Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has sued Tolleson, seeking to block a policy that requires newly hired entry-level firefighters to pay the city $15,000 if they leave within three years of being hired. The lawsuit, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, asks for an immediate pause on the agreements and related collections while the case proceeds, including a bill sent to former firefighter Sean Krienke. The agreements, which Mayes calls Firefighter Training Repayment Agreement Provisions, are signed as a condition of employment, her office said. Mayes argues the charge is far above the cost of training: The Glendale-run program that Tolleson recruits attend charges agencies up to $4,500 per recruit and offers credits to agencies that provide instructors. Krienke joined Tolleson’s fire department in September 2023 and left for Goodyear on Aug. 1, 2025. According to the lawsuit, Tolleson withheld $2,473.15 from his final pay and sent him an invoice for another $8,776.85. The attorney general’s office said the city declined his request for an itemized explanation of the charges. Because both departments use the same training system, Krienke did not need to repeat the academy, Mayes said. Krienke said firefighters were told in 2024 that the city would no longer enforce the agreements and that employees could leave. He said the loss of accrued vacation pay and the additional invoice came as a surprise. “Firefighters run toward danger to protect our communities,” Mayes said in a statement. “They should not be trapped in a job by a $15,000 bill that bears no relationship to what their training actually costs.” Mayes contends the policy is intended to discourage firefighters from leaving for better-paying jobs, rather than to recover training expenses. A September Tolleson Fire Department social media post advertised hourly pay of $21.97 to $30.76 for lateral firefighters, according to the information cited in the case. Dan Freiberg, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona, said lower pay, benefits and working conditions in Tolleson have contributed to firefighters leaving for other Valley departments. He argued the turnover affects public safety as well as workers. The lawsuit’s allegations have not been resolved in court. The requested pause would apply while the case is pending; the filing does not establish whether the city violated the law.