The Arizona Attorney General’s Office sued the City of Tolleson on Tuesday over a policy that demands a flat $15,000 from new firefighters who leave their jobs within three years, arguing the fee is an illegal penalty that traps underpaid first responders in place. Tolleson Fire Department operates out of a single station with 33 members, and the state says the fee has nothing to do with what it actually costs to train a recruit.
Attorney General Kris Mayes filed the lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court alongside a motion asking a judge to immediately block Tolleson from enforcing the policy while the case plays out, according to KTAR News. Mayes argues the fee keeps underpaid firefighters from taking better-paying jobs at other Valley departments, and the state’s filing, detailed by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, seeks the preliminary injunction as an emergency remedy before the lawsuit reaches a final verdict.
At the center of the case is Sean Krienke, a former Tolleson firefighter who left for the Goodyear Fire Department in August 2025. Although the agreement demanded a flat $15,000, Tolleson withheld $2,473.15 directly from his final paycheck — including unused vacation pay — before invoicing him for the remaining $8,776.85, according to court records cited by KJZZ. Krienke told prosecutors the fee appeared arbitrary and that the city never responded when he asked for an itemized breakdown of his calculated training costs, per the same account from KJZZ.
A Verbal Promise, a Written Warning
Krienke has said Tolleson’s fire chief told firefighters in 2024 that the city would no longer enforce the repayment policy. But a 2025 letter included in state court filings shows Tolleson’s Director of Public Safety, Rudy Mendoza, warning Krienke that the city would continue to consistently enforce the policy and pursue collections if necessary, per court records reported by KJZZ. Tolleson’s attorney has said, in a June letter, that the fire chief denies ever telling firefighters the policy would not be enforced, and that courts have upheld similar training repayment programs…