The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has appointed Rick Romley to replace County Attorney Andrew Thomas.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors named Rick Romley to replace County Attorney Andrew Thomas.
Romley held the post for 16 years and has been in private practice since leaving office in 2004.
He was chosen Friday from among 13 applicants, including Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn, who had been considered one of the more likely possibilities for the job.
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Thomas resigned April 5 to run for Arizona Attorney General. He’d been at odds with the supervisors over budget matters and pursued criminal investigation of board members.
Romley will hold the post until this fall, when voters will elect a person to complete the final two years of Thomas’ term.
Supervisors noted Romley’s experience in naming him.
“I believe that Mr. Romley will hit the ground running,” Supervisor Andy Kunasek said in a statement. “We look forward to Maricopa County having a county prosecutor of whom we can be proud.”
During Romley’s previous time in office, he was often at odds with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The sheriff criticized the board for its choice.
Romley’s appointment means Chandler won’t have to search for a mayor.
Dunn would have had to resign almost instantly if he’d gotten the job. The City Council would have had to name a replacement within 30 days to avoid a special election to fill the post.
Dunn will leave office this year anyway, as term limits prevent him from running again after his term ends in December.
