A billboard message from the East Valley Partnership (EVP), whose membership includes the likes of Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin and former Mesa Mayor John Giles, honored the three outgoing Maricopa County supervisors who have earned the ire of many Valley voters: Bill Gates, Jack Sellers, and Clint Hickman.
The digital billboard is located off the I-17 near the intersection of I-10 between Phoenix and Glendale, by the historic local business, Pearson’s Signs. The Valley’s major business league nonprofit rented the digital billboard through Becker Boards.
EVP President John Lewis announced their nonprofit’s placement of the billboard on Friday, commending the three supervisors and avoiding mention of the many major controversies that arose from their leadership during COVID-19 and the elections of the past few years.
“The billboard says it all: feelings from the EV Partnership, thank you Maricopa County Supervisors Bill Gates, Jack Sellers, and Clint Hickman,” said Lewis. “You have diligently led the ‘fastest-growing county in the United States, home to the sun, saguaros, and 4.5 million people.”
The billboard says it all: feelings from the @EVPartnership, THANK YOU @MaricopaCounty Supervisors @billgatesaz #phxeastvalley @JackSellers & Clint Hickman; you have diligently led “the fastest-growing county in the United States, home to sun, saguaros, and 4.5 million people.” pic.twitter.com/RE3IQ4RrWI
— John Lewis (@EVPLewis) December 27, 2024
EVP’s loyal support of the three embattled supervisors likely had to do with their support for EVP-led policy, a leading venture of the business league.
Representing @EVPartnership on the #MaricopaCounty #PublicSafety Funding Committee, after 9 months, 12 public meetings, facility visits, ride-alongs & webinars, we presented our findings & recommendations to the @MaricopaCounty Supervisors @JackSellers @mcsoaz @marcoattorney pic.twitter.com/dp3RNYinVw
— John Lewis (@EVPLewis) December 10, 2024
The supervisors’ departures were the end result of years of increased scrutiny and dissatisfaction among voters which picked up steam around the 2020 election.
The board members fought against transparency and displayed an unwillingness to stand by the Republican grassroots challenging the validity of the 2020 election results — which yielded significant losses to the GOP from Donald Trump on down. The ensuing crisis of confidence spurred a rift in the party and sparked a years-long campaign to recall and unseat the board members.
During the 2022 election, the board members again faced mounting criticisms over the massive issues with election machines: faulty printer settings issuing ballots rendered unreadable by on-site tabulators, a mishap that experts and the grassroots maintain was entirely avoidable.
As president of the board, Gates fiercely defended the county’s management of the 2022 election, both in words and through actions aimed to thwart any efforts to dig up the internal failures that caused those widespread Election Day struggles.
That election resulted in the disenfranchisement of a yet-unknown number of voters. Many county residents were ultimately unable to vote on Election Day due to county mismanagement of election equipment.
Rather than sparing no expense to address voter concerns, the county expended resources rolling out marketing tactics like mascot costumes and information control tactics like press pass restrictions and a disinformation center.
Gates announced last year that he wouldn’t be seeking reelection due to an alleged development of PTSD incurred by his role as supervisor. Gates reported discovering his PTSD after being “trigger[ed]” by a plumber wearing a “MAGA” hat.
Hickman followed in Gates’ footsteps in announcing his intent to not run again earlier this year.
The supervisors won’t remain idle in their retirement from the board, however.
Last month, Hickman and Gates joined a newly-founded “conservative” group that aims to undermine a Republican Party led by President-elect Donald Trump.
