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Glendale council appoints Chad Haywood as city judge; public commenter raises concerns about selection process
Summary
The Glendale City Council voted unanimously to appoint Chad Haywood as city judge, effective Oct. 16, 2025. An attorney in public comment questioned the recruitment and fairness of the selection process and compared Haywood’s experience to the prior judge’s.
The Glendale City Council on Sept. 23 voted to appoint Chad Haywood as city judge, with the appointment effective Oct. 16, 2025. The motion to appoint carried on a roll-call vote with all six council members present voting aye.
The appointment matters because city judges preside over Glendale City Court cases and their selection and qualifications shape local judicial operations. City staff told the council the selection followed the city’s process for appointing judges under the city charter and Glendale city code.
Jim Brown, director of human resources and risk management, gave the staff report, saying the council had conducted a selection process that resulted in Haywood being chosen. Brown stated the effective appointment date would be Oct. 16, 2025.
During the public-comment period before the vote, an attorney who identified herself as Landa and said she is licensed in Michigan and Arizona urged the council to review its hiring practices. She said she could not find an advertisement for the city judge position on the city’s postings and described a disparity between the candidate’s experience and that of the prior city judge. “My concern is that I didn't see any advertisement for this position,” she said, adding she had applied for a pro tem judge posting in August and had not been contacted.
Mayor Jerry Wires moved to appoint Haywood; a council member seconded the motion. The council then conducted a roll-call vote: Council Member Leandro Baldenegro — aye; Council Member Lupe Conchas — aye (explained she was proud of the appointment); Council Member Diana Guzman — aye; Council Member Milner — aye; Vice Mayor Lauren Tomlachoff — aye; Mayor Jerry Wires — aye. The motion carried.
After the vote, Haywood was sworn in during the meeting. During the oath the appointee affirmed he would “faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of city judge of the Glendale City Court, Maricopa County, State of Arizona, according to the best of my abilities.”
The council record and city staff statements made clear the appointment and reappointment of city judges are governed by the city charter and city code. The council did not amend or add conditions to the appointment during the meeting.
The public commenter asked the council to consider greater transparency and to consult the Arizona Supreme Court’s guidance on judicial selection and qualifications; the council did not take additional action on recruitment policy during the meeting.
