Glendale Human Resources Director Alma Carmicle got a bonus and a bump in pay -- at a time when wages were frozen for employees citywide -- and was allowed to remain on Glendale's payroll even though she and her family moved to Mississippi.

The Arizona Republic reported that Carmicle "received a nearly $14,000 bonus last year, and a nearly 8.6 percent salary increase to $151,111 this July. A month later, Alma Carmicle began telecommuting from her new home in Mississippi, working by phone and e-mail when she isn't on a return visit to Glendale."

Sure, telecommuting has its advantages, including a positive impact on the environment, but managing human-resources responsibilities from more than 1,500 miles away ...?


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​When El Mirage's current slate of elected officials campaigned for office, they promised residents change and transparency -- a politically popular word these days.

In some ways, El Mirage Mayor Lana Mook and her cohorts on the City Council have delivered -- they increased the water and sewer rates by about 10 percent, laid off employees and yet handed jobs to their political buddies.

Consider that City Manager Spencer Isom -- who refuses to answer any of New Times questions about why El Mirage inexplicably booted its artist-in-residence earlier this year -- was the assistant city manager before getting laid off by the former City Manager B.J. Cornwall.
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El Mirage Manager Spencer Isom

​City Manager Spencer Isom isn't answering questions about why El Mirage kicked its artist-in-residence out of a city gallery last week.
 
Isom was polite enough to return New Times phone call last Monday, when we first wrote about artist Thomas Schultz getting an eviction notice and then being locked out of the gallery before he could actually get to his art and photographs...

But once Isom realized the questions were about Schultz and the gallery, he asked that we submit them in writing.

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Thomas Schultz isn't sure why he's being evicted from his art gallery and studio.

​El Mirage officials are booting artist and photographer Thomas Schultz from the city's downtown gallery.

The reasons remain unknown.

And even though on Friday the city gave Schultz a whopping five days to clear out, city officials changed the locks on gallery over the weekend because Schultz wouldn't hand over the keys to the city-owned building.

He tells New Times that he hadn't given officials the keys because he still has thousands of dollars worth of printing and photography equipment inside the building. Not to mention original photographs that belong to a Valley artist most recently showing at the gallery.

El Mirage City Manager Spencer Isom tells New Times that this is an ongoing issue but that expects to have some answers for us later this afternoon.

Getting locked out and evicted is apparently an El Mirage-style "thank you" for Schultz, who has been working since 2009 to help cultivate arts and culture in the heart of the city.More >>

Artists rendering of the proposed West Valley Resort

​U.S. District Judge David Campbell ruled today that the Tohono O'odham Nation's 54-acre property in the West Valley must be taken into trust.

And that means that the Nation is one step closer to building the West Valley Resort, a casino that would feature restaurants, bars, and retail shops for the estimated 1.2 million people that will visit casino each year.

The Nation's victory in federal court comes despite fierce opposition from Arizona's politicos, including Governor Jan Brewer.


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www.westvalleyopportunity.com

The latest rendering of the West Valley Resort, a casino that Glendale officials and state leaders are trying to derail.

​Governor Jan Brewer signed into law a measure that allows local governments to annex property without a property owner's consent under certain circumstances.

It is the latest attempt by desperate Glendale politicians to block the Tohono O'odham Nation from building a resort-style casino in the West Valley near the Phoenix Coyotes' hockey arena and the Arizona Cardinals' football stadium.

Nation leaders call the new law unconstitutional because it is special legislation -- a law tailored to allow Glendale to annex the Indian community's parcel of land near 91st and Northern avenues.
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www.pursuethepassion.com

Larry Ratcliff plans to retire on February 1

​The Peoria Police Department has been searching for a new police chief and has narrowed its search down to three finalists.

Larry Ratcliff has been heading the West Valley police agency since 2007, and he's ready to retire on February 1.

Stepping into his shoes will be either Denton (Texas) Police Chief Roy W. Minter, Deputy Police Chief Michael Painter of Kent, Washington or Todd Wuestewald, police chief in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
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Elaine Scruggs making her pledge during April 2009 City Council meeting

​Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs once pledged to work with the Tohono O'odham Nation if the federal government approved the tribe's application to create a West Valley reservation.

But nearly two months after the feds approved that application, instead of a show of support, the city is preparing to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Interior to challenge its decision to allow 54 acres of the Tohono O'odham-owned land to become part of the nation's reservation.

Scruggs has ignored repeated attempts by Tohono O'odham Chairman Ned Norris to meet with her and other city officials.

Did she forget about a pledge she made during an April 7, 2009 City Council meeting?

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​El Mirage firefighters emerged victorious this week when the City Council voted 4-2 to reinstate the firefighters that City Manager B.J. Cornwall laid off in August.

But they knew their victory was merely symbolic.

The vote in firefighters' favor may have sounded like an order -- directing Cornwall to reinstate the firefighters -- but since the elected officials do not have authority over personnel matters, the decision apparently still lies with Cornwall.

The unemployed firefighters have not been rehired.
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​
Something isn't right in El Mirage.

City Manager BJ Cornwall laid off six firefighters on August 6 even though firefighter union reps came up with enough money to bridge more than their share of the city's $1.2 million budget shortfall.

Cornwall first told New Times that the firefighters were laid off because the union reps didn't accept the city's offer. But they did accept the city's offer -- even though it cut out more out of their paychecks than the city needed to balance its budget. When New Times pointed out the contradiction, Cornwall said that he laid off the six firefighters because the city couldn't afford them.

Tonight, the city council is considering whether to rescind Cornwall's decision and re-hire those firefighters.

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