$650,000 Housing Deal for Maricopa City Manager Sparks Controversy and Fallout
The City of Maricopa Approved $650,000 House for City Manager, Sparking Ethics Complaint, Community Tensions and a Subsequent Restraining Order Against the Whistleblower!
This is an update from an in-depth story that we wrote for the Arizona Sun Times. In April 2024, the City of Maricopa appointed Ben Bitter as its new city manager, offering a compensation package that sparked community debate. Bitter’s annual salary was set at $242,000—$20,000 more than his predecessor’s—and included a $400 monthly vehicle stipend and a $100 monthly cell phone allowance. Additionally, the city council approved the purchase of a house valued up to $650,000 for Bitter, to be repaid over 30 years at a 0.5% interest rate over the city’s 2.88% current investment rate, significantly below market rates. This decision, passed through a consent agenda without public input, led to concerns among residents about the use of taxpayer funds.
Bitter’s prior tenure as city manager in Ashland, Kentucky, was marked by controversy. In 2015, the Ashland City Commission voted 3-2 to terminate him, citing policy violations such as issuing a $7,000 advance vacation payment to an employee aga…
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