On Tuesday, Glendale leaders will consider selling a city-owned cemetery to a private company.
It’s Glendale’s oldest cemetery, established by three churches in 1900 before Glendale even became a city.
In 1962, Glendale took ownership of the 21 acres at 61st and Northern avenues.
With 17,000 burial spaces, Glendale Memorial Park Cemetery operates at a financial loss, estimated to be at least $50,000 annually.
The council will consider a $100,000 offer from Serenity Memorial Group. Based in Mohave County, the company has ties to the Valley where it wants to grow.
According to a city report, Serenity Memorial Group currently operates three funeral homes, one cemetery, a crematory, and a pet funeral home/cemetery in Mohave County.
If approved, the name would remain as Glendale Memorial Park Cemetery and offer preferential pricing and terms for Glendale residents. The new owner would also get $3.8 million of a fund the city has saved for perpetual care.
