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Arizona Commissioner of Lands
| Arizona Commissioner of Lands | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Nonpartisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $210,000 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $24,907,500 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Serves at pleasure of the governor |
| Authority: | Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 37, Chapter 1, Article 2, Section 131 |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by governor |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Arizona Commissioner of Lands
Robyn Sahid | |
| Other Arizona Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Superintendent of Public Instruction• Auditor• Agriculture Director • Insurance and Financial Institutions Director• Lands Commissioner• Labor Director• Corporation Commission• State Mine Inspector | |
The Arizona Commissioner of Lands is a state executive position in the Arizona state government. The commissioner heads the Arizona State Land Department, which manages the State Trust, a 9.2 million acre parcel of land set aside to economically benefit Arizona's public schools and several other public institutions. The commissioner leads the land department in its mission "to manage State Trust lands and resources to enhance value ... consistent with sound stewardship, conservation, and business management principles."[1]
Current officeholder
The current Arizona Commissioner of Lands is Robyn Sahid (nonpartisan). Sahid assumed office in 2023.
Authority
The office of commissioner is established by statute.[2]
Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 37, Chapter 1, Article 2, Section 131
| A. There shall be a state land commissioner who shall be the executive officer of the state land department. |
Qualifications
Per state law, the commissioner must be at least 18 old, a citizen of the United States, able to speak, read and write English and registered with the selective service. Otherwise, there are no special qualifications required.[3]
Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 38, Chapter 2, Article 1, Section 211
| A. Every officer shall be not less than eighteen years of age, a citizen of the United States and a resident of this state.
B. No person is eligible to any office, employment or service in any public institution in the state, or in any of the several counties thereof, of any kind or character, whether by election, appointment or contract, unless he is a citizen of the United States, but the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the employment of any teacher, instructor or professor authorized to teach in the United States under the teacher exchange program as provided by federal statutes or the employment of university or college faculty members. C. A person who is unable to speak, write and read the English language is not eligible to hold a state, county, city, town or precinct office in the state, whether elective or appointive, and no certificate of election or commission shall issue to a person so disqualified. D. Except as provided in subsection E, a person is not eligible for employment by or service for the state or a political subdivision of the state, including all boards and commissions of the state or political subdivision, all multimember governing bodies of departments, agencies, institutions and instrumentalities of the state or political subdivisions unless the person has registered with the selective service system if required by the federal military selective service act (62 Stat. 604; 50 United States Code App. section 453). |
Appointments
The commissioner is appointed by the governor with the consent of the state Senate and serves at the governor's pleasure.[2]
Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 37, Chapter 1, Article 2, Section 131
| B. The commissioner shall be appointed by the governor pursuant to section 38-211 and shall serve at the pleasure of the governor. |
Term limits
There are no term limits for the office of land commissioner.
Vacancies
If a vacancy occurs, the governor nominates a new appointee to the state Senate. If the departing incumbent is able to continue to hold office until the new appointee qualifies, he or she does so. Otherwise, the nominee assumes office pending confirmation. If the senate subsequently rejects the nominee, the governor makes a new appointment.
In general, a vacancy appointee serves the unexpired term of the previous officeholder.[3]
Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 38, Chapter 2, Article 2, Section 211
| B. If the term of any state office which is appointive pursuant to this section expires, begins or becomes vacant during a regular legislative session, the governor shall during such session nominate a person who meets the requirements of law for such office and shall promptly transmit the nomination to the president of the senate. If the incumbent is capable of continuing to serve until his successor has qualified, a nominee to that position shall not assume and discharge the duties of the office, pending senate confirmation. If the incumbent is unable to continue to discharge the duties of office, the nominee shall assume and discharge the duties of the office pending senate confirmation. If the senate consents to the nomination, the governor shall then appoint the nominee to serve for the term or, in the case of a vacancy, for the unexpired term in which the vacancy occurred. If the senate rejects the nomination the nominee shall not be appointed and the governor shall promptly nominate another person who meets the requirements for such office. If the senate takes no formal action on the nomination during such legislative session, or if a nomination other than one that is required to be sent to the senate during the first week of the legislative session is not received during the session, the governor shall after the close of such legislative session appoint the nominee to serve, and the nominee shall discharge the duties of office, subject to confirmation during the next legislative session. |
Duties
- See Energy policy in Arizona for information on the state's energy portfolio and goals.
The land commissioner heads the Arizona Department of Lands, which manages the state's land trust. The State Trust is the amalgamation of federal land devolved to Phoenix's control when Arizona became a state in 1863 along with land taken in 1910 from individual townships. The purpose of the trust is to provide revenue for 14 beneficiaries; the state's public school system receives 87 percent of the trust's revenue, with the remainder received by organizations like the University of Arizona and the Executive & Judicial Buildings fund. Revenue is generated by leasing or selling the trust's land to private real estate or mineral/resource developers. In 2007, the Arizona Land Department generated $332 million in revenue.[4]
Besides selling or leasing land for commercial use, the commissioner may sell recreational permits for the use of state lands or close state lands entirely if he deems it in the interests of the state land trust. He or she also arbitrates disputes over the use of state land.
The land commissioner has the power to withhold economic and engineering analyses, "collected during the urban planning process from public viewing before they are submitted to local planning and zoning authorities."[5]
Divisions
As of January 6, 2021, divisions within the Arizona Land Department included:[6]
- Agriculture Leases
- Commercial Sales & Leases
- Cultural Resources
- Grazing Leases
- Mineral Leases
- Public Records Requests
- Rights of Way
- Water
State budget
- See also: Arizona state budget and finances
The budget for the Arizona Land Department in Fiscal Year 2025 was $24,907,500.[7]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The commissioner's compensation is determined by the Arizona Department of Administration in its annual recommendation to the legislature.[8]
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $210,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $175,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2021
In 2021, the commissioner received a salary of $175,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2020
In 2020, the commissioner received a salary of $175,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2019
In 2019, the commissioner received a salary of $175,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2018
In 2018, the commissioner received a salary of $175,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2017
In 2017, the commissioner received a salary of $175,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2016
In 2016, the commissioner received a salary of $175,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2015
Ballotpedia was unable to find salary information for the year 2015.
2014
In 2014, the commissioner earned an estimated salary of $131,500, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2013
In 2013, the commissioner earned an estimated $131,500. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.[18]
2010
In 2010, the commissioner earned an estimated salary of $131,500.[19]
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Arizona Commissioner of Lands has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Arizona Commissioner Land. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact info
Physical address:
1110 W Washington St
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: (602) 542-4631
See also
| Arizona | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Arizona State Land Department, "Mission," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Arizona Revised Statutes, "Section 37-131," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Arizona Revised Statutes, "Section 38-201," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Arizona State Land Department, "Arizona's State Land Trust," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Arizona Revised Statutes, "Section 37-132," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Arizona State Land Department, "Contact Us," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee, "Summary of Appropriated Funds by Agency - Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 38, Chapter 4, Article 1, Section 611," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2013, Table 4.11," accessed January 31, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2010, Table 4.11," accessed May 20, 2011
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