To the Editor,
I know city council meetings are not exactly what most people want to spend a Tuesday night on, but next week’s meeting is one residents should pay attention to.
The Maricopa City Council meets May 19, at 6 p.m. at City Hall, and there are two items on the agenda that matter a lot to the future of this city.
First, the council will hear a presentation on Advancing Maricopa, the 2026 General Plan Update. That may sound like government speak, but the General Plan is basically the road map for where Maricopa is headed. It deals with growth, transportation, land use, economic development, housing, parks, and the kind of city we want Maricopa to be.
People ask all the time what the plan is for Maricopa. This is part of that answer.
Second, the council is scheduled to discuss and take action on the tentative budget for fiscal year 2026 to 2027 (FY27) and the 10 Year Capital Improvement Plan.
That is where priorities start becoming real.
Public safety, roads, parks, city services, future facilities, infrastructure, equipment, staffing, long-term projects, all of that connects back to the budget and the capital plan. It is easy to say we want more of everything. It is harder, and more important, to show up when the city is actually talking about how to pay for it.
I say this often because I mean it. If you care about Maricopa, do not just follow the rumors on Facebook. Come to the meeting. Listen for yourself. See what is being proposed. Hear the discussion directly.
You may agree with everything. You may disagree with some of it. That is fine. That is how this is supposed to work.
But the best way to know what is happening in your city is to be in the room when the decisions are being discussed.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 39700 W. Civic Center Plaza.
This is your city, your budget and your future. I hope to see you there.
Vincent Manfredi
Maricopa City Councilmember
Editor’s note: Vincent Manfredi owns InMaricopa.
![Sheriff Ross Teeple speaks during a City of Maricopa Republican Club meeting at Calvary Chapel on May 23, 2026. [Monica D. Spencer]](https://inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260529-spencer-teeple-republican-club-1-1-300x200.jpg)
![A flier for the Fourth Annual Trey Liermann Memorial Tournament and a photo of Trey Liermann. [Maricopa High School Football Booster Club, Victor Moreno]](https://inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260527-trey-liermann-memorial-tournament-300x200.jpg)
9 Responses
Really?I ask what the end game is with 22,000 apartments and get no response????We were NOT part of the discussion on that issue.The uncontrolled rubber stamp permitting of these apartments and 75% of NO to apartments went unheard and voted in against the majority of those polled!This raises police,fire ambulance,schools and etc,etc and LOWERS the quality of life and home prices in many of our once safe and quiet sub divisions.You are nothing but a politician,but a damn good one(in a terrible way). So Manfredi,we can’t ask you questions and get answers at the city meetings so do an op-ed and answer this question…What is the end game with all theses apartments?????????And how about your BFF Price get the high paying jobs here….like he said he was going to do????Your all hot air,the whole damn bunch of you.No transparency….just god ole boy BS.Your a conservative?That’s how you got started but if you had hair it would be blue or maybe purple.BS artist!
I get the frustration, but let’s start with facts.
There are not 22,000 apartments approved in Maricopa. That number gets thrown around online because it sounds scary, but it is not accurate.
The city does not just rubber stamp apartments. Projects go through zoning, development review, public hearings, legal review, traffic review, utility review, fire review, and planning review. Some projects are by right, meaning if the property owner meets the zoning and legal requirements already in place, the city cannot simply say no because some people do not like apartments.
That may not be the answer people want, but it is the truth.
As for public input, residents are absolutely part of the process. People can speak at meetings, send emails, attend planning and zoning meetings, comment during public hearings, and contact councilmembers directly. But public input does not automatically mean every project can legally be denied. A poll on Facebook is not the same thing as a legal basis for denial.
The “end game” is not apartments. The goal is a balanced city.
If Maricopa wants more restaurants, more stores, better employers, more medical services, and more commercial investment, we need a population base that supports it. Major employers and retailers look at rooftops, workforce, traffic counts, income levels, available land, utilities, access, and infrastructure. They do not come here because someone gave a speech at a council meeting.
That does not mean I support unlimited apartments. I do not. I have said many times that we have enough apartments approved at this point, and my focus is on jobs, infrastructure, public safety, small businesses, and moving the industrial triangle forward.
On public safety, yes, growth requires more police, fire, ambulances, roads, parks, schools, and services. That is exactly why we go through budget planning, capital improvement planning, impact fees, development agreements, and long term infrastructure planning. Pretending growth has no cost would be dishonest. Pretending the city can legally freeze all development would also be dishonest.
On jobs, I want high paying jobs here too. Everyone does. But again, employers do not magically appear because a mayor, councilmember, or candidate says the words “high paying jobs.” We need land ready for development, infrastructure, utilities, transportation access, workforce training, and regional partnerships. That is why I support moving the industrial triangle forward, working with economic development partners, and building the foundation needed to attract real employers.
You can call me names if you want. That is your choice. But I will still answer the question.
The end game is not to turn Maricopa into a city of apartments. The end game is to build a city that has roads, jobs, public safety, parks, schools, businesses, and housing options, while staying within the law and protecting taxpayers.
You may not like every vote. You may not agree with every project. That is fair. But calling everything corruption, rubber-stamping, or “good old boy BS” does not make it true.
I am always willing to have the discussion. But I am going to answer with facts, not Facebook math and personal attacks.
you’re*
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Sounds like you’re getting voted out this election or I can hope! You also wanted the playgrounds to be closed during Covid and nothing for kids to do at all. You want what benefits you essentially as it has been and I’ve never voted for you and never will! Vote blue!
You are incorrect.
I was the person fighting to keep parks open and being called a murderer during COVID.
Why was my comment suppressed? Because I said vote blue!? Freedom of speech! 1st amendment and mandfredi has been a problem in copa for years! Time to put a stop to political propaganda.
You seem to be incorrect again.
“Vote blue no matter who” is what got us Sinema, Manchin, and Fetterman. It absolutely DOES matter “who”, so remember that next election. Put in the extra work and thoroughly check out candidates instead of just going by whatever “side” they’re on, and make sure those candidates are CONSISTENT. Stop going by whatever social media dictates, use your own eyes and ears, and pay attention to what those candidates do and not what they say because that’s what really matters.
That said, voting blue has been nothing but a serious disappointment lately and I don’t know how people still think that maybe this time things will be different with them. It won’t. They’re bought and paid for just like the Republicans. Neither party gives a shit about any of us, some are just better at not saying it out loud.
I have a couple of serious, respectful questions, sir.
1) What is the thinking behind adding extra pickleball courts when the city could spend that money on road improvements such as widening Honeycutt east of White & Parker?
2) Why doesn’t the City Manager have an annual review? Council member Knorr brings up a good point. I am responsible for an annual budget of $1.6 million and you can be damn sure I am reviewed and held accountable for every penny I spend. Why not Bitter?
Thanks in advance. I don’t want to mock things I don’t fully understand… except for JD. I don’t understand him but I will mock him all day long and twice on Sunday…