A retirement community in Eloy had its water rates raised significantly through a recent Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) vote.
The ACC approved the rate increases narrowly, 3-2, during its meeting on Wednesday. Commissioners Kevin Thompson and Lea Marquez Peterson voted against the rate increases.
Marquez Peterson said the utility companies should have done more to conduct public outreach prior to engaging in the rate increase process.
“We received many public comments concerning the dramatic rate increase though an increase was certainly expected from a utility who hadn’t filed a rate case in over 25 years. I believe that more could have been done to promote gradualism in the sewer rate case,” said Marquez Peterson.
Picacho Water and Picacho Sewer Company serve the retirement community Robson Ranch, located south of Casa Grande. The community has historically enjoyed low water and sewer rates due mainly to subsidization from the developer behind the community, Robson Companies. The developer absorbed the cost of increased expenses rather than pass them onto the residents.
The rate increases would result in increases of just shy of $7 for water and $65 for sewer, for a combined increase of about $76. No rate changes have occurred since the 1990s. For years, residents paid an average of about $30 per month for water and $42 per month for sewer services.
ACC declined to impose a phased increase of rates.
Commissioner Thompson said that was where the rate increase plan lost his vote.
“For decades, the developer chose to operate the water utility at a loss. No one disputes that the new owner is entitled to recover lost revenues and earn a reasonable profit on those investments,” said Thompson. “But rate increases should adhere to principles of gradualism, and as a regulator, I felt I had a duty to advocate for a resolution that strikes an appropriate balance between all parties and not subject these ratepayers to the consequences of business decisions that were no fault of their own.”
The decision to adjust utility rates after nearly 30 years came after another company, JW Water, acquired both companies from Robson Companies in 2024.
Robson Ranch residents spoke out against the rate increases during Wednesday’s meeting. They accused JW Water of seeking to maximize shareholder return.
The residents also blamed Robson Companies for covering increased expenses rather than passing the cost along to the customers. Residents said they had no knowledge their rates were being subsidized all those years; they said low rates were marketed as a perk of buying within the community.
Jay Shapiro, speaking on behalf of Picacho Water and Picacho Sewer during the meeting, said the rate case was “difficult for everybody involved” and that no one would be happy with the final results.
Shapiro denied exploitation of customers. He argued the longstanding rates were no longer recovering the cost of service. He said the rates were “just and reasonable,” and not a result of “price gouging” to benefit foreign investors. Shapiro accused critics of the rate increases of conducting a smear campaign.
“Rate shock was inevitable — rate shock sure sucks,” said Shapiro. “It’s an unintended consequence of some rate filings.”
Chairman Nick Myers agreed with JW Water that these rate increases were a necessity for services provided, not a means of making up for lost profits.
“Though I personally would prefer not to approve rate increases, we have a constitutional duty as Commissioners to set just and reasonable rates,” said Myers.
Vice Chair Rachel Walden concurred.
“JW Water is NOT recovering revenue losses over the course of the past 25+ years, nor are they recovering the purchase price of the utilities,” said Walden. “This rate case is ONLY about setting rates to cover the cost of service. I put forth a verbal amendment that was supported in full to ensure that future growth will pay for itself.”
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State Representative Teresa Martinez (R-LD16) recognized Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Deputies Gregory Sanders and Jacob Montoya on the floor of the Arizona House for their courageous actions in rescuing an 8-year-old boy from a suspected human trafficking and smuggling operation in January.
In a formal legislative proclamation read before members of the House, Rep. Martinez honored the deputies for their quick thinking, professionalism, and unwavering commitment during a multi-agency traffic stop that led to the child’s safe recovery and the arrest of a suspect.
“These deputies trusted their training, asked the right questions, and refused to ignore what didn’t add up,” stated Martinez. “Because of their professionalism and courage, a child was removed from danger and protected. This is the kind of work Pinal County deputies do every day to keep our communities safe.”
According to PCSO, the incident began on January 7, when a multi-agency task force, including officers from Cochise County and federal partners, conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with Mexican license plates in Cochise County. The driver, a Mexican citizen, was transporting two young children: her biological daughter and an unrelated 8-year-old boy.
During a subsequent search of the vehicle for narcotics, federal partners flagged suspicions of child trafficking linked to cartel activity. The vehicle was temporarily seized, and the woman obtained a motel room in Eloy, Arizona. PCSO deputies were called to make contact.
Upon questioning, deputies observed inconsistencies in the woman’s story. The boy appeared coached in his responses and was unable to correctly identify the woman as his guardian. Deputies separated the child from the suspect, confirmed that he was unharmed, and learned the woman had provided a false name for the boy.
She ultimately admitted to being paid $500 to transport the 8-year-old across the border for unknown individuals, with no knowledge of his family or destination.
Body camera footage released by the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office captured the interaction, including the moment the suspect confessed to the payment and the boy’s visible relief and comfort once separated from her, allowing him to speak freely without coercion.
