El Mirage council directs city manager to draft memo proposing staff-led model for El Mirage Cares

On March 4, 2025, the El Mirage Common Council discussed oversight, resourcing and alternative management approaches for El Mirage Cares and reached consensus for the city manager to prepare a memo evaluating a staff-led model similar to how Special Events are run.

The discussion began when Mayor Hermasio introduced the workshop topic as “clarification on oversight, resource allocation, and alternate approaches for the El Mirage CARES program.” Council members spent roughly an hour debating the program’s history, who should manage it and how to limit staff time while preserving services that address domestic violence, teen dating violence, suicide prevention and other community needs.

Councilmember Norton McDaniel, a long-time organizer for El Mirage Cares, traced the program to May 1, 2018, and described its public-health and prevention events over the years. She said the program has “evolved tremendously” and defended its community value. Norton McDaniel detailed roughly 13 events held in El Mirage since 2018, including forums on suicide prevention, teen dating violence, domestic violence awareness and a community walk to end domestic violence.

Other council members said the program is using more staff hours and unbudgeted salary costs than anticipated. Several members said the planning-group model that was intended to reduce staff workload has…