PIMA COUNTY (February 19, 2025) -- When you think of the different departments at Pima County, Real Property Services (RPS) might not immediately come to mind.
However, the work RPS does behind the scenes is essential. Just as a field of flowers couldn’t bloom without the bee that flits from petal to petal, so the County couldn’t operate as efficiently as it does without the tireless efforts of this humble department.
Real Property Services director Jeff Teplitsky stands in front of the Teatro Carmen, one of numerous properties that his department has helped Pima County to acquire.
“We are the liaison for real estate between the public and the County, and between the various County departments that have needs,” said RPS director Jeffrey Teplitsky. “Mostly, we’re responding and reacting to requests from other departments or from constituents.”
As the department’s name suggests, its remit is real property – essentially, land and any structures on it. When the County needs to appraise property – whether to acquire it, sell it, or lease it – it falls to RPS to manage that complex process, a task that the department’s team of fewer than 10 full-time employees handles swiftly and assuredly.
“We’re guiding the process, making sure everything goes smoothly,” Teplitsky said.
The department also manages properties owned but not operated by the County, such as ranch houses or properties acquired for road projects, a task that may include juggling everything from park operating agreements to residential leases. If telecommunications services need to license county-owned land or right-of-way for their cell towers, RPS will be the folks they’ll be talking to. (Properties owned and operated by the County are managed by Pima County Facilities Management.)
RPS also appraises property for the Pima County Regional Flood Control District's Floodprone Land Acquisition Program, a voluntary program through which the County acquires land parcels in areas especially vulnerable to flooding.
“If someone owns a property in a flood area, and they have an interest in selling it, Flood Control will accept an application from the property owner to acquire it,” Teplitsky said. “If it’s a good candidate, then Flood Control gets in touch with us, and we go through the steps of acquiring the property, which includes an appraisal, an offer to acquire and finally a closed real estate transaction.”
A day’s work at the department might include determining the fee for right-of-way licenses, valuing roadside property to acquire for road-widening projects, or even larger projects such as acquiring spaces for the County’s Conservation Lands program.
But it might also mean fielding calls from constituents curious about County-owned properties. If an individual is interested in buying an abandoned road or land behind their property that happens to be owned by the County, the department will determine its value – compare the parcel to others of similar size and location in the area – so that a formal offer can be made to sell the surplus property.
Jeff Swango, who retired earlier this month after working at the County for nearly a quarter-century, said working as the department’s full-time appraiser brought him a new surprise every week.
“The number and variety of assignments is just amazing,” he said. “Something you’re working on might be on a ranch or it might be in the middle of town, depending on what the County’s inventory is.”
By the nature of the department’s work, RPS works closely with other departments, whether the project involves a simple property valuation or the acquisition of a significant landmark.
“The Real Property folks are true team players and are mindful of cultural heritage values in all land issues that fall under their purview,” said Ian Milliken, cultural resources and heritage preservation manager at Pima County Conservation Lands & Resources.
When the County acquired the Titan Missile Museum in 2024, RPS worked to ensure the process ran as seamlessly as possible. Since the museum is a National Historic Landmark, the transition was a complex process that required careful coordination among several departments.
“This collaboration ensured the preservation of the museum’s historical integrity while navigating the legal and logistical complexities of such a transfer,” Milliken said. “Together, we safeguarded this significant piece of Cold War history for future generations.”
Swango said that RPS deserves to be proud of the speed and efficiency of its services.
“Typically in the world of real estate, things can be slow, and I think we’ve made a concerted effort to get things out in a timely fashion for other departments,” he said. “I think we’ve gone the extra mile to provide good service for the County.”