Cochise County deputies assisted in Eloy, and federal agents took custody of the boy to facilitate family reunification efforts. The suspect was placed in federal custody, facing potential charges, while the investigation continues to determine the full intentions of the traffickers.
Following the proclamation, Rep. Martinez praised the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and all involved agencies for their collaborative efforts in combating human trafficking and protecting vulnerable children.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
On Saturday, in a video recorded at the ICE Eloy Detention Center, Arizona Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ03) again falsely described the illegal aliens held there as her “constituents.”
In the political spectacle, a repeat of Ansari’s controversial visit in July, the congresswoman accused the facility of holding her “constituents, who are trapped inside,” claiming there is “dehumanizing, racist, unacceptable treatment happening inside the Eloy Detention Center that is run by a private company called Core Civic.”
The conditions at the Eloy Detention Center are horrific.
I spoke to my constituent Yari and it confirmed the lack of medical care is unacceptable and devastating. This is a stain on our humanity, and I will not let it continue. pic.twitter.com/RmpZhB2JZn
— Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (@RepYassAnsari) August 31, 2025
Ansari cited the ongoing case of a foreign national known as ‘Yari,’ identified by ABC15 as Arbella Rodríguez Márquez. Yari is a U.S resident whose green card was revoked after being denied parole on human smuggling charges in July and suffers from Leukemia.
Ansari claimed that Rodríguez Márquez has not received “proper medical treatment,” however, these allegations have been repeatedly refuted by the Department of Homeland Security DHS. Assistant Secretary of the DHS Tricia McLaughlin stated in a post to X:
FALSE. Arbella Rodriguez Marquez, has been seen by a medical professional at least 13 times at Eloy Detention Facility.
Each time she has been found to have no medical issues.
In fact, when she was arrested by @CBP for attempting to smuggle an illegal alien with fraudulent… pic.twitter.com/PqcyTnzcdS
In her remarks, Ansari said that “the accusations against [Rodríguez Márquez] are egregious,” and that she “was a green-card holder.” But she continues to refer to the foreign national as a “constituent,” despite a statement from a DHS spokesman in July that firmly rejects Ansari’s allegations and Rodríguez Márquez’s misrepresented status as the congresswoman’s “constituent.”
After Ansari claimed that she was denied access to the Eloy Detention Center in July, a DHS spokesman told 12News:
“Allegations that Congresswoman Ansari was denied access to the Eloy Detention Facility are FALSE. After being told that Ansari would be unable to speak with detainees—illegal aliens, not constituents—she did not even show up or have the courtesy to send a cancellation notice to ICE.
“While ICE law enforcement officers face an 830% increase in assaults against them, Congresswoman Ansari is has demonized ICE law enforcement in the past—calling them a ‘military force hell bent on terrorizing immigrant communities.’
“Any claim that there are subprime conditions at ICE detention centers are FALSE. All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers. Ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE. ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens.”
As a legal resident in the United States and not a citizen, even before the revocation of her residency, Rodríguez Márquez was unable to vote in U.S. federal elections legally. Following the revocation of her residency, her legal status reverted to that of a foreign national in the U.S. illegally or an illegal alien and a detainee.
Rep Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) says she has “many constituents” who are in ICE detention facilities
Why do you have “constituents” who are in our country illegally @RepYassAnsari??
Libs of TikTok observed the discrepancy in a post to X writing, “Rep Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) says she has ‘many constituents’ who are in ICE detention facilities[.] Why do you have ‘constituents’ who are in our country illegally @RepYassAnsari?? Does @RepYassAnsari care this much about her actual constituents who are American citizens?”
Agriculture has long been a key to Arizona’s economy, as shown by the inclusion of cotton and citrus in the 5 C’s of the state’s top economic drivers (copper, climate, and cattle being the others). But one company in Eloy believes the motto should be amended to include an R, as in roses.
In 1986, the rose was decreed by President Ronald Reagan as America’s national floral emblem. The next year, Michael Francis started Francis Roses on a few acres in Maricopa County.
Today, nearly 75 percent of long-life garden rosebushes are grown in climate-friendly Arizona, with Francis Roses having the largest market share. The company sells its early growth rosebushes to nurseries and other wholesalers through the U.S. and Europe.
Michael’s son Tyler now helms the company and was responsible for relocating the business to Eloy in Pinal County in a careful transition which began in December 2020. Tyler Francis acknowledges that the move to Eloy after so many years in the West Valley was not without its challenges, given the variations in soil, water, and air.
There is also a difference in cultural farming practices and definitely a more rural setting..
“It made us better farmers due to needing to ensure best practices for growing a highly specialize horticulture crop in a new environment,” Francis told AZ Free News.
There are 37,000 types of registered roses worldwide, although many from before the 1970s are no longer commonly available. It is also extremely difficult for new varieties to come to market despite improved breeding efforts, according to Francis.
