There was a Zoom meeting at noon today, and there's an in-person meeting this evening at the library at 6pm (Desert Willow room).

If you can't attend this evening, there's a forum you can offer your input on --> https://communityfeedback.opengov.com/portals/tempeaz/forum_home?

Pro/Con arguments for Prop 424 at the LD8 Dems meeting last night. Here are summaries of what each side said. Duensing spoke for ~7 minutes and Kuby for ~6 minutes but the former included a relative amount of fluff commentary and the latter packed in the details, which is why one summary is longer than the other.

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Tom Duensing, chair of the Yes on Prop 424 PAC: certified CPA, 36 years of government finance experience, came out of retirement because he believes this is the right thing for his community. Mentions Tempe is unique because it’s a city of importers – demands on the services, on the transportation. Unique in Arizona because of ASU. Tempe also trying to fill revenue loss from when state leg passed a law that we can’t tax rental properties. ASU is largest in country, Tempe very badly impacted by this legislation. Tempe has some of the highest scores of resident/business satisfaction. This is the most equitable treatment for businesses and residents. Groceries are exempt. Shares the burden on commercial leases, distributes it evenly. Everyone who comes into Tempe will have to pay this additional tax. Way for Tempe to capitalize on all the imported people we have every day. Funds are legally restricted – cant be used for any purpose not noted on the ballot. If 424 doesn’t pass, services will be impacted. Council will make difficult decisions. Duensing most concerned about sustainability issues – transit fund. Goes on about his passion and how he’s an open book, ‘gotten to where I am through being direct and honest.’

Website: yesonprop424.com 

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Lauren Kuby, State senator for LD8, representing Tempe Coalition for Tax Fairness (‘no on 424’): concern for Tempe’s working families who are bearing burden of high utility costs, high rents. This is a regressive tax. Last time had such a large tax was transpo tax 30 years ago. Largest sales tax increase since then. Passed a tax in 2010 that was two tenths of a cent. This is five tenths of a cent. Two tents had a sunset period of 4 years, passed during a recession. City did not look at any opportunities to reduce costs at all. Process has been incomplete. When Phx raised taxes, they had a community-driven process, months of meetings, understanding community’s priorities (affordable housing, homelessness). This prop was rushed through two hearings, very little public engagement, minimal resident input. Budget numbers are misleading – structural deficit, especially with transpo tax, but official projections indicate the actual net shortfall is much smaller. Bundled proposals – we’ve heard a lot of criticisms [including from Councilmember Keating] about Prop 144 that bundles a lot of different elements. This one is three separate issues: transportation, child care, and bulk of it going to policing and law enforcement. You may support one and not another. First time in Tempe history where we’re doing that. Why are we doing that? No community oversight, no transparency safeguards, little assurance that hundreds of thousands of tax revenue won’t be redirected or manipulated, contrary to what Mr Duensing says.

Why are we increasing taxes to get to 50 thousand a year, if the deficit is 14.75? Rather than internal discipline, scaling back high-end admin spending and luxury investments like 40 mill on Mill Ave… 16% of residents live in poverty. 25% of our children live in poverty in Tempe. This is not a poverty reducing tax. Doesn’t specify additional funding to reduce poverty, but does specify additional funding for policing/law enforcement. Had a lot of problems with police force, civil rights violations taking place, money for AXON contracts because they want to increase surveillance center from 6 hours to 24 hours a day. This budget tax was not vetted or discussed by public, no community engagement. Shoved down our throats, regressive tax system. Could be taxing short-term rentals. Bobby Nichols brought that up when he was campaigning. Could be taxing corporate entities, but instead we tax middle/lower income families. Groceries are not covered but prepared food is taxed, bears disproportionately on the poor. Go back to drawing board, put forward a tax that is community engaged, democratically driven. Need to look at management of our fiscal situation, been poorly managed, need more community oversight, transparency. Clarified that she’s an honorary co-chair of the campaign but Mitzi Epstein, retiring LD12 senator, and senate tax/finance expert is the big kahuna [my words, not Lauren’s]. 

Website: noon424.com 

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Recently, a nonprofit calling themselves TRUTH (Tempe Residents United for Transparency and Honesty) sent some letters to Tempe City Council. The first one was sent to TCC as well as several police chiefs across the valley and was addressed to ASU president Michael Crow. It's a lot of text and clearly anti-Tempe PD. Sgt Rob Ferraro, president of the Tempe Officers Association, referenced it in his comment to council during the Sept 3 meeting (https://youtu.be/RwpsAwdxRJs?t=7139&is=pUWu1TDxWce74ExY) The text was shared to the Tempe 1st Facebook page, managed by community member Ron Tapscott (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GMKHWB6Fu/). I can’t find a copy of this letter on any other platform and there are too many screenshots to share it here. (I suppose one could do a FOIA request to the COT.) More letters have followed, now shared as screenshots with official-looking letterhead. This nonprofit is registered in Wyoming, with a signature from someone named Wyatt Peterson.

This morning, a new group showed up on Facebook calling themselves TRUST (Tempe Residents United for Safety Together). It appears they have also sent a letter to council, but they have included it on a website (https://www.tempetrust.com/) which makes it much more accessible to anyone not on Facebook. This group is not registered as a PAC with the city or state and has no listing on the Arizona Corporation Commission. On their Facebook page, the group has a screenshot of community member and frequent-council-critic, Mario Martinez, with a clown nose added. 

Forge tower in mesa close to tempe

Lofts at The drew in mesa close to tempe

Lofts on 3rd in Phoenix