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Joyce Clark Unfiltered

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May 26

31

Who are Lupe Conchas puppet masters?

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 31, 2026
Posted in Cactus District • City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • VAI Resort • Worker Power Super PAC  | Tagged With: , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Lupe Conchas was removed from Glendale City Council on May 28, 2026. For those readers who have not been following my blog, council found him in violation of the Glendale city charter. The charter disqualifies from a Glendale city council position anyone who holds a second public office for which compensation is received. Conchas is seated as a board member of the SRP agricultural improvement and water district, a public office for which compensation is received.

A recent SRP election saw a slate of climate advocates win control of the SRP power board. Conchas was one of two “clean energy” candidates who flipped board seats, helping to secure a single-seat majority for the climate team, in a surprise result. Conchas faces tremendous pressure to remain on the SRP board. He only offered to resign if city council retained him as a councilmember knowing that probably would not happen.

Granted Conchas is politically ambitious and may one day seek a congressional office, but he can’t do it without help…a lot of financial help.

The day Conchas was removed from city council he immediately filed a civil lawsuit (CV2026-022080) against the city seeking an emergency temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction. According to an Arizona Republic story of May 29, 2026, “The complaint says Conchas suffers ‘irreparable harm’ because he is unable to serve his constituents and is being illegally denied his councilmember salary and benefits. The annual salary of a councilmember is $34,000.”

When Conchas says it’s not about the money, you can see in his filing it is about the money.

His attorney is Austin C. Yost, a partner of Coppersmith Brockelman, PLC. One of Yost’s specialties is political law. This lawsuit will not be cheap.

Conchas apparently does not have the money to pursue this action. This is where the puppet masters come in. Who are they? Unions. There are 137 unions in Arizona such as the Teamsters, United Food and Commercial Workers, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Many of these unions contributed to Conchas’ political campaign for his council seat. The major supporter of Conchas has been and continues to be Worker Power.

Worker Power first appeared in Glendale with its attempt to unionize hotel workers, specifically at the VAI Resort. Having failed at that initiative several times, they turned their attention to Conchas, a radical, Socialist Democrat. Their victories include Conchas’ election to the Glendale city council and the SRP Agricultural Improvement and Water District Board. They are committed to keeping Conchas on both.

The Worker Power PAC is organized as an unaffiliated “super PAC” that is allowed to spend unlimited amounts of funds in support of candidates via independent expenditures. The PAC describes itself as “dedicated to delivering wins for progressive political candidates.” In 2020, the PAC focused its spending on Arizona elections. In 2022, the PAC “conducted a massive independent expenditure field canvass that provided the margin of victory for numerous progressive candidates…” The Worker Power PAC is closely affiliated with Unite Here Local 11, an Arizona-based local chapter of the national left-of-center hotel and hospitality employees PAC Unite Here.

Organizations that have funded the Worker Power PAC include the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the American Federation of Teachers, the Arizona AFL-CIO, and the United Food and Commercial Workers.

I happened upon an article by the Arizona Independent News Network that published an article about Conchas’ removal from the city council. You can read the full article by clicking on this link: https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2026/05/28/democrat-city-councilman-in-glendale-attempted-to-bribe-his-way-out-of-expulsion/

Here are a few excerpts from the article.

  • “Jose ‘Lupe’ Conchas, Jr. made a last-ditch effort to retain his seat on the Glendale City Council by laying down an offer he thought the council couldn’t refuse, per a source. ‘They were all stunned’, one city staffer told the Arizona Daily Independent on the condition of anonymity. ‘He basically said, ‘If you illegally keep me on, I promise to not run for mayor.’ Did he really think they would buy that? Did he really think any of them were as unethical as him?”
  • “Conchas is a political animal who wants to make a living being a politician, so he runs for everything to accumulate power. He makes others nervous because he’s slimy, but openly so, like he has no shame and thinks it’s the most natural thing in the world. So breaking the law and trying to hold more offices than the law allows is very Conchas,’ one political consultant told the Arizona Daily Independent. ‘Conchas is always running for something, he probably wants to be governor or in Congress someday, so he’s always climbing the political ladder trying to run for more offices and higher offices. It isn’t about service or issues, he’s just incredibly ambitious.”

Damning assessments from others but also accurate.