“Roses are quite hearty but like anything they are susceptible to weaknesses over time,” Francis said. “At Francis Roses, we’ve taken a very long approach to how we introduce a new variety.”
Francis pointed out there is a vast difference between the genetics of garden roses compared to roses grown to be sold as cut roses. Specialty roses like those Francis Roses grows are a big economic engine with a small environmental footprint, with 400 acres of his roses generating the same revenue as 15,000 acres of cotton.
And Francis is cognizant of the challenges agri-businesses face, which is why he takes the position that the other commercial rosebush growers are not competitors. He looks at them instead as potential customers, an attitude he further developed during a recent stint as president of the Arizona Nursey Association.
Francis’ background in economics becomes obvious when he begins to talk about rosebushes, or “units” as he refers to them. He also recognizes the economic impact Francis Roses brings to the Eloy area and the future growth potential.
Which is one reason Francis is deeply committed to the company’s research and development efforts which have led to propriety methods of fertilizers and other products to help maintain moisture in soil. The company has also chosen to work with only the most respected rose breeders in the world.
It can take two years for a Francis Roses rosebush to grow just a few inches, and each will inspected several times before being shipped off to farms and nurseries across the globe. One such facility is co-owned by Francis Roses in Texas where the rosebushes grow bigger before being sold or distributed to retail clients such as Armstrong Garden Centers.
Francis Roses grows about 400 varieties of garden roses at any given time, and evaluates 400 to 600 more varieties for features such as color, disease resistance, and fragrance. It can harvest upward of eight million units annually, but giving life to some of the world’s most prized roses requires a lot of work, and workers.
Some of those workers are fulltime employees with ag-related degrees, while the majority come to Arizona for several months at a time under H2A visas as temporary agricultural workers.
The state’s housing shortage, which is particularly acute in Pinal County, has required Francis Roses to think outside the box to care for those workers. The company recently partnered with Clayton Homes to provide on-site housing, and Francis is looking at other options to make the jobs more appealing to the workers.
“Without those workers we would not exist,” Francis said, adding that the company pays above average ag-business wages. “I am happy Francis Roses is able to provide high paying agriculture jobs in Arizona. The vitality and diversity of the state’s economy is important to me.”
In 2016, Francis Roses released its Miranda Lambert hybrid tea rose. Royalties from sales of the specialty rose are donated to Lambert’s Mutt Nation for ending animal neglect. The company has also recently developed a Julie Andrews tea rose.
FUN FACT: Most cut roses purchased from a florist for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day do not come from U.S. rose farms. Instead, they are imported from South America, particularly Ecuador and Columbia.
During a special session on Tuesday, the Pinal County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to fix incorrect early ballots mailed to about 63,000 voters last week. The ballots were missing city and town contests from seven municipalities: Casa Grande, Eloy, Mammoth, Maricopa, and Superior, along with the Pinal County portions of Apache Junction and Queen Creek.
Pinal County agreed with the secretary of state’s office to send supplemental ballots, or “Municipal Only” ballots, to all voters in the seven municipalities. However, those voters must also use their original ballot for all federal, state, and legislative contests — the supplemental ballots will only account for the races absent from the original, erroneous ballots.
The county will also have in-person voting at Election Day polling sites for municipal contests in the seven impacted cities and towns. As for voters with ballots including races outside their jurisdiction, the county assured reporters that the election tabulation system would invalidate and not count them.
— Pinal County – Government 🌵 (@PinalCounty) July 13, 2022
As the Arizona Daily Independent noted, Elections Director David Frisk acknowledged that the county officials bore full responsibility, namely himself.
“Due to human errors made by myself and staff under my direct supervision, ballots were produced and mailed to voters within seven municipalities without the appropriate local races and measures,” said Frisk. “I missed the crucial step of ensuring that each ballot style produced had appropriate races on it […] It was my mistake.”
The plan comes after AZ Free News reported about one Pinal County resident — attorney general candidate Tiffany Shedd — who petitioned her election officials repeatedly about address errors on her and her family’s voter ID cards. Several weeks before the county mailed the 63,000 erroneous ballots, a deputy county attorney informed Shedd — after alleged hostility from the recorder’s office — that she could no longer contact election officials about her issue.
“Our driver’s licenses don’t match our voter ID cards and it was unacceptable to me that any elections official thought it was okay that we might be forced to cast a provisional ballot,” remarked Shedd at the time. “It is a huge problem to receive a ballot for an election that we are not qualified to vote in, and to be denied the opportunity to vote in your own city’s elections. Is it any wonder people are questioning whether our elections are free and fair?”
Shedd also reported that her son received a ballot including a city council race, despite living outside city limits. This was one issue that affected thousands of other Pinal County voters.
For weeks I have been raising the alarm about the wrong address on voter registrations and it’s effect on the primary. After being ignored we now have a huge mess! #Elections2022pic.twitter.com/SRo5ANzokp
