Maricopa County honors employee veterans, announces free park admission on Nov. 11

Maricopa County officials on Friday recognized employee veterans at a Veterans Day ceremony and announced that veterans will receive free admission to county parks on Tuesday, Nov. 11.

Chairman Thomas Galvin, chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (District 2), told attendees the county employs 1,064 people who identify as veterans, reservists or members of the National Guard — “almost 8% of our entire county workforce” — and said the county has been designated an Arizona veteran-supportive employer by the Arizona Department of Veterans Services and the Arizona Coalition for Military Families. “Our veterans have made many sacrifices to serve our country, and their families have made sacrifices as well,” Galvin said.

The announcement followed a flag ceremony by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard and remarks from two veteran speakers. Detective Robert Lopez, a violent-crimes detective with the Tempe Police Department and an avionics officer with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41, described his military deployments and family losses and offered three lessons he said he’s learned through service, faith and family. “Freedom is not free,” Lopez said. “It’s paid for with the blood, sweat and sacrifice of patriots.”

Lieutenant Ryan Neville of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, who was introduced as the commander of the HITDA initiative, recounted his family’s military history and described how MCSO and the county supported his transition from military service to law enforcement through hiring and tuition reimbursement. Neville said the sheriff’s office has used county resources for narcotics enforcement operations and described a large operation officials said seized about 1,100,000 fentanyl pills, roughly 400 pounds of methamphetamine and dozens of illegal firearms. The chairman noted the county provides “the resources for the sheriff’s office to go after these bad guys.”

County leaders listed services they said are available to veterans, including training, employment opportunities, affordable housing and wellness services. The county’s free-park-admission announcement was presented as an opportunity for veterans to enjoy county parks with family.

The ceremony closed with a moment of silence. No formal votes or policy changes were recorded at the event; the announcements were delivered as part of ceremonial remarks and routine county communications.