Gilbert council, staff face threats amid rising public anger

By Tom Blodgett
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When Chuck Bongiovanni ran for Gilbert Town Council in 2022, he did so with the novel approach of putting out signs that invited people to call him and share their concerns.

“Chuck listens,” the signs proclaimed. 

Since being elected, Bongiovanni — either bravely or foolhardily, depending on who you talk to — has frequently dived into the swamp of social media when people have been upset with leaders on town issues.

The result often has been Bongiovanni being attacked directly, sometimes viciously.  

But the latest such foray into the public square took it one step further when a person posted a comment suggesting it was time to stick a gun in council members’ faces to make them listen, leading to the poster being arrested on first-degree misdemeanor charges of threats through electronic communication. 

“I'm available for anyone, even people that are very angry about the decisions we make,” Bongiovanni said after the arrest. “I'm open to talk to them. The problem is most of them verbalize how angry they are, but they won't sit down and talk to me.” 

Bongiovanni is hardly alone in receiving over-the-top responses. Gilbert, which has liked to brand itself as Kindness USA, has gone through a period of alarming threats to both council members and staff over the past couple years. 

The town, in a statement released to Independent Newsmedia, said it is committed to serving with transparency, respect and integrity and it welcomes constructive criticism and dialogue.  

But it acknowledged some interactions, much of it on social media and rooted in misinformation, have crossed the line into harassment and hostility. 

“That’s not the Gilbert we know and love,” the statement read. 

Councilmember Jim Torgeson was more blunt. 

“There's a little portion of Gilbert that has a real mean streak to it,” he said. “The other 98% are awesome human beings. But those couple people — not so great." 

The concern is it will cost Gilbert not just in reputation for kindness but over time in quality people running for office or working for the town and perhaps even in its AAA credit rating, which is based partly on political stability as a key component of management and governance. 

Torgeson was a harsh critic of council from the other side of the dais before his 2022 election. But he said while he would call out votes, he never called anyone corrupt. 

“When you see the rhetoric, the painful, the hurtful, the mean-spirited things that are said, you're trying as public servant, you're trying to do your best,” Torgeson said. “Maybe your best doesn't cut it. I understand. But I have yet to see anybody in this town serve for the wrong reason. Nobody's serving to be corrupt.” 

Torgeson is among the targets. He said his house has had paint bombs dropped on it by drones twice, and his irrigation timer was reset to run for hours in the middle of each night. That incident cost him hundreds of dollars before he noticed, which only happened when he got his next bill. 

Perhaps more disturbing has been threats to the safety of staff members, which have resulted in restraining orders, a lawsuit to remove an improper lien on a home and added security for staff members. 

Restraining orders 

In January 2023, three senior staff members and the town as an organization received a restraining order against retired Gilbert firefighter Josh Reynolds. The three were Fire Chief Rob Duggan, Deputy Town Manager Leah Rhineheimer and Chief Digital Officer Dana Berchman. 

Reynolds had a history from at least 2015 of using his social media to criticize town leadership and express political views, often tagging official town accounts to draw attention.  

Though the town mostly took no action because he had a right to express his opinion, the fire department eventually disciplined him in 2021 for derogatory comments and misuse of town resources, including a video featuring a thin blue line flag on a firetruck during a period of dueling local protests.  

After subsequent incidents, Reynolds accepted an offer to retire rather than be dismissed, officials said, but continued to post critical content online. 

In court documents filed while seeking the restraining order, Duggan, Berchman, Rhineheimer and the town pointed to some of those posts.  

They included taking pictures of Duggan around town, some while off duty and with his wife; dropping the name of the school of Berchman’s daughters; and tagging Berchman on a repost of a video of UFC President Dana White suggesting “man, for the small group of savages out there, run these (expletive) kids right over, man run them all over.” 

The day after posting that video, Reynolds showed up to the Gilbert Municipal Complex and, according to court documents, tried to access Berchman’s, Duggan’s and Rhineheimer’s offices to deliver a “Christmas card.”  

Reynolds denied he was ever anywhere but public spaces in the complex, but the restraining orders were issued. One against Rhineheimer was later removed after Reynolds’ appeal on all four orders. 

Berchman declined to comment for this story, as did  Rhineheimer and Duggan through the town’s communications office. 

After a June 2021 written warning to Reynolds, the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a public-records request seeking a wide swath of documents that would include Reynolds’ case. 

The request alleged the Town was engaging in employment discrimination by enabling or allowing disparate treatment of employees based on “conflicting political, personnel and policy issues within the Town of Gilbert,” pointing to posts on Berchman’s personal account. 

Retired Gilbert firefighter Josh Reynolds started speaking at Gilbert Town Council meetings after the town and two employees let restraining orders against him expire.