So now we wait to see the results of the Conchas‘ lawsuit.

© Joyce Clark, 2026   

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

May 26

28

Conchas removed as Glendale City Councilmember

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 28, 2026
Posted in Cactus District • City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale  | Tagged With: , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

This morning I watched the special Glendale city council voting meeting. There was only one agenda item, consideration of the removal of Lupe Conchas as the Cactus district councilmember. It was a painful meeting but necessary. Frankly, it should have occurred after Conchas was sworn into his other public and compensated office on the SRP board in early May.

After the mayor opened the meeting and the resolution in its entirety was read, the mayor opened the floor for citizen comments. There were 27 speakers. The breakdown was a follows:

  • 8 speakers from the Cactus district (which is the district Conchas served)
  • 19 speakers from outside the Cactus district with 12 speakers from Phoenix, 2 from the Cholla district, 1 each from the Sahuaro and Barrel districts, 1 from Tempe and 1 from Peoria.
  • 18 speakers spoke on behalf of Conchas remaining
  • 9 speakers spoke opposed to Conchas remaining

The general themes of the speakers in support of Conchas were:

  • Conchas is of good character and was a good councilmember.
  • It was City Attorney Michael Bailey’s fault for not advising Conchas of the ramifications.
  • Conchas is not receiving compensation from Salt River Project.
  • Council does not have the right to ignore the will of Cactus district voters.
  • Former Councilmember Hugh was not a good councilmember.
  • Threats to remove all sitting councilmembers at their next elections.

The general themes of speakers opposed to Conchas remaining were:

  • It creates a conflict of interest between Salt River Project and the City of Glendale.
  • Conchas had been advised multiple times of the consequences of having two elected offices publicly compensated.
  • Conchas was willing to try his luck in the court of public opinion.
  • Conchas was not willing to follow the rule of law as expressed in the Glendale city charter.

After citizens’ comments closed the mayor called for a motion. Conchas immediately made the motion to table the resolution. It was seconded by Councilmember Turner. Conchas’ comments after he made his motion summarized were he urged all councilmembers to look at the full picture; he thanked all councilmembers; he did his due diligence; he offered to resign from SRP if retained as councilmember.

However, the most remarkable comment was that he offered to “abandon all political plans” if he were retained. We know he has declared to run for mayor of Glendale in 2028. His offer could be construed as an open political bribe.

Councilmember Turner opined that the resolution to remove was premature and may not be necessary as Conchas has not received any compensation thus far. His ultimate solution was that Conchas resign from the SRP board.

The motion to table failed on a 4 to 3 vote with Conchas, Baldenegro and Turner voting to table and Weiers, Malnar, Tolmachoff and Guzman voting to reject tabling.

Councilmember Tolmachoff made the motion to accept the resolution for removal.  Seconded by Vice Mayor Malnar.

All councilmembers commented on their votes with the exception of Mayor Weiers and Councilmember Baldenegro.

Conchas said that this action would silence Cactus district residents. He asked councilmembers to reconsider and said that if he were not expelled, he would resign from SRP.

Councilmembers Guzman and Tolmachoff stated that it was their duty as elected officials to follow the law and to uphold the city’s charter.

Vice Mayor Malnar said that this meeting was stressful for all and that action was taken only after receiving legal advice from outside counsel who had no interest to the city.

Councilmember Turner stated that there was no evidence that Conchas has received compensation to date. He suggested that if Conchas virtually attended SRP meetings, he would receive no compensation.

Councilmembers Conchas, Baldenegro and Turner voted to deny the motion.

The Mayor and Councilmembers Malnar, Tolmachoff and Guzman voted to approve the motion.

The motion passed on a 4 to 3 vote.

The most surprising vote was that of Councilmember Baldenegro. It is generally known that Baldenegro and Conchas were not buddies. So, why did Baldenegro vote to support Conchas? I’ll leave that for you, the reader, to figure out.

One interesting citizen speaker was Gary Hirsch of the Cactus district. Mr. Hirsch will be running for the Cactus council seat and is supported by Conchas.

The night before this council meeting Conchas posted the following on his Facebook page:

Arizona Legislative District 26 Democrats · May 27 9pm

Let’s support Lupe!

The Glendale City Council will vote Thursday on whether to expel member Lupe Conchas over his election to the Salt River Project power board last month.

