Salt River Project councilmembers picked Thomas Galvin to fill a vacancy left by longtime board member and solar advocate Nick Brown.
The selection of the lawyer and Maricopa County supervisor set aside arguments that Eric Gorsegner, a sitting councilmember, should inherit the seat.
Galvin won the seat 15-13 over Gorsegner, a councilmember for District 7 and former SRP employee. District 7 includes northeast Valley neighborhoods, including parts of Scottsdale.
District 10 councilmember Dave Lamoreaux said he "loved" Galvin's resume.
"We grab everybody and anybody, the best, the brightest, wherever they're at," Lamoreaux said.
Galvin was appointed to the boards of the two organizations that make up SRP: One administers power, and the other administers water.
Members are often elected to both. SRP delivers water and power to more than 2 million people.
Brown’s resignation came after a contentious election earlier this year. Turnout in the typically quiet local races quadrupled over 2024 levels, with close to 36,000 votes cast. A slate of “Clean Energy” candidates made gains on both the power board and the utility’s advisory councils, pushing back an effort to elect candidates endorsed by conservative political group Turning Point Action.
The 30-member district council held a special meeting Aug. 13 to appoint a replacement for Brown.
At certain points in the meeting, the tension seemed to have cooled. Several councilmembers stressed the importance of collaboration on the nonpartisan board and said both Gorsegner and Galvin were good nominees.
But at other moments, speakers pointed to polarization on the regulatory boards.
“I cringe at this narrative that there are two warring parties,” Gorsegner said. “But I will also tell you, when I walk into the board meetings — and I think I’ve only missed two of them — half of the people are sitting on this side of the table, and half are sitting on that side of the table.”
Gorsegner cast himself as an inquisitive insider, plugging his years as an SRP employee and former policy analyst for the Arizona Corporation Commission.
“I’m the guy that asks maybe too many questions sometimes, but I think they’re the right questions, and I think they’re the questions we need to ask,” Gorsegner said.
He listed several priorities, including protecting the utility’s bond rating, preparing for wildfire and the expansion of the Bartlett Dam.
Galvin touted his experience as a policy analyst for former Arizona Corporation Commissioner Brenda Burns and as a lawyer. He stressed that affordability and reliability were key.
“On a daily basis, I’m working with small business owners, with farmers, with big developers, and I have been aware of all of the issues that are impacting Arizona, and frankly, all the concerns about affordability that people have on a daily basis,” Galvin said.
Several councilmembers questioned whether his work for Rose Law Group might lead to conflicts of interest if his clients cross paths with the utility. Galvin said he would recuse himself when needed, which he anticipated would be infrequent.
He also quashed concerns that his law firm might take legal action against the utility he now helps regulate.
“I do not believe nor expect that we would ever be suing SRP,” Galvin said.
Some councilmembers said they were concerned that appointing Galvin would run contrary to the precedent for filling vacancies.
Fellow District 7 Councilmember Colleen Resch-Geretti nominated Gorsegner, calling him Brown’s “natural successor.” Resch-Geretti, Gorsegner and Brown are all listed as members of the SRP "Clean Energy" team.
Besides Gorsegner’s years as an SRP employee, Resch-Geretti pointed to guidance adopted in 2012 that states “typically,” a senior councilmember in the same voting area as the board seat would be recommended to fill the vacancy.
“While board vacancies are rare ― the last one occurred 22 years ago ― this is a situation any district could face in the future,” Resch-Geretti said. “That brings us here today. We are here to make an appointment, not conduct an open election, to fill District Seven’s board seat following Nick Brown’s resignation. The question before us is not who we would like to serve, but who the established process and long-standing guidelines guide us to appoint.”
Councilmember Ian Rakow, who expressed his respect for Galvin and said he was not in Gorsegner’s “fan club,” ultimately voted in favor of Gorsegner.
“If it was a regular election, I’d be out collecting ballots for you, I’d probably be raising money for you,” said Rakow, addressing Galvin. “But unfortunately, I’m kind of feeling like I didn’t set the rules.”
Alaina Mencinger covers tech, energy and utilities for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at Alaina.Mencinger@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin tapped to fill SRP vacancy
