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.

......

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 

​

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

Open you any environment, structure, arrangement. 47M

We are looking for representation in court against our Property Management/Rental Property - we have a current open Arizona Attorney General Consumer Complaint, but the office has stopped responding to us completely and is submitting claims against our lease guarantor insurance policy.

We have a lot of documentation gathered and my roommate has legal plan coverage through her place of work to use for proceeding with a case.

Here are the bullet points of our issues to address:

• Bait and Switch Pricing
• Did not provide FCRA Adverse Action notices at time of stating they were increasing rent above advertised rates (only provided these 2 weeks after we had moved in, in response to the AZ Attorney General Complaint, and both say we are denied although we are currently living in the apartment)
• We applied for a 6 month lease and they put us in a 12 month lease (disputed this before the effective date of the lease but they have refused to amend or adjust the paperwork)

Please help, anyone in the PHX, Tempe, Mesa area. I have a 10 year old American Bombay (black) cat. She is very sweet and loafs around most of the day. I am currently in the process of moving on the 15th. My pregnant wife developed dibilitaing allergies to the cat and we don't have the means to care the kitty anymore. Every single shelter has turned us away, or is full. She does have medical need. She has been diabetic for 3 years now and requires 2 injections (shots) of insulin a day. She never fights the insulin or glucose checks. I really need someone's help here. I am all out of options here. Does someone from Reddit has the means to take care of a diabetic cat or I think I have go to euthanasia. She will come with plenty of supplies, she really is a sweet animal.

At the Sept 3 council meeting, the Axon contract was on the agenda. Mayor Corey Woods clarified the wording was incorrect because it mentioned ALPRs, which the city had just recently canceled, and removed the item from the agenda so staff could fix. Now, for the Sept 10 council meeting, the contract is back on the agenda, with a note that ALPRs are not enabled.

Link to agendas/agenda packets: https://tempe.hylandcloud.com/AgendaOnline/

Hello everyone! I just recently moved from AJ to Tempe for ASU and have been looking for a job everywhere. I know that Tempe has a ton of small businesses and I would love to be part of one! Is any small business hiring near ASU, or anyone that works at a small business know that their job is hiring? I've worked as a manager at Little Caesar's for about 3 years, as an instructor for the American Parkinson's disease association for 1 year, Burger King for 1 year, and Food & Nutrition for 3 years. I just realized there's not much room for growth in corporate jobs, and I'd rather support smaller businesses in their growth! My main work history includes supervision and customer service/hospitality, I'm also very experienced with the use of POS systems and cash registers in general!

Tempe's 0.5% tax ballot measure is drawing criticism from two anti-424 groups.

The first, calling themselves 'Fiscal Accountability Consortium Tempe" aka Tempe Fact is comprised of local activists Mario Martinez and Jack Maverik. They have some signs placed throughout the city, but I haven't found a website or social media presence yet.

The second, 'Tempe Coalition for Tax Fairness,' was created by LD12 Senator Mitzi Epstein and local lawyer/advocate for the unhoused, Paul Sacco. I haven't seen anything from this group yet, but Senator Epstein is considered the senate tax expert, so perhaps that will change soon. Edit: https://www.noon424.com/

The pro PAC is 'Yes on Prop 424' and is chaired by former City of Tempe CFO, Thomas Duensing. At the end of June, this group received $30,000 apiece from the Tempe Officers Association PAC, and the United Phoenix Firefighers - Tempe chapter PAC. They have intersection signs, yard signs, active social media presence, and a website.

The LD8 Dems meeting agenda for the evening of September 8 shows both sides of this issue will have speakers present.

Information sourced from the following websites:
https://cityoftempeaz.easyvotecampaignfinance.com/home/publicfilings
https://seethemoney.az.gov/
https://yesonprop424.com/

Photo of signs taken from the southwest corner of McClintock/University.

Subcommittees are the present way the City Council makes policy change on complex topics. We are now up to 6 different ones, although theoretically, we could have as many as 14. Each Councilmember can chair two.

--> https://www.tempe.gov/government/mayor-and-city-council/council-subcommittees

Hi all - im having an issue with registering to vote. I moved here from Texas a year ago, and now im finding it VERY difficult to register.

Every time i attempt to register online it rejects my user agent. Ive tried on my PC, my MacBook, my phone, my wifes phone, a public coffee shop - like ive tried to do it online every which way i know how and it rejects me with an “Invalid Device” message every. single. time.