Can you be there to support Lupe? Bring friends and pack the room. The meeting starts at 10am, but we ask you to be there early to fill out a comment card prior to the meeting.

If you wish to speak on a matter concerning Glendale city government that is not on the printed agenda, please fill out a Citizen Comments Card located in the back of the Council Chambers and give it to the City Clerk before the meeting starts.

Mari Alvarado

Tomorrow Thursday, at 10:00 a.m. please come early and fill out a card to support Council Member, Lupe Conchas at Glendale City Hall, 5750 W. GLENN DR. GLENDALE, AZ There is a vote scheduled to expel him. We need Indigenous Coalition Of Arizona LICA to show up.

8 people from the Cactus district showed up.

Final comment. No one is above the law especially of Glendale’s city charter. Conchas bet that the court of public opinion, rather than the law, would save him. He bet wrong.

© Joyce Clark, 2026   

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

May 26

14

ALERT…STONEHAVEN RESIDENTS

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 14, 2026
Posted in City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale zoning issues • Yucca district  | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Beyond Foodmart is asking the City of Glendale to allow a convenience store and gas station at the southeast corner of 91st Avenue and Cardinals Way. It is a commercial corner as there are already several shops there.

The applicant proposes a 7,000 square foot convenience store and 8 gas pumps. This use is incompatible with the surrounding homes. This use is different and more intense than the shops and restaurants in that commercial area.

It may decrease your property value especially if you are adjacent to or near this proposed use.

A meeting is scheduled with the applicant on

Monday, May 18, 2026 at 6:00 PM at

Sunset Ridge Elementary School Cafeteria

8490 W. Missouri Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85305

The number of attendees does matter. Please try to attend in person to voice your opinion about this proposed use.

Here are the applicant’s graphics of the proposed use and site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If 

 

If you cannot attend but still wish to make your opinion known please email the persons listed below:

I urge you to attend in person but if you cannot attend please email the persons above.

This proposed use does not belong at this location.

© Joyce Clark, 2026   

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

May 26

13

Conchas is now serving two masters

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 13, 2026
Posted in Cactus District • City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials  | Tagged With: , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

On Monday May 4, 2026, Glendale Councilmember Lupe Conchas took the oath of office as a Boardmember for District 4 of The Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District.

He is in violation of the Glendale City Charter, Article II, Section 5, Qualifications.

“The mayor shall be at least twenty-five (25) years of age on the date of his election or appointment; the mayor and council members shall be qualified electors of the city at the  time of election; shall hold no other public office for which they receive compensation except that of a notary public or member of the national guard or naval of military reserve; and shall have resided in said city for one (1) year next preceding the date of such election or appointment. If the mayor or any councilman shall cease to possess any of these qualifications or shall be convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, his office shall immediately become vacant.”

Lupe Conchas is now holding a second public office for which he receives compensation requiring his seat to be vacated immediately.

Legally, compensation is commonly associated with Workman’s Compensation. However, there is a second legal definition, “Compensation refers to all forms of payment or benefits that an employee receives for their work. This includes not only wages and salaries but also bonuses, health insurance, retirement plans, and other perks provided by the employer.”

In addition to receiving payment every time Conchas attends a meeting, he also receives insurance, which legally is compensation as stated in the Glendale City Charter.

He is in violation of the Glendale City Charter and should have been already removed.

We know there was an executive session council meeting on Friday, May 1st. It was not a public meeting and all discussions are confidential. I think we can assume it was a discussion involving Conchas.

I am aware that Conchas has legal representation and that a letter from his legal counsel was sent to the mayor and all councilmembers. I had submitted a Public Information Request for that letter and today I received the letter in question.

His attorney, Sambo Dui of Coppersmith Brockleman, PLC., contends that Conchas is not receiving compensation from Salt River Project and therefore is not in violation of our city charter. The very fact that Salt River Project publicly states that the office holder receives compensation per meeting plus health coverage was known to Conchas. His attorney made a lot of assertions that frankly have to be adjudicated in a court of law.

Remember legally, compensation is defined as payments or benefits. Conchas is receiving $60 for each meeting attended as well as the benefit of insurance coverage.

