Glendale City Council hired Gilbert’s town manager, Patrick Banger, who created the town’s censorship department.
Banger will receive base compensation of $400,000, subject to adjustments based on factors including performance, the market, and cost of living. This makes Banger one of the highest-paid administrators in the Valley, not including the other perks that come with the position.
The city’s human resources and risk management director, Jim Brown, said they settled on Banger after undertaking a “nationwide search.” The current city manager, Kevin Phelps, intends to retire.
Council member and Alhambra Elementary School District member Jose “Lupe” Conchas Jr. said Banger aligned with their values of commitment to growth and serving residents with distinction. Councilmember Bart Turner, who has been accused of walking in lockstep with Conchas, was reportedly advocating “hard” for Banger.
“This vote isn’t just about selecting a new city manager, it’s about the future of Glendale for the next decades to come,” said Conchas. “I’m confident that Mr. Banger’s leadership will help us continue the path forward.”
Banger will assume the city manager position on January 12 of next year. Banger will depart Gilbert after 15 years with the town.
Banger beat out one other top candidate, Vicki Rios, Glendale’s assistant city manager and a longtime resident. Rios is credited with the city’s “dramatic financial turnaround” after she saved the city from bankruptcy upon entering the administration in 2013 by refinancing debt and building up cash reserves.
Behind the scene, conservative council members and city residents have vowed to keep Banger in line when it comes to aligning with Glendale values — and not importing those of New York.
AZ Free Newsreported last year that Banger credited former Democratic New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as his inspiration for town management, and caused his creation of the Office of Digital Government (ODG).
“One of the things that I’d been doing for quite some time is following what Mayor Bloomberg was doing in New York,” said Banger.
ODG was a department within Gilbert that monitored the online speech of employees and elected officials to ensure alignment with progressive ideologies. Department salaries cost the town over $1.1 million annually.
The former lead of ODG hired by Banger, Dana Berchman, resigned following reporting on ODG activity. Berchman now runs a communications firm, Oh, hi! Communications.
While managing Gilbert, Banger oversaw a $2.2 billion annual budget and nearly 2,000 employees. Banger is credited with generating nearly $400 million in investments and over 700,000 square feet in new construction in Gilbert.
While all those benefits to Gilbert were felt, residents may be more quick to recall Banger’s leadership during the “Gilbert Goons,” a group of mostly wealthy teens who committed a series of crimes and terrorized the community from 2022 onward that ultimately resulted in the murder of a boy in 2023.
The Gilbert Goons and their Halloween murder quickly became a national story, with much scrutiny over the city’s handling of the teens’ crimes leading up to the murder.
ODG control over city communications led to what former employees and residents believed to be the cause of delays and scarcity in communications on the Gilbert Goons.
Banger is also president-elect of the Arizona City/County Management Association. He was formerly chairman of the Maricopa Association of Governments Management Board and an Honorary Base Commander at Luke Air Force Base.
Before taking over as town manager for Gilbert in 2011, Banger’s roots were in Missouri, where he was a consultant, home builder, city administrator, and city financial analyst.
Watch Glendale City Council discuss and vote on Banger’s hiring here:
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Michael Calles, a fourth-generation Arizonan, U.S. Navy and U.S. Army Veteran, and retired Phoenix Police Officer with 25 years of experience, has officially announced his candidacy for Glendale City Council in the Barrel District.
Running against incumbent Councilmember Bart Turner, Calles aims to restore transparency, accountability, and ethical governance to City Hall while addressing the growing concerns of Barrel District residents.
Calles, a political newcomer, brings a lifetime of public service to his campaign with a platform centered on strengthening public safety, investing in families and youth, revitalizing neighborhoods, and advocating for lower taxes, lower utilities, and robust economic investment in the Barrel District.
His announcement comes at a pivotal moment, as Barrel District citizens express frustration with what they describe as Councilmember Turner’s lack of responsiveness and transparency.
In a press release announcing the launch of his campaign, Calles wrote, “Glendale residents deserve safe neighborhoods, fiscal responsibility, and a City Council that works for them, not one that wastes taxpayer dollars. I’m running to restore trust, strengthen public safety, and deliver real results for families in the Barrel District.”
The Calles campaign is gaining momentum as residents rally for change in the Barrel District. His commitment to transparent governance and fiscal responsibility appears to resonate with voters seeking a City Council that reflects their values and priorities.
