by Matthew Holloway | Jan 9, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
During a special meeting on January 6th, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors were sworn into office, and the new Chairman of the Board, Thomas Galvin, was voted into office unanimously by his peers. According to a press release, the newly elected Chairman Galvin addressed the Board and the county, proposing several new initiatives to “bring increased prosperity and security,” to Maricopa County.
Galvin told the meeting, “We aim to be a board of action, and I aim to deliver a consequential chairmanship that will achieve substantial results.”
Galvin, who represents District 2, acknowledged the historic note of his election as Maricopa County’s first Latino Chairman three years after becoming the first Latino Republican elected to the Board.
During his remarks, Galvin set out his priorities for the Board as being: Safety, the Jail Excise Tax, the Melendres Consent Decree impacting the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Economic Development, Housing, Transportation, Water, Elections, and County Staffing.
One standout moment occurred when Galvin stressed his desire to bring back the NHL to the valley following the departure of the Coyotes from Glendale.
“I’ve been talking to Bettman,” he told reporters, referring to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Regarding elections, Galvin broke with many Republicans critical of Arizona’s process stating, “For anyone still going on about widespread fraud or stolen elections, stop it. To continue to do so is destructive and irresponsible.”
He added, “But what I do appreciate are the people who want to make a good system better. Supervisors Lesko, Brophy McGee, and Stewart each have told me they would like to see Maricopa County examine ways it can improve its elections procedures and provide even more transparency to voters. I agree with them!”
Galvin followed with a brief rundown of reforms:
“My ‘95:1 plan’ would ensure 95% of all votes are tabulated by the end of election night. People want election results faster, and when misinformation has more time to fester, it breeds mistrust in our system.
Our state’s inadequate election laws place the burdens on counties and when voters get frustrated by the process, some denounce our election workers and volunteers who are blameless here. I don’t want our election staff to endure that kind of abuse ever again. They work too hard to have to deal with that nonsense.
Here’s how the legislature and the governor can support our election workers and serve voters in a better fashion:
• First, establish a cutoff date for early ballot drop offs
• Second, use government buildings to host polling sites
• Third, eliminate emergency voting for the Saturday and Monday before election day and allow everyone to utilize in-person voting on those days.
Expanding onsite tabulation on Saturday and Monday before election day solves two challenges regarding access to voting and the speed of results.”
In addition to Galvin’s election as Chairman, three new members of the Board were sworn in with Republican Supervisors Mark Stewart (District 1), Kate Brophy McGee (District 3), and former Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (District 4) joining the five-member body. Supervisor Brophy McGee was appointed to serve as Vice Chair.
“This is a place where I believe I can make a difference on kitchen table, quality of life issues like cost of living, jobs, and public safety,” Brophy McGee said. “I know there are good people and programs already in place at Maricopa County, but there’s so much work to be done to get drugs like fentanyl off our streets, address the homelessness and affordable housing crisis plaguing our county, and ensure our region grows in a smart way. I can’t wait to get started.”
Lesko told the gathered meeting, “Thank you to the great people of the West Valley for your continued support! I’m excited to represent you as your Maricopa County Supervisor. I promise to work hard for you, just as I have done as your U.S. Congresswoman and Arizona State Legislator. My priorities include public safety, election integrity and ensuring your taxpayer dollars are used wisely.”
Stewart similarly noted, “I will collaborate with the community and staff to ensure our county government is transparent and delivers consistent, high-quality services at a fair cost. Working together we can build a thriving environment where families and businesses succeed, and government serves as a reliable partner in our shared future.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Dec 21, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
According to a new report from Mixbook, the Christmas light displays of three Arizona cities have been voted among the most popular in the nation. The three cities enjoying the honor are Lake Havasu City, Prescott, and Glendale.
Christmas displays from New York, California, and Hawaii dominated the top ten in the survey, which covered 3,000 families nationwide. Arizona’s three cities ranked 53rd, 110th, and 119th respectively.
Lake Havasu City’s 29th Annual Festival of Lights will see over 500,000 lights set aglow the beautiful London Bridge over the Bridgewater Channel. The city’s website states that families can stroll the walkway beneath the British 19th-century stone-arched bridge, which dates to 1831 and spanned the Thames River for 136 years. Boaters can also enjoy the spectacle from on the water.
With Prescott designated as Arizona’s Christmas City by Governor Rose Mofford in 1989, the territorial capital has become a nexus for Christmas celebrations both before and after the lighting ceremony. Events run all the way up to a fireworks spectacular on December 31st at 7 p.m. According to Mixbook, “The Courthouse Plaza, adorned with a million lights, becomes the heart of this nostalgic Christmas experience.”