It appears that his attorney’s assertions are flawed. Conchas legally still receives his salary. His attorney leaves the legal door open with regard to defining ‘compensation’ by opining, “even assuming the City Charter’s reference to ‘compensation’ is broader than ‘salary,…”

His attorney states that Conchas will waive his salary. Whether Conchas accepts it or not is a moot point. Legally, this public office offers compensation, no matter who has the office. It is the fact that Conchas ran knowing this was a public office that was compensated. His intent was clear.

Now that he has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he thinks he can make it go away by saying he won’t take the money, but he continues to receive insurance coverage, which is also legal compensation.

It seems that a lot of pressure had been placed on Conchas to stay on the SRP board by radical democrats whose aim was to gain control of SRP. Now that the radical Democrats are the majority on this board expect to see rate increases as they push their “Green Agenda.” No wonder they want to keep Conchas on at all costs. It appears that they will cover any legal fees he may have.

In addition to receiving two salaries, there is also the question of a conflict of interest. The city does a lot of business with SRP. Having a sitting city councilmember on their board could affect that relationship.

What has been our city attorney’s or council’s response to date? Crickets…nada…nothing. It seems that our council is in dereliction of their duty to uphold Glendale’s city charter. It seems we have an ineffectual city council in fear of removing Conchas without getting some kind of legal cover to do so.

If I were still a sitting councilmember I would have already called for a public vote to remove Conchas. Let each councilmember go on record with regard to upholding our city charter. If Conchas were to sue the city it would require a court of law to settle the issue. It would be expensive for Conchas to sue but have no fear. I suspect that Worker Power would foot the bill.

It time Glendale citizens asked their councilmembers to act. If you would like to send any or all an email expressing your opinion, here are their email addresses:

Why is Lupe Conchas still serving as a Glendale city councilmember?

© Joyce Clark, 2026   

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Apr 26

27

Glendale councilmember Lupe Conchas…A whole lot of foot dragging going on

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 27, 2026
Posted in Cactus District • City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials  | Tagged With: , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

It seems that Glendale councilmember Lupe Conchas is in violation of the Glendale City Charter and Arizona Revised Statute 38-296.

He filed for nomination to the Salt River District Board of Directors (District 4) on or prior to Friday, February 6, 2026 (deadline for filing), in the second year of his term (not the last year of his term as councilmember as required by Arizona law). He had 10 days to resign as councilmember and if he failed to do so, he lost his council seat within 10 days automatically. He allegedly has violated Arizona’s Resign-to-Run law.

He is also allegedly in violation of Glendale’s City Charter by running for a public office that receives compensation. According to the city charter, his office shall immediately become vacant.

So, why is he still on Glendale City Council? Why hasn’t the council immediately removed him from office? Why is the city still paying him a salary paid for by your tax dollars? Foot dragging?

It’s time for a deeper dive into this whole mess.

Jose “Lupe” Conchas, Jr., ran as a candidate for “Boardmember for District 4 of The Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District.” Note that he ran for the Agricultural Improvement and Power District, not the Water District. This is important because the Agricultural Improvement district is a public entity and the Water District is not.

SRP is a governmental-owned or public body under Arizona Law, Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District (the “District”): This is the electricity provider and is formally a political subdivision of the State of Arizona (an agricultural improvement district formed in 1937). As a government-owned corporation or public body under Arizona law:

  • It can issue tax-exempt municipal bonds
  • Its board is elected (by landowners in the service area, with voting often tied to land ownership
  • It is generally not regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission for rates and investments in the same way as private utilities. The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) does not regulate Salt River Project (SRP) for rates, rules, service standards, or day-to-day operations because SRP is structured as a political subdivision of the State of Arizona, not a private or investor-owned “public service corporation” under the ACC’s jurisdiction.
  • It is subject to Arizona’s Public Records Law as a public body and is often described as a public power utility or governmental entity

A lawsuit was filed on April 17, 2026, requesting an expedited hearing to occur on or before April 28, 2026. Ten days later, April 27, 2026, and no court date has been assigned. Foot dragging??

Gabrielle E. Schifferer, Trustee of the Jelle Trust,

A Qualified Elector and Landowner in the Salt River Project Agricultural

Improvement and Power District,

Plaintiff/Contestant,

Vs.