“I’m tired of seeing Glendale residents ignored while political insiders look out for themselves,” said Calles. “I believe city leaders should listen, respond, and lead with integrity — values I have lived every day through decades of service in law enforcement, the military, and as a mentor to local youth. Now, I am ready to bring that same honesty, discipline, and responsiveness to City Hall.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The mayor of Glendale, Arizona is urging fellow mayors to proclaim January anti-human trafficking month .
“I was surprised to discover that only eleven cities have adopted an anti-human trafficking declaration in Arizona,” Mayor Jerry Weiers said in a news release. “As leaders in a border state, we are, or should be, fully aware that human trafficking is placing a great burden on our social service structures, but it is the plight of victims that should prompt us to act decisively.”
The United States has some of the highest rates globally for human trafficking, according to Weiers’ proclamation. More than 40 million men, women, and children are victims of human trafficking per year, according to the International Labor Organization.
More than half of the victims in active human trafficking cases in the U.S. involved children, according to the Human Trafficking Institute’s 2019 Federal Report.
Weiers joined Glendale’s City Council in proclaiming January Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Month at the weekly council meeting on January 12.
“We all have an obligation to protect the vulnerable from predators,” Weiers said. “As a result, as part of the proclamation we passed, I urged our residents and partners to work together to eliminate trafficking from our community and support the efforts of front-line organizations and law enforcement in their battle against human trafficking and to take a stand and say not in our city.”
Weiers gave the proclamation to members of the Glendale Police Department and their partners in the faith and social service sectors, who are working on combating human trafficking nationwide.
“Not one person, agency, or organization can help combat this crime alone,” Stacey Sutherland of the Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network said.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
Glendale voters will have one less issue to work through on an upcoming ballot after the City Council took action on some details for the development of an up-and-coming resort.
Last week, the Glendale City Council responded to a forthcoming referendum orchestrated by Worker Power Institute, negating the opportunity for the City’s and VAI Resort and Mattel Adventure Park’s Government Property Lease Excise Tax (GPLET) arrangements to be sent to a future ballot. The Council unanimously repealed its action on June 13, 2023, which had directed the City Manager to enter into the amended and restated development agreement. The June 2023 action from the council led to the efforts by Worker Power Institute to gather referendum signatures.
Michael Bailey, the City Attorney, noted that there were no surprises for the public throughout the entirety of this process with the developers of this resort, adding that the agreement in September 2020 had no public opposition. He specifically highlighted that no public groups spoke out against the Council’s actions when much of the work was done on executing this agreement.
Vice Mayor Joyce Clark agreed with Bailey’s comments and was more direct in her assessment of the situation at hand. Clark expressed suspicion with the motives of Worker Power in bringing this referendum to the doorstep of the Council, while repeatedly endorsing the project. She stated that the arrangement between Glendale and VAI Resorts would bring over 1,200 jobs to the community and infuse $10 million in sale tax revenue for the general fund, which would give much-needed financial support to essential municipal services.
Councilmember Jamie Aldama, however, took issue with some of Bailey’s words, arguing that just because there was no opposition in 2020 to this project or because there was a public meeting, constituents still may not have known about the significance or consequences of this issue. He exhorted the Council to do a better job at getting the word out to people about more of these issues and pleaded with citizens to stay engaged and involved in the process.
Worker Power Institute released the following statement after the Council’s vote: “Today, Glendale City Council repealed their June 13th decision to approve a new development agreement for the VAI Resort project. Worker Power Institute canvassers spoke with thousands of Glendale voters who expressed numerous concerns over the 25-year property tax breaks and significant changes in the updated development agreement. One of these changes, the open-air amphitheater with over 100 live events per year, greatly worried Glendale residents due to the traffic and noise such a venue would bring. Our understanding is that today’s vote to repeal the new development agreement would alleviate this particular concern as the open-air amphitheater is no longer covered. While residents still have many concerns surrounding the project, we feel tonight was a good first step.”
The President and CEO of VAI Global Development, Grant Fischer, addressed the Council’s action in a statement to a local media outlet, saying, “We appreciate the city of Glendale’s continued support for VAI Resort, and we are excited for the project to move forward on track with the city’s partnership. Apart from the financial benefits VAI Resort will bring to the city of Glendale, VAI will be among the largest employers in the state, with hundreds of jobs created for the construction of the project and more than 1,800 full time positions for the resort. As an Arizona native, I am personally so proud to create this legacy in my home state that will positively impact the community and residents.”
The Council’s action last week does not affect the original contract with the developers, but it does repeal the amendment from June 2023. A point was raised during discussion of this action that the original arrangement between the City and the developers could not be affected.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
