ICYMI: State 48 Story Updates
Tolleson Drama, Liberty Board Sanctions, Chandler in Turmoil, and Tempe Braces for a Showdown
This report is a little different. We’ve been out in the community spreading the word about State 48 News and quickly realized something—most people haven’t heard about some of the biggest local stories impacting their neighborhoods. That’s not by accident. If you’re not plugged in, you’re left in the dark—and some local governments might prefer it that way.
So we’re hitting pause to get everyone caught up on issues we have been tracking—school boards in Tolleson and Liberty and city councils in Chandler and Tempe are the subject of this report. These are the stories shaping Arizona right now.
We’re also trying something new: a quick video recap from our founder, Christy Kelly. Check it out and tell us in the comments—should we keep doing these?
And please, share this with your friends and neighbors. The more people who know what’s really going on, the harder it is for anyone to sweep things under the rug.
During the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) meeting on July 21, State 48 News reported that Superintendent Calles indicated that “currently” two district employees also moonlight for his private consulting company. When asked for clarification, Calles did not deny that additional employees may have held dual roles with his firm during his tenure. He told State 48 the following:
On my employees for my consulting companies, I will disclose those names at the appropriate time and under the appropriate context. There are several companies that hire people who are actively working in the industry and their safeguards against conflict of interest are very similar to my own. I don't intend to continue helping them target my company and attack my staff. I will be providing my rebuttal through a series of episodes on my podcast, The Education Exchange. Most importantly, in the last episode in this series I will connect all of the dots that the media has failed to connect, at least publicly. - Superintendent Calles
Calles had a list of additional comments, requests, and outright demands for State 48, and we’re tracking down every one of them before issuing a full report. For now, it seems he prefers to speak through the District’s podcast—where we will be listening now that we know it exists.
If you missed our JLAC reports, they were a must read. You can find those here:
Liberty Elementary School Board (LESD) made headlines over the past year for a wave of resignations that left the district scrambling to fill positions. According to the parent-led PAC, 4 Liberty Kids, between August 24, 2023, and July 25, 2024, there were nearly 100 vacancies heading into the fall. As State 48 previously reported, “current LESD job postings showed 94 open positions across all eight schools and the district office.”
State 48 has now confirmed with Liberty Board President Michael Todd that the district has significantly closed the gap on teacher vacancies. He told us the following:
“Across all eight schools, we’re now down to approximately 15 vacancies,” Todd said. “Many teachers left because, for the first time in as long as I can remember, accountability started to play a part. We held people accountable, and some didn’t like that. But today we had a room full of new teachers who are very excited to be part of our district, and I have no doubt they will do great things,” explained Todd.
He added that the district is continuing to work diligently to fill the remaining openings. “We held off on hiring some administrative positions until the new superintendent was on board, so he could be part of the process—that’s the proper way to do it,” Todd explained. “There are also some positions we may not fill because we’re evaluating efficiency. We may not need certain roles, and in some cases, we’ve combined positions to streamline operations,” he told State 48 News.
On July 16, 2025, School Board Member Kellie Zimmerman was sanctioned during the school board meeting. LESD voted 4–1 to release an independent investigative report and enact sanctions against Zimmerman following findings that she had repeatedly violated board ethics and operating standards and fostered a hostile work environment. Reporter Michael McDonald was one of the first to break this story for inBuckeye. State 48 was unable to receive a comment from Zimmerman or 4LibertyKids about the censure.
The investigation, conducted by attorney James Ledbetter, included interviews with three board members, eight current and former district employees, and two district service providers, as well as a review of hours of recorded board meetings and emails. According to the five-page report, they explored potential racial motivation but found insufficient evidence linking Zimmerman’s conduct to any protected class under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
However, the report was unequivocal in its finding of unprofessionalism: “Respondent serially humiliates district employees, treating them with a level of contempt that has bred a toxic work environment,” the Ledbetter report stated.