Jose “Lupe” Conchas, Ir., District 4 Boardmember-elect for District 4 of

The Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District,

and John M. Feley, in his official capacity as Corporate Secretary of The Salt River Project

Agricultural Improvement and Power District,

Defendants/Contestee( s ).

Case No.: CV 2026-01 6 0 4 0

Why is Conchas still on Glendale’s city council?

Lots of scuttlebutt swirling. One is the mayor and several councilmembers are waiting for the result of the aforementioned lawsuit. To provide cover for any action? The city charter is clear. The minute Conchas was elected to another public body with compensation on April 7, 2026, according to the city charter he is removed immediately. Not taking any action to date could be publicly perceived as dereliction of duty. Dereliction of duty is defined as “a person’s purposeful or accidental failure to perform an obligation without a valid excuse, especially an obligation attached to their job.” This is considered to be crime.

Another piece of scuttlebutt is that Conchas may resign his position with SRP. I suppose he thinks this will save his councilmember seat. That does not appear to be a correct interpretation.  It appears the very minute he was elected to the SRP board he was in violation of the city charter. That seems to be when he violated the city charter and resigning after the fact will not save him. Conchas may also have to face another charge, that of unjust enrichment by holding two publicly compensated offices.

Yet another scuttlebutt is that the mayor and vice mayor will be meeting with Conchas this week to tell him to resign or he will be voted out of office by city council.

Lastly, what have been the actions or inactions of our City Attorney, Michael Bailey? He is the council’s and city’s attorney. He knows the law. There is a body of law that confirms that SRP’s agricultural district is a public body. What did he advise this council to do? And when?

It’s way past time for Lupe Conchas to vacate his seat as the Glendale councilmember representing the Cactus district.

© Joyce Clark, 2026   

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Apr 26

21

Is Lupe Conchas still a Glendale councilmember??

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 21, 2026
Posted in Cactus District • City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials  | Tagged With: , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Perhaps not. Let me share the Arizona’s Revised Statute on its resign-to- run law, Chapter 38-296. Limitation on filing for election by incumbent of elective office.

  • “A. Except during the final year of the term being served, no incumbent of a salaried elective office, whether holding by election or appointment, may offer himself for nomination or election to any salaried local, state or federal office.”
  • “C. The resignation of the incumbent elective officer duly filed in writing with the officer, board or commission having jurisdiction of the office, if not accepted within ten days, shall be deemed to have become effective as of the date of filing.”

Let me also share our Glendale City Charter, Article II, Section 5, Qualifications.

“The mayor shall be at least twenty-five (25) years of age on the date of his election or appointment; the mayor and council members shall be qualified electors of the city at the time of election; shall hold no other public office for which they receive compensation except that of a notary public or member of the national guard or naval of military reserve; and shall have resided in said city for one (1) year next preceding the date of such election or appointment. If the mayor or any councilman shall cease to possess any of these qualifications or shall be convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, his office shall immediately become vacant.”

Lupe Conchas was an elected Glendale city councilmember whose term did not expire until 2028. He filed for nomination to the Salt River District Board of Directors (District 4) on or prior to Friday, February 6, 2026 (deadline), in the second year of his term (not the last year of his term as councilmember as required by law) in violation of A.R.S. 38-296, A.

Mr. Conchas receives compensation for every SRP meeting and additional compensation for any committee meeting.  He also receives health and insurance coverage. Lupe Conchas is in violation of the Glendale City Charter as he receives compensation from SRP.

He was elected to the SRP District Board of Directors on April 7,2026 and the canvass of votes (verifying his election) occurred on April 13, 2026.

Whether it’s 10 days or immediately, the Cactus city council seat became vacant between February 6, 2026, and  April 7, 2026.

Who knew about this situation? I am guessing but here is a list of possibles:

  • Lupe Conchas. He cannot plead ignorance as ignorance is no defense in the eyes of the law.
  • City Attorney Michael Bailey. He may not have known but as Glendale’s City Attorney it would be incumbent upon him to be aware of the City’s Charter requirements as well as ARS 38-296. If he did not know he is failing his duties as Glendale’s City Attorney. If he did know, did he advise the City Manager and the mayor and councilmembers? He would have been compelled to ask for Conchas’ resignation certainly by April 7, 2026.
  • City Manager Banger. The question hanging out there is, did the City Attorney advise him?
  • Mayor Weiers. He is a very astute politician and it seems plausible that he may have known.
  • Some may have known and others not. I suspect there is at least one councilmember that did know.

