Pima County approved an updated seven-year plan to promote environmentally friendly practices last week, but two supervisors who voted against it insist it’s driven by politics and full of hidden costs for taxpayers.

The county says the plan, first instituted a decade ago, has saved more than $14 million and has reduced its carbon footprint, but District 4 Supervisor Steve Christy is skeptical.

“I have grave doubts about the return on the investments,” Christy said in phone interview Tuesday.

The Sustainable Action Plan for County Operations 2018-2025, which passed 3-2, builds off a history of countywide conservation projects focused on striking a balance among economic growth, social well-being and environmental protection. The three Democrats on the board approved the new plan, the Republicans said no.

This year’s updated SAPCO plan includes five focus areas: carbon emissions, water conservation, land reclamation and riparian restoration, purchasing green office products and reduce landfill waste, and workforce preparedness training for short-term and long-term climate change risks.

The plan also affirms the county’s commitment to the Paris Agreement, an international pact to combat climate change, which the Trump administration withdrew from in June 2017. As of July, there were 197 signatories to the international agreement.

Read the entire Green Valley News and Sun article here. Originally published Oct. 24, 2018.