Multiple witnesses emphasized that Zimmerman’s behavior would have warranted termination if performed by employees: “If an employee acted in the same manner as the Respondent, they would reasonably anticipate termination,” the investigator wrote in his summary.
The report detailed Zimmerman’s complete disregard of several key operating standards she had signed on February 3, 2025—particularly those mandating civility, constructive dialogue, impartiality, and refraining from interfering in district administration.
Although the allegations of racially motivated harassment were not substantiated, the Board found compelling evidence of ethical and professional misconduct. As a result, they voted to both release the full report and impose behavioral restrictions on Zimmerman—an unusual step for an elected board member.
The governance committee affirmed that all board members have a duty to uphold standards of civility and impartiality. Although the investigator concluded that Zimmerman’s conduct did not meet the legal threshold for workplace harassment, the findings made clear that her behavior created a toxic environment within the district.
The board imposed the unusual following measures:
The complaint will be made public and filed with the Department of Education.
Zimmerman is prohibited from contacting district staff or legal counsel directly and must route all communications through the board president.
District staff may only communicate with Zimmerman through the board president.
Zimmerman is required to complete in-person sensitivity training, which will be incorporated into an upcoming board retreat.
Zimmerman must issue a public apology, and the board president will issue an apology on behalf of the Zimmerman’s conduct.
The report will be forwarded to the Maricopa County Superintendent, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Arizona Department of Education.
Zimmerman cast the lone “no” vote, stating she believes she should still be permitted to email the superintendent directly.
Listen to the sanctions here:
On July 9, State 48 detailed the City Charter Crisis in Chandler. If you missed that report, you can find it here. Briefly, here is a recap if you are new to this one. There was “confusion” over the city’s term-limit language and a wave of political fallout that followed. Questions were raised about whether Mayor Kevin Hartke was eligible to run again under the current charter, which limits officials to two terms but doesn’t clearly state whether that applies per office or in total. The ambiguity triggered a legal challenge, a series of closed-door council meetings, and heightened tensions between city leaders. In response, the council voted to place charter amendments on the November 4, 2025 ballot to clarify the term-limit provision and other governance issues, while also launching a full charter review committee. The turmoil deepened when the city manager abruptly announced his resignation, leaving Chandler residents frustrated by what many saw as a lack of transparency from the city.
Council member Matt Orlando, who has served two terms on the council and is contemplating running for mayor in 2026, has acknowledged uncertainty over whether he would be eligible under the existing language if the charter amendment isn’t successful. The Arizona Agenda reported that Hartke, who believes he is still supposed to serve, has filed to run for the Arizona House in LD13.
If you have missed the entire Chandler Charter Crisis and the implications- here is your cheat sheet in a short video:
State 48 reported that Tempe’s July 1, council meeting drew well over 100 people—filling the chambers and overflow rooms before the 6:00 p.m. start—and ran past 1:00 am into July 2 as members debated two hot‑button items: a $25 annual small‑business license (with nonprofits clarified as exempt) and a $25 park‑permit fee for gatherings of 30+ people. Over eighty speakers—among them libertarian activists and mutual‑aid organizers—condemned the park measure as a crackdown on groups serving the homeless they termed “unhoused”, while former Tempe council member (now state senator) Lauren Kuby backed the business license but opposed charging residents for park use. Despite hours of emotional testimony, the council voted 7–0 to pass both ordinances, prompting opponents to immediately begin organizing a referendum drive to overturn the park‑permit fee. A link to that report is here and below is your cheat sheet video.
Joe Forte is a Tempe-based small-business owner and 2026 city council candidate, as previously profiled by State 48 News. He’s best known as the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Keep Tempe Beautiful, often working with ASU students on city cleanups and sustainability initiatives. At the packed July 1 council meeting, Forte criticized the permitting ordinance process, saying, “ I could’ve had 82 more people speak… Didn’t matter. The council had already made up their minds.” Forte called the public comments “a waste of time” and reinforced his platform that public comments must mean something real.
Forte spoke with State 48 about his campaign, outlining his focus on transparency, resident engagement, and cutting unnecessary fees.