If any or all of these people knew, why did no one take any action?

The bottom line is this. Lupe Conchas appears to have violated Arizona Revised Statutes as well as Glendale’s City Charter. It also calls into question any votes he made as a councilmember.

The media needs to investigate and I suspect lawsuits, if not filed, will be.

Follow up: The law is clear that at the time Conchas filed, not his election or taking office, is the relevant issue.

© Joyce Clark, 2026   

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Mar 26

24

Let’s talk about code enforcement

Posted by Joyce Clark on March 24, 2026
Posted in City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Code Department • Glendale Economic Development • Glendale finances • Glendale zoning issues  | Tagged With: , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Code enforcement in Glendale and I dare say, every other Valley city, is the most vexing issue for residents who want their neighborhoods clean and neat. Code enforcement is critical if for no other reason than a clean and well-kept neighborhood that maintains property values for everyone.

“The department’s recent budget was $4.1 million, up over half a million since the 2023-2024 fiscal year.” (Arizona Republic). No matter how much money is thrown at the code department, there never seems to be any improvement in its performance.

Here is an example. There is a vehicle parked in a front side yard on my street that has been there for so long now grass is growing as high as its tires. Yet, according to a recent Arizona Republic article, “St. John (Assistant City Manager) said the inspectors try to check the 45,644 parcels in Glendale as many times a year as they can. Jefferson (Code Department) said the teams aims to check every parcel at least once a year, ideally more. At the first public discussion about the topic in October, St. John told the City Council that it took about four to five months to inspect every property, so almost three times a year.” How can that be true when this vehicle has been sitting there for months? Forget three times a year. The vehicle hasn’t been checked once in months, much less a citation.

45,644 total parcels divided by 19 code inspectors equals 2,402 parcels per inspector. For twenty days a month (representing one month), an inspector would have to check 120 homes a day. Over a period of 40 days (representing two months) an inspector would have to check 60 homes a day. Over a period of 60 days (representing three months) an inspector would have to check 30 homes a day. Not every home inspected will have a violation and others might have multiple violations.

Don’t let anyone fool you. This amount of work is doable. Vice Mayor Malnar and I went out one morning a couple of years ago and checked all of Granada Estates for code violations. There were at least 60 homes, and we did it in one morning. We identified over 100 violations. Again, not every home had a violation and there were homes with multiple violations.

There was a shining moment when the code department actually worked. While I was on city council, back in the 1990’s, Dan Gunn became the Code Director. He made code inspection work. He had fewer inspectors than we have now. I can’t remember the exact number of inspectors, but it seems as if he had about 12 inspectors. He initiated a grid system that actually worked but I think the real secret to his success was immediate and timely reinspection. After the 30 days required to allow the homeowner to correct the violation, inspectors revisited immediately. If not corrected, inspectors issued another repeat violation. Repeat violators were identified and monitored. Multiple citations at the same address combined with a court violation often cured the issue, permanently.

Just as in our society as a whole, about 2% of the population is responsible for a majority of our crime. It is the same for code enforcement. A small number of repeat offenders are responsible for the majority of our code violations.

There are two adjacent issues that Assistant City Manager Rick St. John identified. One is the court system. Code citations do not seem to be a priority for our court. The process these days takes way too long, creating frustration and dissatisfaction for inspectors, violators and residents who see the violation persist. It is time for the court to prioritize code violations and to implement a fast-track system that is meaningful and effective. How about it, Glendale City Court Chief Judge Nicholas Di Piazza?

The other issue is that inspectors do not have a case management system that works for them. I agree. However, I had heard that song for at least 3 years prior to my retirement in 2025. Fine, if there is not a viable case management system available in the marketplace, then perhaps the city should do what I asked for years ago and that is hire a programmer to write/create a unique and tailored program that does work. If it is effective, it could be program that the city can sell to other cities. This is an issue that requires a solution now, not another two years from now.

