Former Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox has won an appeal over a nearly $1 million settlement in her lawsuit against the county.

The ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals backs up a lower court's decision that ordered the county pay the settlement to Wilcox.

Wilcox's attorneys had worked with a mediator to reach a settlement. But some county officials disputed the deal because they contended the county administrator who set up the mediation didn't have final authority over hte agreement.

Once the settlement is paid, the county will have spent $39 million to settle a political feud among county officials.

Wilcox recently redesigned from her county post so she could run for the Congressional seat that's open because of the retirement of U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor.