Write-in Sarappo drops out of race to keep job

By Ethan McSweeney
[quote_box_right]“The city has always had those rules in place,“but it’s rare that it actually comes up.” — Mayor Christian Price[/quote_box_right]
Chris Sarappo, a personal trainer at Copper Sky Recreation Center, is ending his independent, write-in campaign for the Arizona House of Representatives after the city of Maricopa informed him he is barred from seeking political office as a city employee.

The decision comes a day after InMaricopa published an article about his campaign. Sarappo, who was running on a pro-marijuana legalization platform, said he decided to stop his campaign in Legislative District 11 rather than lose his job at Copper Sky Recreation Center, which is operated by the city of Maricopa.

According to the city’s Personnel Policies and Procedures, a city employee cannot run for political office. If an employee wanted to run for office, that person could either resign his or her position or request a leave of absence from the city, said Maricopa City Manager Gregory Rose.

After the article was published on Tuesday, the human resources department at the city of Maricopa contacted the city manager’s office regarding Sarappo’s campaign and the city’s policy, Rose said.

After researching the city policy, Rose said the policy was clear. Sarappo was then informed Wednesday of the city’s policies and told that he would have to resign his job at Copper Sky in order to continue running.

Rose said these policies preventing city employees from running for office are common and that he’s pleased Maricopa has this on the books.

“The concern is that the city always wants to remain above reproach when it comes to use of public funds,” Rose said.

Sarappo said it wouldn’t be financially feasible for his family for him to leave his job to run. “It’s not really a choice,” he said.

“I never tried to use the city for anything. I’m a part-time employee with no benefits,” Sarappo said. “But a rule is a rule, so I get it.”

He added he was self-funding his campaign and recently purchased campaign signs.

No one at Copper Sky or the city brought up the policy or sought to enforce it before the article was published, Sarappo said, even though many knew he was running for office. He formally registered as a write-in candidate on May 13. Sarappo added he spoke with Mayor Christian Price about for the legislative post several months ago.

Price said after Sarappo reached out to him about running for office, he told Sarappo that he would have to go to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office in order to file paperwork. Price, as an elected official, is not a city employee or part of the city administration.

“The city has always had those rules in place,” Price said about the policy preventing city employees from running, “but it’s rare that it actually comes up.”

This is the first time Rose said he has seen a Maricopa employee seek political office.

Rose said once the policy came to his attention, the city needed to enforce the policy, and this allows Maricopa to be consistent.

Despite dropping his campaign for the state House of Representatives, Sarappo said he will continue to be an advocate for marijuana legalization.

“This issue is big to me,” Sarappo said. “People have to realize the health benefits and the funding benefits.”

Sarappo said the city sent him a link to a voluntary withdrawal form he needed to sign to formally exit the race.