In the Valley of the Sun, Glendale Glitters is “an exquisite arrangement of lights, complimented by beautiful interactive features and picture-perfect holiday displays,” according to the city’s website. Although the kickoff and parade have come and gone, the beautiful lights will remain on display until January 1st from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The city encourages folks to enjoy some local holiday shopping and treats as they stroll through Downtown Glendale, taking in the magical lights and features.
A spokesman for Mixbook said in a statement, “As the holiday season approaches, these incredible light displays remind us of the magic that comes from bringing communities together. Whether it’s a neighborhood effort, a citywide festival, or a creative masterpiece, these displays capture the spirit of the season and give us all a reason to celebrate.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 21, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Conserva Mi Voto, a civic engagement organization for Latinos and Veterans, released a statement this week celebrating the group’s successful efforts in the 2024 election, both in Arizona and across the nation. Citing victories from the election of David Lara to the Yuma County Recorder’s Office to the election of Arizona Rep. Steve Montenegro as Speaker of the Arizona House, Conserva Mi Voto touted “its successful efforts to educate Latino voters, empowering them to make the right choices this election cycle.”
The statement noted that Lara is “a small business owner and staunch advocate for election integrity.” He also serves on Conserva Mi Voto’s board and spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In an impassioned plea Lara, told the RNC that in San Luis, drug cartels were using schoolchildren as drug mules and emergency services were overwhelmed with illegal immigrants. “Small towns like mine bear the brunt of the chaos,” Lara said, according to AZCentral. “San Luis wasn’t always this way. And Joe Biden, Kamala Harris do not care,” Lara said. “In fact, they seem satisfied. They have done nothing to stop it and everything to make it worse.”
“We must reelect Trump to put our citizens first and make America strong again,” he said at the time. He capped off his address by saying, “Latinos estamos con Trump,” (Latinos are with Trump). In the statement, Conserva Mi Voto cited a report from Reuters that stated, “Hispanics have largely favored Democrats for decades, but Trump’s share this year was the highest for a Republican presidential candidate in exit polls going back to the 1970s, and just higher than the 44% share won by Republican George W. Bush in 2004,” as well as an exit poll showing that President-elect Donald Trump earned massive support from American Latinos with 55% of Latino men breaking for Trump and Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris only taking 43%.
Reuters reported that Trump’s support among Latinos increased 14% overall, up 7% among voters aged 18-29.
Conserva Mi Voto board member Roman Campuzano explained, “As more and more Latinos understand the power of their vote and the policies promoted by progressives, they are shaping the political landscape in a way never seen before. They are rejecting the socialist proposals and choosing candidates that reflect their values and policies that allow families to prosper, keep neighborhoods safe, and maintain our national security.”
The group in particular cited its successful education efforts contributing to the defeat of Glendale Proposition 499, a potentially devastating measure aimed at regulating the hospitality industry of the city.
The group’s impact has been of great note in Glendale with the Glendale City Council proclaiming October 22, 2024, as Latino Heritage and Empowerment Day and offering recognition of Conserva Mi Voto for the organization’s “dedicated service to the Latino community and its tireless efforts to promote civic participation, family values, and veteran support.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 15, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Over Veteran’s Day weekend, personal-finance website WalletHub released a ranking of the Best and Worst Places for Veterans to live. And the state of Arizona was represented by seven of our cities.
According to WalletHub, the rankings were based on a series of “19 key indicators of livability, affordability and veteran-friendliness,” including the availability of jobs related to military skill-sets, records of veteran income growth over time, and the availability of VA Healthcare.
WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo explained, “When veterans return home from serving our nation, it’s important for them to live in a place that provides good education and employment opportunities, along with access to quality care for their physical and mental health. The best cities for veterans have all these characteristics, plus added bonuses like large veteran populations for community support, plus many restaurants and entertainment venues that offer veteran discounts.”
All told, the seven Arizona cities ranked were, in order: Scottsdale, leading at #7; Gilbert at #15; Chandler at #16; Mesa at #29; Glendale at #44; Tucson at #62; and finally, Phoenix came in at #75.
Gilbert and Chandler ranked 2nd and 5th, respectively, for the lowest percentage of veterans in poverty. Otherwise the state failed to rank in the top 5 of the study’s focus areas.
Essentially, this places Arizona firmly in the middling range of neither the worst nor the best.
While cities like the top five: Austin, TX; Orlando, FL; Raleigh, NC; Tampa, FL; and Virginia Beach, VA, have cause to celebrate the ranking, the release could leave Arizonans asking questions.
As of late 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau, cited by ABC15, recorded that there were 454,620 veterans of the Armed Forces living in the state or approximately 62 of every 1,000 adults, ranking us at 13th in the nation statistically.
