Maricopa Deserves First Responders Who Are Staffed, Supported & Equipped

Maricopa is one of the fastest-growing cities in Arizona — and growth without a plan is a liability, not a victory. As your next City Council member, my commitment to public safety is straightforward: our police officers and firefighters will never be an afterthought in this city’s budget. They will be the baseline.

“Public safety is the most fundamental obligation government has to its citizens. I will not balance a budget on the backs of the people protecting this community.”

Here is where I stand — plainly and without political hedging:

Staffing & Retention

• Advocate for a staffing ratio ordinance tied to population growth — not budget convenience.

• Commission a comprehensive compensation study benchmarked against Phoenix metro agencies and commit to closing any pay gap within a defined timeline.

• Immediately fund long-term vacant fire shift positions — treating every vacancy as an unfunded liability, not a savings.

Officer & Firefighter Wellness

• Fund confidential peer support programs, PTSD-specialized counselors, and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) teams as core budget line items — not add-ons.

• Fully cover mental health treatment costs for job-related trauma — because it is smart risk management, not charity.

• Prevent burnout by staffing to adequate levels, honoring scheduled days off, and limiting forced overtime.

Equipment & Training

• No firefighter enters a burning structure in gear that doesn’t meet current NFPA standards. Establish a PPE replacement cycle funded in advance.

• Develop a formal apparatus replacement schedule for fire vehicles with transparent funding reserves — not emergency budget scrambles.

• Mandate de-escalation training as part of continuing education, designed with FOP Lodge 78 to ensure officer buy-in.

Labor Relations & Accountability

• Approach contract negotiations with FOP Lodge 78 and IAFF Local 4561 in good faith — with accurate data, fair compensation, and genuine respect for workers.

• Protect earned pension benefits for current employees. No restructuring that diminishes what officers and firefighters were promised.

• Support transparent, data-driven accountability built collaboratively with union leadership — not imposed on them.

This city’s growth is a gift — but only if we build the public safety infrastructure to match it. Every new subdivision that gets approved must come with a plan to serve it. Every vacancy on a fire shift must be treated as an unfunded liability, not a budget savings.

Every first responder who puts on a uniform in Maricopa deserves to know their city has their back. I do. And I will prove it in every budget vote, every contract negotiation, and every conversation at the dais.