Screen capture from YouTube

The town referred the matter to labor and employment legal firm Pierce Coleman for independent investigation, but found Berchman never used town resources in her posts and was entitled to express her personal political opinions. 

It also pointed to four conservative town employees other than Reynolds about whom the town had received complaints for their social media posts. However, none were disciplined, either, for the same reason as Berchman.  

The difference with Reynolds was the tagging of the town’s social accounts. 

“To the extent employees have been disciplined for ‘speech’ related issues, the reason for the discipline relates to employees’ improper use of Town social media or Town property and is content neutral,” the report concluded. 

Still, the perception lived on. In January 2024, an article on a conservative news website, using anonymous sources and without asking for response from Berchman or the town, accused it of spying on town employees and elected officials, bringing up the Reynolds case. 

That was followed by a group mostly from the Legislative District 14 Republican Party calling for Berchman to be fired and the communications team dismantled during a council meeting in January 2024. 

Berchman resigned in March 2024 to start her own consulting firm working with other municipalities, though town officials confirm no one pressured her to leave and, in fact, tried to convince her to stay. 

Lien lawsuit 

Reynolds’ retirement also led to a series of incidents that ensnared Town Manager Patrick Banger in a legal entanglement. 

At the retirement ceremony, Fire Capt. Steve LaValle used a regional dispatch broadcast system to make the comment that Reynolds should stop by frequently “for some black coffee.”  

Fire administration said the comment using town resources was an obvious reference to a post Reynolds had made that drew outside complaints and was subject of a town investigation. Leadership said LaValle’s comment was not well received by others, though LaValle disagreed about how it was received.

It led to an escalating conflict through August 2022 that ended with LaValle being terminated for job abandonment when he did not return from work from a suspension and failure to comply with supervisory orders.  

Though Banger was not involved with the departmental discipline, LaValle later allegedly conspired with a notary to create a false certificate of judgment against Banger for $596 million and had it filed with the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, according to court documents. 

Former Gilbert Fire & Rescue Department Capt. Steve LaValle has been a frequent critic of Town Manager Patrick Banger, Fire Chief Rob Duggan and town leadership.

Screen capture from YouTube

LaValle then filed a lien against Banger’s home based on the document, according to the documents.  

Banger had to file suit against LaValle and the notary to have the document and lien removed. The courts awarded Banger more than $19,000 in attorney’s costs and other fees, which were garnished through LaValle’s banking account over LaValle’s objections, according to court documents. 

LaValle has regularly appeared at council meetings the past two years to speak during the public comment, frequently criticizing Banger and Duggan. 

“I have to say, I told you so,” LaValle said during the Oct. 14 meeting, in which many residents came to address the water rates issue. “Your problem sits right there (pointing to Banger), and now he’s leaving. But that’s your leadership problem in the town.” 

Reynolds followed LaValle to the podium.  

“I’m happy Patrick is leaving,” he said. “This is a good day for Gilbert.” 

They spoke on the same day it was announced Banger had been hired to be Glendale’s next city manager starting in January. 

Banger through the town’s communications team declined comment for this story. 

Other threats 

Staff and council members have received other threats. 

Facebook accounts that appeared to be using false names have left murky messages that were vaguely threatening against council members. 

On the night the LD14 Republicans showed up to call for dismantling the Office of Digital Government, the make and model of Berchman’s car was left on a chalkboard in Gilbert Town Hall’s lobby. 

Another senior staff member received an anonymous postcard at home that said the sender knew where the staff member lived. 

Police Chief Michael Soelberg said his department has beefed up security around council meetings and for employees, even when away from work. 

“When you're doing your government operations and you're doing government business, we want to ensure our employees are safe,” he said. “And if they need legal guidance on how to protect themselves away from work, both the police department and our legal can help them guide them through what they can go through to protect themselves and their families.” 

In its statement, the town urged residents to collaborate with them to navigate complex issues. 

“Gilbert is at its best when we lean into respectful dialogue, even when we disagree,” the town stated. “Civil discourse is the foundation of a strong democracy, and we encourage all residents to engage in thoughtful, solution-oriented conversations, online and offline.” 

Bongiovanni said he saw that side after the online threat when he went back online to say he would no longer debate on social media as a result but would remain open to talking with anyone outside that forum. He said people who do that find he’s not the “person they think I am.” 

“I really saw a lot of good people today come out in support and challenge some of our citizens who find it a hobby to just be negative,” he said. “So I saw the aftermath of this be somewhat positive.” 

Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.  Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on X. 

Tom Blodgett
Senior News Editor | Gilbert

tblodgett@iniusa.org

Meet Tom
Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.

Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.

Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism. 

Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.  

Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).