By concentration, most resided in Sun City and Sun City West, Sun Lakes, Carefree, Apache Junction, and Union Hills.
Over a third served during the Vietnam War, 43% served in either the Cold War period or Gulf War, with just 17% of the veterans in the youngest cohort: those who served in the Global War on Terror. The number who served in Korea and the Second World War are dwindling fast at just 3% and 1%, respectively.
Arizona plays home to defense contractors as Honeywell, Raytheon, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, and Northrup Grumman. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics examined the unemployment figures as of March 20th, specifically targeting veterans, and found that only 47% of those surveyed were employed, while 2.9% were collecting unemployment and a staggering 51% were “not in labor force.” That means they were either on disability, retired, on other benefits, or simply stopped trying to find work. This gives a potential glimpse into why more young veterans aren’t making Arizona their home, and instead serves as a retirement destination.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 9, 2024 | Economy, News
By Matthew Holloway |
The City of Glendale’s Proposition 499, the “Hotel and Event Center Minimum Wage and Wage Protection Act,” was soundly defeated on Election Day. The defeat was a rebuke to Worker Power, a California special interest group seeking “economic justice and the preservation of democracy.” Prop 499 was met with staunch opposition in Glendale from the coalition “Save Glendale Jobs,” funded by hospitality industry leaders and supported by three Glendale Councilmembers Lauren Tolmachoff, Joyce Clark, and Vice Mayor Ian Hugh.
The ballot measure would have mandated “hotel and event center workers receive a $20.00 per hour minimum wage (increases annually), service charge payments and premium pay to be enforced by a newly created city department of labor responsible for investigating employer violations involving payment of wages, reporting, recordkeeping, and overtime requirements.”
Hotel developer Chris DeRose, president of CivicGroup LLC, a firm seeking to bring a LivSmart by Hilton Hotel to downtown Glendale, was joined on a conference call prior to the vote by Clark, Hughe, Tolmachoff and Councilmember-elect Dianna Guzman. DeRose explained the serious problems that the proposition would cause for the burgeoning West Valley City, deep in an extended project of downtown revitalization as well as business owners.
“We’re in the process of taking that out to capital. Then we get a proposition that gets ballot access that threatens to upend all of our economic modeling and throw uncertainty into the whole project,” DeRose explained.
“Unfortunately, that’s frozen us in our tracks because whether you’re talking to a bank or you’re talking to investors, they want to know, ‘Hey, what’s the labor cost here?’ For a hotel, your number 1 expense, especially in a limited-service model where you don’t have F&B, it’s salary for staff. And so, this proposition has created uncertainty, and we’re not able to answer those very basic questions right now. And as a result, we’re not able to move the project forward.”
He added that the proposition appeared to be a “Trojan horse.”
“What’s really unusual about this, it’s a minimum wage that’s really – it’s a proposition that is disguised as a minimum wage. The minimum wage part is the Trojan horse.”
“The problem is that there’s actually a cap on productivity and that is unprecedented. I don’t know of another jurisdiction in America where you have a cap on productivity and in this case it’s 3,500 square feet, which is about 10 hotel rooms.”
Councilmember Clark noted the serious impact the proposal could have had on Glendale’s competitiveness in attracting businesses saying, “I think it’s important to note that Glendale will be the only city in the state to mandate $20 an hour. And overtime, it’s more than that. It’s $40 an hour, which people are not paying attention to. It puts Glendale at a competitive disadvantage with every city in the state and the Common Sense Institute says that it may cost Glendale anywhere from a million dollars on up annually just to regulate this and in lost revenue from other projects that may have considered locating in Glendale.”
Councilmember Tolmachoff expressed concerns about navigating the regulatory mandate the city would be required to assume saying, “To put the city in a position to be a regulatory authority and to have to intervene and interact between a civil disagreement between an employee and an employer is absolutely no place for a city to be.”
Save Glendale Jobs Chair Kim Grace Sabow said in a statement after the proposition’s defeat:
“I extend my sincere appreciation to Glendale voters, who chose to preserve and protect the jobs our industry creates. I want to thank the many supporters of our effort, without whom this result would not have been possible, including key business leaders, elected officials, and law enforcement. I also want to thank our dedicated campaign team, which expertly managed every aspect of this campaign, and our volunteers, who spread the word across the city about how damaging this measure would be. Together, we formed a mighty coalition.
“I am thrilled for Glendale, which I am certain will not only continue to grow and create more outstanding destinations, attractions, and experiences for visitors but will also continue to deliver more great jobs and career opportunities for Glendale residents.”
According to Maricopa County Elections, the proposition was defeated by 15.32 pts., or approximately 10,338 votes as of this report.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