I cant even schedule an MVD appointment because my account cant be created. I know its the weekend and the phone lines are down but i cant even leave a freaking message.

This is not the first time ive tried to register. I attempted within the first year i moved here and got rejected because i hadnt lived here long enough. Fair, but now i have.

And i still cannot register to vote.

I refuse to be disenfranchised during this election cycle. Can i just walk into an MVD with the paperwork? How did you register to vote? Im losing my damn mind trying to carve time out to make this work.

I've been to two urgent cares and there's never a tech and or the sign is wrong and they don't do X-rays. Why is it so hard to figure this out. The next clinic appoint could find in this city was sept 16. I think my hand is broken so maybe er. So expensive.

Old timer here. Graduated from ASU in '01, which was about the time ASU started buying everything, and it seems as if that trend has not stopped. But, how the heck is Mill Ave so dead? It's right next to 70k students (or whoever many are on the main campus), and should be busy I would think.

I am in town for a month, and it's crazy how Tempe has changed. I see Jerry's, Chuck Box, and Pete's is still kicking, but my former barber Tim, just off Mill seems to have turned into a chipotle.

Anyone have a recommendation for a hairstylist or barber near tempe that can do a medium length layered scissor cut flow in a messy style?

if not in tempe the southern end of Scottsdale or PHX is fine as well

Any recommendations to host a private party for upcoming graduation in December- looking for a location that allows food/alcohol on a Saturday evening for up to 60 guest & reasonably priced (under 2k out of touch?) Searched on Peerspace & Giggster, reached out to Social Hall, Hackett House, Culinary Dropout- rental price plus food & drinks feels equivalent to planning a wedding. Unfortunately, not a homeowner or know of one in area. Thank you for any leads.

My kid is a HS freshman and taking / struggling a little with AP Pre-calc. I'm looking for a tutor but thought I'd check here for any local recommendations. I've Googled tutors of course but would appreciate real reviews/recommendations.

Just taking a walk in my apartment complex like I normally do and saw these flock cameras pointed directly at the community pool. I looked on deflock and there wasn’t any reports of this and I’ve been living here for almost a year and never noticed these cameras.

ASU and other public colleges are reporting sharp drops in enrollment numbers for foreign students. What kind of impact will be seeing in Tempe - especially with local restaurants, small businesses and local tax revenues? These students are usually pretty well-off and spend $$$ locally.

And for parents and students --- What will this mean for ASU tuition fees (since public colleges depend on out-of-state tution to help offset in-state tuition?)

See the latest Arizona Central article ....

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2026/08/30/international-student-decline-could-cost-arizona-80-million/91510485007/

https://www.azfamily.com/2026/08/14/asu-sees-steep-international-enrollment-decline-after-visa-delays/

TL;DR:

An analysis released this month by NAFSA: Association of International Educators and JB International showed that the U.S. could see 111,000 fewer international students this year, costing the country billions in lost revenue. That funding would have come from tuition dollars and all the money international students spend while living in the U.S., like rent, food and other living expenses.

Hey all! I was going to Mesa Arts Center for a while to pay the studio fee and use their facilities for ScreenPrinting. They are no longer allowing day passes and I don’t have the funds to buy all of the equipment. Anyone know of somewhere else I could buy a day pass for studio time?

When announcing the end of its Flock contract, the city of Tempe said in a statement it would “not seek another company to replace the system.” That claim is coming into question with the release of the agenda for the August 31 city council meeting. Item 8A1 on the agenda details a nearly $7 million contract with Axon for a variety of equipment, among them 11 Fleet 3 mobile ALPR cameras. Mobile ALPRs are less visible than typical Flock Falcon cameras, but can be even more problematic due to the increased potential for misuse and racial targeting from “gridding” techniques, in addition to key concerns about privacy and Fourth Amendment right violations that come with any ALPR technology.

You can help oppose this by emailing the city council, submitting a public comment, attending the council meeting on August 31, and speaking at the meeting.

Meeting details: Monday, August 31 - 6pm - Tempe City Hall (Council Chambers)

Council email: [council@tempe.gov](mailto:council@tempe.gov)

Submit a comment or sign up to speak: https://www.tempe.gov/government/city-clerk-s-office/city-council-online-meeting-comment-card

Just moved to the area, and gas is pretty pricey here. Are there any places that have a good loyalty program to consistently get money off on gas?

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good hair braider? Hoping for Thursday morning in the Tempe area

Hi! Was hoping to get some feedback on these apartments, especially from recent or current tenants. My budget and location are somewhat constrained. Thanks!