Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tolleson public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
Albertsons National Opioid Settlement Participation
The city was scheduled to consider joining the Albertsons national opioid settlement, which could bring settlement funds related to opioid litigation.
CDBG Grant Application to Maricopa County
Resolution No. 2665 was proposed to authorize a Community Development Block Grant application through Maricopa County, potentially funding community development needs.
Local Government Officials
The Council was scheduled to discuss whether to consider changes to its own pay. Any changes would affect future city budgets and how elected officials are compensated.
Fiscal Year 2027 Final Budget
Before the next city budget is drafted, the council is stepping back to figure out what it actually wants to prioritize. The outcomes of this discussion will steer how Tolleson funds services like public safety, parks, and infrastructure in the coming year.
Detached guest house at 8725 W. C.P. Hayes Drive
Tolleson allows one guest house per single-family lot with a use permit approved by the City Council — but no kitchen, because a kitchen makes it a separate dwelling unit, which isn't permitted in R1-7 zoning. This meeting showed how easily homeowners and designers can get tripped up by that rule, costing time and money.
2026 Community Grant Program funding
Third Friday events are back and drawing crowds — the next one is February 20 with Black History Month celebrations.
Expanded Lyft microtransit funding
Paratransit trips cost about $84 each versus about $30 for Ride Choice, and the gap can strain the budget. New one-call routing and Prop 479 rules should steer riders to the right service. The city has leftover Prop 400 equity funds to cover non-ADA trips next year.
AFFF firefighting foam litigation settlements
Tolleson is staying in class-action settlements with manufacturers of firefighting foam linked to water contamination, which could bring the city settlement money.
Pending litigation executive session
Council went behind closed doors for legal advice on lawsuits involving the city.
Digital newsletter transition
The city plans to move its printed newsletter mostly digital starting mid-2027, saving roughly $13,000 a year — but printed copies will stay available at the senior center and City Hall for residents who need them.
Roughly $2 million in federal grants for multimodal path and regional wastewater
Congresswomen Ansari and Grijalva presented Tolleson with over $2 million in federal grant checks — one for a multi-modal path promoting healthy living, the other toward a regional wastewater plant benefiting Tolleson and partner cities.
Owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program
The city wants another $500,000 in federal CDBG money to keep fixing roofs, ACs and unsafe electrical for low-income homeowners — about ten homes a year, with 16 people on the waitlist and a few hundred more homes needing repairs.
91st Avenue Pedestrian Bridge Construction
The city locked in the guaranteed maximum price to actually build the pedestrian bridge over the ag channel. This is a real infrastructure project moving from design to construction.
Community CPR and AED Training
The Fire Department has started offering CPR and first aid classes to the public — not just city employees. With most cardiac arrests happening at home, learning CPR could save a family member's life.
First responder suicide prevention
Teen Lifeline, marking 40 years, runs a teen-to-teen crisis hotline taking over 30,000 calls and texts a year, with one in three callers reporting thoughts of suicide. The city funds the organization, which is active in local schools.
Third Phoenix water interconnect
Tolleson has enough water even through drought and full build-out, but lacks treatment capacity for its SRP allotment. A new well tested at 3,500 gallons a minute (four times typical wells), and a proposed third Phoenix interconnect near 91st and Buckeye could add 2 million gallons a day — and could even lower rates if a major industrial user joins the system.
Records transparency and elections administration
The clerk's office processed 346 public records requests in 2025 with a 5.2-day average turnaround, ran the 2026 primary with 19.86% turnout, and digitized about 45% of paper records — all for free in digital form.
Lithium-ion battery fire safety
Fire Chief Young warned that batteries in phones, laptops, e-bikes and scooters can cause fast-moving fires. Tips: charge on hard surfaces, never under pillows, use approved chargers, unplug when full, and recycle damaged batteries at retailers.
West Valley public transit gap
Vice Mayor Davis reported that Valley Metro transit investment is concentrated in the East Valley and the light rail extension was shifted away from the I-10 corridor, cutting off Southwest Valley access. He's pushing for a regional plan.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Capacity Agreement
The new $5 million Filanc contract lets the city knock out smaller wastewater projects faster, starting with a backup final clarifier for redundancy. The plant is a shared regional cost and benefit.
Overdose prevention and response
The council declared August 31 Overdose Awareness Day; Chief Good credited the police and fire departments' Leave Behind program and Narcan education as national overdose deaths dropped from roughly 100,000 to 50,000 in four years.
Prostate cancer awareness and men's health screening
Four prostate cancer cases surfaced at the senior center, prompting a month-long awareness proclamation. Survivor Ramon Serrano, 73, delivered an emotional plea for men — especially Hispanic men — to get the simple PSA blood test instead of avoiding the doctor.
Emergency preparedness readiness
The city set up an emergency shelter at the Parks & Rec building for heat emergencies, bought 130 vehicle barricades to protect parade routes from vehicle attacks, installed visitor check-in systems at city buildings, and is pushing a panic-button app aiming for 750 community sign-ups this year.
Costco expansion rezone near 91st Avenue and Buckeye Road
Costco wants to add a former JBS parcel to its existing store site, mostly for parking. Rezoning it to Light Industrial actually restricts what could be built there — heavy industrial uses the PAD zoning would have allowed are now off the table.
City-owned land sale at 91st and Van Buren
The city sold a corner lot for $1 million with a deed-restricted commitment to a 30,000+ square-foot grocery store — a top resident ask. Developer protections let the city reclaim the property if the store never materializes.
