Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sued the city of Tolleson on Oct. 13, challenging a training-repayment agreement that can require newly hired firefighters to pay the city $15,000 if they leave within three years.
The state also asked a Maricopa County Superior Court judge for a preliminary injunction that would pause enforcement while the case proceeds. No judge has ruled that Tolleson’s policy is unlawful, and the allegations in the complaint remain unproven.
What the state is challenging
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Tolleson requires entry-level firefighters to sign a training-repayment agreement as a condition of employment. The state calls the agreement a “TRAP,” short for Training Repayment Agreement Provision, and argues that the charge functions as an unlawful penalty and a de facto noncompete.
The complaint says Tolleson recruits attend a 13-week academy run by Glendale. The state says Glendale charges participating agencies no more than $4,500 per recruit and offers credits when an agency supplies training officers, a figure the lawsuit contrasts with Tolleson’s $15,000 agreement.
Tolleson has defended the charge as a way to recover recruiting, training and equipment costs. KTAR reported that a city attorney wrote to the Attorney General’s Office in June that courts have upheld similar repayment programs. The letter also said Tolleson’s fire chief denies telling firefighters the policy would not be enforced. That account is Tolleson’s position, and the court has not decided the dispute.
A former Tolleson firefighter is central to the case
The lawsuit focuses on Sean Krienke, whom Tolleson hired in September 2023. He left the department on Aug. 1, 2025, for a job with Goodyear Fire Department.
The state says Tolleson withheld $2,473.15 from Krienke’s final pay and sent him an invoice for another $8,776.85. The Attorney General’s Office says he asked the city to itemize the charges but did not receive a breakdown. It also says he did not need to repeat the academy because Tolleson and Goodyear participate in the same regional automatic-aid system.
A 2025 letter from Tolleson Public Safety Director Rudy Mendoza said the city would continue enforcing the policy and could pursue unpaid balances, according to KJZZ’s review of the court filing.
The state alleges that withholding money from Krienke’s final pay violated Arizona wage law. Tolleson’s reported position is that the repayment program is lawful and connected to the city’s cost of preparing new firefighters for service.
What the requested injunction would do
The state’s motion asks the judge to temporarily bar Tolleson from collecting under current agreements, withholding wages, sending collection notices or requiring new firefighters to sign the provision. It also asks the court to require any money already collected to be held separately until the case is resolved.
A preliminary injunction would not decide the lawsuit’s final merits. It would determine whether enforcement can continue while the parties litigate the underlying claims.
The next milestones are Tolleson’s formal response and the court’s handling of the injunction request. The case is State of Arizona ex rel. Mayes v. City of Tolleson in Maricopa County Superior Court.
Featured image: Editorial illustration created for West Valley Post. It does not depict an actual Tolleson firefighter, facility or court proceeding.
Comments
Join the conversation. Keep comments relevant, civil and focused on the story.