Overview
- A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled the Glendale City Council lacked legal authority to oust Lupe Conchas and ordered him returned to his council seat.
- The judge concluded the $60 that SRP pays directors for in-person meetings is a per diem reimbursement, not prohibited compensation under Glendale’s charter.
- The council had voted 4-3 in May to remove Conchas after he won a seat on the Salt River Project board, citing a charter ban on holding multiple paid public offices.
- The City of Glendale says it has reviewed the ruling and is taking steps to complete Conchas’s reinstatement to represent the Cactus District.
- The decision both restores local representation and narrows how the city can interpret small per-diem payments, which could prompt charter or policy changes and influence other local dual-office disputes.