Board of Supervisors placed Petersen on unpaid suspension for neglect of duty, pursuant to ARS 11-664. The statute requires the Board to appoint a person to fill the office. While not a replacement, the appointee has the full authority of the Assessor. By law, Paul Petersen remains the County Assessor.
Petersen is accused of crimes in three states related to his private legal practice. An internal audit, requested by Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates, found that Mr. Petersen had hundreds of private business documents on his county-issued desktop computer.