Finally, the issue of how many violations can be turned in during a certain period within a certain geographic area is ongoing. This is an issue created by a tiny portion of our population. They are intense activists. They became that way probably because they see the same perceived violations every day in their neighborhoods and it’s driving them crazy. They see no action to correct these perceived violations. It’s like rubbing salt in a wound, that remains painful and never heals.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Perhaps it’s time the city became creative rather than adversarial. Why not establish volunteer code inspectors? They would not have the authority to issue citations because of liability issues. Why not train them on code intensively? For as long as it takes…a week or two or three? Then have them ride along with a code inspector for a specified time period. Then assign a specific, limited grid area to inspect turning in the list generated to the department for follow-up action? This may not be the ideal scenario but it’s something to consider and implement.

© Joyce Clark, 2026   

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This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Mar 26

23

VAI Resort…like no other

Posted by Joyce Clark on March 23, 2026
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Former Councilmember Joyce Clark • Glendale Economic Development • Glendale elected officials • Mattel Adventure Park • VAI Resort • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Two weeks ago, Glendale’s Vice Mayor Ray Malnar and I had the opportunity to tour VAI Resort with its CEO Grant Fisher. There are not enough adjectives to describe VAI. It’s incredible, amazing, and unique. When it opens it will blow minds. It will be THE PLACE to stay in the Valley. I am sure it will draw visitors from all over the world.

We learned a great deal and here are a few of the highlights:

  • They have added a Barbie hotel, 22 stories, 227

    site of Barbie hotel

    feet tall. It will be Barbie themed throughout using traditional Barbie colors.

  • Main hotel

    With the addition of the Barbie Hotel, VAI will host 1400 rooms, making it the largest hotel complex in the southwest.

  • The original parking lot on the west side of the Mattel area will be used to add additional rides.
  • Parking will be a breeze. Guests can park in the parking garage at 93rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road. They will use self-driving vehicles that will take them directly to the Resort and then will automatically return to the garage for another trip.
  • The Resort contains a mile of underground tunnels large enough to accommodate carts and small trucks. Employees will use these tunnels exclusively to move around the complex.
  • There are 55 different uniforms planned for staff. For example, chefs, valets, cleaning crew, maintenance crew, front desk, etc., will have their own distinct uniforms.
  • Every employee will check in at the main office across the street from the complex. Once clocked in, they will proceed to the basement level. There, they will use an autonomous system to get their uniforms. Uniform cleaning and pressing are all automated. There is a long, rectangular glass door. Adjacent to it is a card reader. The employee will use the card reader and retrieve their uniform from the glass door to the left.
  • Each hotel is themed and the main hotel is musically themed.
  • The amphitheater is in-the-round and has 37 feet tall LED screens, also in-the-round. Concert attendees will be able to enjoy the performers from any viewpoint.
  • There will be seating for approximately 15,000 concert goers who are not staying at one

    Spaces for concert attendees

    of the hotels.

  • Suite patio overlooking the amphitheater

    Those rooms that face the amphitheater have balconies for private viewing of the concert. But what if a guest has a room on the off-side? There are private lounges facing the amphitheater for guests whose rooms do not face it.

  • The conference area is 120,000 square feet and is about the size of the Renaissance conference area.
  • Each hotel entry portico will be unique and there will be abundant landscaping using desert and exotic plantings.

The cost of construction has been said to be about $1.2 billion. With the addition of the Barbie hotel, expansion of the Mattel portion and the addition of the conference area, the cost is estimated to be about $2 billion. The Fishers are self-funding the entire complex. There are no other investors and no debt. This is undoubtedly the largest, private, self-funded project in the southwest and perhaps the country.

The sixty-four-thousand-dollar question is, when will it open? With the addition of new elements, I expect a phased-in opening in 2028. Patience is a virtue and just like everyone else I will have to be patient.

There have always been two projects that are on my mind daily and for which I have strongly advocated. One is VAI and the other is Heroes Park Recreation and Aquatic Center. I am 84 years old and I plan to attend the opening of both. I am excited about each and I hope you will join me in the celebrations.

© Joyce Clark, 2026   

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Feb 26

20

Farewell to Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps

Posted by Joyce Clark on February 20, 2026
Posted in City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale Economic Development • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances  | Tagged With: , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

It’s February 2026, and City Manager Kevin Phelps has departed as Glendale’s city manager.   The Business Journal named Phelps as one of the Most Admired Leaders in 2024. Due to Phelps’ focus on employee culture, Glendale also received the Best Place to Work, 2025, in the extra-large category from the Business Journal and was named Best City for Business in AZ by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce in 2025.