Extension of Schulte Real Estate land purchase due diligence
The council was set to consider giving the buyer of city-owned land at 91st Avenue and Van Buren nine more months to complete due diligence on the purchase.
TAASA board reappointments
The council was asked to reappoint four directors, including Vice Mayor Jimmy Davis, to the Tolleson Alliance Against Substance Abuse for two-year terms beginning October 1, 2026.
Pension compliance and trainee participation questions
The board still has open questions about required physical exams, records handling, and letting trainees join the pension system — decisions that affect how recruits enter public safety careers in Tolleson.
PSPRS Pension Funding Policy
Tolleson's police and fire pension funds are at 101% and 99.6% funded — years ahead of the 2036 target — which also cuts the city's annual contribution costs.
City workforce and technology modernization
HR and IT presentations covered a new payroll/benefits system, a compensation study to replace the outdated quadrant system, cybersecurity hardening, and plans for AI governance — with the workforce now 59% Hispanic/Latino and 42% female.
Tighter review for gas stations and convenience stores in C-1 zones
Right now a gas station or convenience store can open in the C-1 commercial district by right with no public hearing. The recommended change would force those projects through a use-permit process, giving neighbors and the commission a say.
Library closure for furniture replacement
The library closes October 21-23 for new furniture throughout the building, though passport services and curbside pickup stay open — a $-cost refresh for a facility serving around 400 visitors a day.
Grocery store development agreement
The city has been trying for years to land a full-size grocery store, and the chain in talks wants 40-45,000 square feet — more than the CORE district's current 30,000-square-foot cap allows. The recommended ordinance change would clear that hurdle for a site at 91st Avenue and Van Buren.
Van Buren Street Pedestrian Bridge funding
The city needs a small parcel from the high school district to land a pedestrian bridge over Van Buren Street, where thousands of students cross daily amid traffic near-misses. The district rejected the city's full-price offer, so the council authorized eminent domain if needed — with $3.5 million in city funding covering the whole project.
Certification of July 2026 Primary Election Results
Three council seats were decided outright in the July 21 primary, so no general election is needed for council. Davis, Erives, and Ruiz each cleared the 274-vote majority threshold out of 667 ballots cast.
Extended Senior Center Hours and Food Programs
Three positive COVID tests at the senior center prompted a closure through August 17. Meals, rental and utility assistance are still available by appointment, curbside, or home delivery, and the city is handing out tests and N95 masks.
Sister Cities program with Puerto Peñasco
Visiting Peñasco firefighters got Tolleson's donated jaws of life and air packs, and Council Member Gámez floated reviving a student exchange program with Mexican schools.
School Resource Officer funding for elementary schools
The district lost its state School Safety Grant, so the city is footing the roughly $153,561 bill for a 10-month officer assignment. Council members said campus security is essential and pledged to help find replacement funding.
Regional fire apparatus sharing agreement
Tolleson joined nine other agencies in an updated agreement to share fire apparatus across the West Valley, improving backup coverage during big emergencies.
El Mirage dispatch services agreement
El Mirage pays Tolleson nearly $1.5 million this year for police and fire dispatch services, plus a one-time $112,000 payment for a radio console upgrade.
Regional Transit Funding Under Proposition 479
The state may stop funding fixed bus Route 17, and the popular microtransit program is exceeding its budget — the city has $650,000 in the plan to cover gaps and is pushing MAG for a regional fix.
City Financial Health and FY 2026 Q3 Results
Sales tax collections are running almost $4 million ahead of last year, and the city expects an unplanned surplus by fiscal year-end. The one exception: transportation is over budget and will need a council-approved amendment.
West Valley Regional Partnerships
The Mayor proclaimed West Valley Day, spotlighting the regional partnerships in economic development, transit, arts and public safety that the small city leans on to compete with bigger neighbors.
Police Department Modernization and 30x30 Initiative
The police department reported a record 10 women officers once academy recruits graduate, big drug and gun seizures from its CAT team, homeless outreach through Hand in Hand, and a two-year clock to earn Arizona law enforcement accreditation.
West Valley Investigative Response Team IGA
Tolleson joined seven other West Valley cities and Wickenburg in a joint investigative response team agreement running through July 2031.
FY 2027 Property Tax Levy
The council locked in next year's property tax rates with no increase — primary at 1.5204 and secondary at 1.1556 per $100 of assessed value. The mayor called it one of the lowest rates in the West Valley and the state.
Recognition of NCAA Champion Viviana Martinez
Council backed a proposal to dedicate a day honoring Tolleson native Viviana Martinez, who won back-to-back NCAA national championships as starting shortstop at the University of Texas — paired with earlier requests to celebrate women's sports in the city.
Tolleson General Plan Update
Tolleson is kicking off a 13-month update to its General Plan, the blueprint for how the city grows over the next decade or two. Residents will get a questionnaire in June, bilingual workshops, drop-in events, and a chance to serve on a community advisory committee.
Firefighter Health Services Agreement with Phoenix
A five-year deal keeps Tolleson firefighters connected to the Phoenix Fire Department Health Center for occupational health services.
Tolleson mailing address vs. city limits confusion
Residents between Lower Buckeye and Broadway have Tolleson mailing addresses but live in unincorporated Phoenix, so they can't use some resident services like Avondale's — soon Tolleson's — pool. The city says the ZIP code can't be changed without 25,000 delivery points, but welcomes these neighbors at all city events and programs.