Glendale City Council is set for a political showdown at 10 a.m. Thursday, when members convene a special meeting at the Glendale Civic Center to decide whether to remove Councilmember Jose “Lupe” Conchas Jr. from his Cactus District seat. The move follows Conchas’s April election to the Salt River Project board and a wave of questions from residents about whether he can legally hold both positions at the same time.
What the council will vote on
The agenda features a resolution that would declare the Cactus District seat vacant “effective immediately,” arguing that Conchas “ceased to possess the qualifications necessary to serve as a councilmember,” according to 12News. That resolution is the central item on Thursday’s special voting agenda.
The charter conflict and the money at stake
Glendale’s city charter blocks councilmembers from holding another paid public office while serving on the council, with only narrow carveouts such as notary public work or military service, as reported by Axios Phoenix. According to Axios, SRP district board members earn about $60 per meeting, while Glendale councilmembers are paid roughly $34,000 a year plus about $16,200 for vehicle and incidental expenses.
How Conchas ended up on the SRP board
Conchas won a seat on the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District board in April, and his candidate packet appears in SRP’s election materials. SRP lists him as a Division candidate. Those April contests delivered a clean-energy slate a majority on the SRP board, according to the Arizona Capitol Times.
Why the special meeting was called
Mayor Jerry Weiers told Axios Phoenix he scheduled the special meeting after three of the seven councilmembers requested it and several residents raised concerns about Conchas serving in both roles. Weiers said Conchas “felt that he was not in violation” of the rules and added that he did not yet know how he would vote on the resolution.
What the vote would do
If the council adopts the resolution, it would immediately declare Conchas’s seat vacant and strip him of his council duties, according to the agenda language reviewed by 12News. Any resulting vacancy and the steps to fill it would be handled under the city charter and existing council procedures.
Legal questions and the charter
The city’s rules and standards for how elected officials conduct business are posted on the official City of Glendale website and will shape any review after the vote. City of Glendale maintains the Standards for Conducting City Business for Elected Officials, and the council roster on the same site still lists Conchas as the Cactus District representative, with his council profile still live.
What to watch
Thursday’s 10 a.m. roll call could wrap this up quickly or open the door to a longer procedural fight and potential legal challenges. Watch for whether the resolution passes, whether Conchas addresses his colleagues or the public during the meeting, and whether any follow-up complaints, filings, or court actions land after the vote.