When Kevin Phelps was first hired by Glendale in 2015, Glendale’s finances were a mess, and the Wall Street Journal said Glendale was in “worse financial straits than any city except Detroit.”

Among Kevin’s many accomplishments as Glendale’s city manager, two stand out for me. The first is Glendale’s thriving economy. Phelps took a city in financial trouble to a city whose bond ratings are outstanding. Property taxes have not gone up in eleven years. The city’s economic base is diversified. The Bell Road corridor is a retail powerhouse. Westgate is known as an experiential entertainment district. The Loop 303 corridor has become a prime submarket for industrial, distribution and manufacturing facilities. This economic triangle provides financial stability for Glendale for many years to come.

Instead of the traditional role of a city as a regulator, it has become a facilitator for businesses. Now city departments focus on working together to support our businesses. All city departments seek ways to ensure that this community thrives, from small businesses to the largest.

The second area of note is the employee environment. Employees are financially recognized by their peers annually for their unique contributions to the organization. Department heads are encouraged to assist one another. Employees annually learn the ‘why’ of current city goals. Employees are encouraged to take risks and to innovate. The culture of the organization has improved dramatically.

During my twenty-four years of service, I have worked with many city managers. Only two have earned my admiration and respect. When I first became a councilmember, I worked with Dr. Martin Vanacour. He stood out for his financial acumen and his support for city employees. Kevin Phelps has done the same. Both have been exceptional leaders of Glendale.

Despite our mutual respect there were policy issues with which Kevin and I disagreed. Two that stood out are the city’s current logo and the placement of council offices in the renovated city hall. I abhor the current city logo. It will always be the Google logo to me. It conveys nothing and delivers no message about what Glendale is. As for council offices, placing them in the former basement of city hall has never been appropriate and symbolically devalues the city council. We agreed to disagree and remain respectful of one another. Make no mistake. Kevin Phelps’ departure as Glendale’s city manager is a profound loss.

Former Gilbert City Manager Patrick Banger has assumed the position. I wish him good luck for he certainly has enormous shoes to fill.

© Joyce Clark, 2026   

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Feb 26

12

83rd Avenue is Alligator Alley…long overdue

Posted by Joyce Clark on February 12, 2026
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Former Councilmember Joyce Clark • Glendale Economic Development • Glendale finances • Glendale zoning issues • Yucca district  | Tagged With: , , , , , | No Comments yet, please leave one

Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

The last four years I served on Glendale city council, from 2020 to 2024, I pushed hard to have 83rd Avenue from Glendale Avenue to Northern Avenue (I call it Alligator Alley) reconstructed. I call it Alligator Alley because it is possibly the worst road in Glendale. It has so many patches you would think you were riding on an old-fashioned, rippled washboard.

I have to say that the city’s Transportation department has always accommodated any previous concern I have had but this time, they have dropped the proverbial ball. Or should I say they have not picked it up.

The necessary funding and reconstruction design are there. In 2023, staff revealed that there were right-of-way issues with several property owners along 83rd Avenue. I was told at the time that if the city could not acquire the necessary right-of-way through negotiation it would have to condemn the strips needed. Three years later, this is still an unresolved issue.

In 2024, staff said they were waiting for Salt River Project to resolve their issues at the intersection of 83rd and Glendale Avenue. Two years later, the Transportation department is still waiting. They have the ability to reach out to SRP to prioritize this project. They have not done so.

This situation is unacceptable.

83rd Avenue is a traffic reliever road when there are major events such as football games and concerts at Westgate. The heavy traffic makes a terrible road even worse.

It is way past time for the Transportation department to get its act together. If there are still property owner hold outs, then it is time to condemn the strips needed for reconstruction. It’s also time for staff to get SRP to immediately resolve its issues.

If you share my view of 83rd Avenue, I urge you to send an email expressing your concerns to our Director of Transportation, Purab Adabala and to Jamsheed Mehta, Assistant City Manager overseeing the Transportation department. Their email addresses are:

Haven’t we waited long enough? It reminds me of the city’s commitment to finish Heroes Park.

© Joyce Clark, 2026   

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

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