The Glendale City Council voted to remove Council-member Lupe Conchas after his recent victory in the Salt River Project election created a conflict with the city’s charter requirements.
Conchas won a seat on SRP’s Board of Directors representing the power district. Unlike the water users association side of SRP, the power district board position qualifies as a paid elected office. Board members receive compensation for meetings and are eligible for benefits.
Glendale’s city charter prohibits councilmembers from simultaneously holding another paid elected office. The dispute centered less on whether the charter applied and more on whether Conchas’ circumstances created an exception.
Conchas offered two primary defenses. First, he argued that he did not know the SRP position would create a conflict with his Glendale council seat. Second, he argued that he intended to reject the compensation associated with the SRP position.
Critics challenged both arguments.
Opponents noted that the SRP power district position remains a paid elected office regardless of whether an officeholder personally accepts compensation. They argued that the legal status of the office does not change simply because an elected official declines payment.
Critics also questioned Conchas’ claim that he did not know about the charter conflict. Running for elected office typically requires legal filings, campaign advisors, and a review of eligibility requirements. Several residents argued that someone with Conchas’ background should have understood the potential conflict before seeking the SRP position.
One concerned citizen pointed specifically to Conchas’ previous experience in election administration.
“Lupe is very familiar with election law and served as an election specialist for the Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools,” the resident said. “He could have saved everyone time by simply resigning from SRP.”
Those qualifications make it difficult to believe no one raised concerns about Glendale’s charter restrictions before Conchas pursued the SRP seat.
The controversy ultimately is a question of accountability rather than intent. Whether Conchas knowingly violated the charter or misunderstood its requirements, council members concluded that the charter’s language left little room for interpretation.
The vote now leaves Glendale with a vacant council seat while reinforcing a broader lesson for elected officials: charter restrictions remain binding even when candidates claim they misunderstood them.
