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:
- jweiers@glendaleaz.gov
- rmalnar@glendaleaz.gov
- dguzman@glendaleaz.gov
- ltolmachoff@glendaleaz.gov
- lbaldenegro@glendaleaz.gov
- lconchas@glendaleaz.gov
Why is Lupe Conchas still serving as a Glendale city councilmember?
© Joyce Clark, 2026
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