Why Citizens For Phoenix?

In January of 2010, Phoenix City Manager, David Cavazos, informed the public that we were facing a $240 million dollar shortfall. His response to this fiscal crisis was to submit a proposal to the Council whose Draconian cuts to city services would inevitably divide the community by pitting neighbor against neighbor and everyone against Public Safety. The Mayor’s response was to propose a 2% tax on food with a 5 year sunset to help reduce, but not eliminate, the shortfall.

Paul Barnes, of the Neighborhood Coalition of Greater Phoenix, and Ann Malone, of the Indian School Corridor Citywide Coalition, refused to participate in this divisive process and together decided to re-write the City Manager’s budget. While agreeing to accept $50 million of the City Manager’s cuts, they rejected the other $90 million that would have put Phoenix’s most vulnerable citizens at risk with no warning,and therefore, no safety net. Once their new budget was ready, they contacted the President of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA), Mark Spencer, and asked him if the Phoenix police union would stand with them. With no hesitation, Officer Spencer agreed that “To Protect and Serve” meant standing with the citizens on this issue.

With this endorsement behind them, on February 6, 2010, Mr. Barnes and Mrs. Malone invited over 50 community leaders in Arts and Culture, Persons with Disabilities, Seniors, Parks Associations, After School Programs (PAC), Block Watches, PNP, Libraries,anti-food tax groups, and the other city unions and presented their budget solution to the group. It was agreed by those in attendance that while it would require sacrifices by all, it was a budget we all could live with. In addition, it was agreed that if we were going to accept the Mayor’s 2% food tax as part of this budget, we wanted it to be for 2 years not 5; and that we would insist upon a best practices audit of every city department, beginning with Public Safety, so that we would never be in this position again. And finally, all present agreed to attend the budget hearings and unlike years past, simply state what was good about their organization, refrain from saying anything bad about others, and end by saying they endorse the Citizens for Phoenix solution.

Through the unifying efforts of this new umbrella group, Citizens for Phoenix, coupled with the significant financial sacrifices of contributed by all of our city employees, both sworn and non-sworn, and the Mayor and Council’s passing of the 2% Food Tax, together we were able to preserve from cuts a substantial number of services and programs related to the quality of life of most Phoenicians. Additionally, we won the right to a Best Practices Audit of all city departments beginning with Public Safety, the largest portion of our city’s budget.

Much has been happening since the budget passed on March 2, 2010 and our group continues to participate in the process of holding the city fiscally and socially responsible to her citizens through the ongoing audit process.

It is our desire that this website will keep the Citizens of Phoenix in touch with one another by:

  • Keeping all informed of our ongoing initiatives that protect neighborhoods
  • Holding the City accountable by publicly tracking the action of the approved audits.
  • Giving Phoenicians a continued voice in improving our city by educating the voters and giving them a means to email city politicians from our website

We have taken on the following issues:

  • Saved the Career Criminal Squad of the Phoenix Police Dept.
  • Educated the voters on both the Property Tax and Water Rate Hike issues.
  • Educating Neighborhoods on how to get involved in the General Plan Update.
  • Sponsoring Citywide Leadership Meetings to gage the needs in all area of the city with regard to: Gangs and Graffiti, Mass Transit, Budget Issues, and Neighborhood Preservation.
  • Encouraging all Council and Mayoral candidates to hold educational Town Hall Style forums for voters to get to know them one on one.
  • Sponsoring a Mayoral Debate and then publishing a candidate “Reprot Card” on a variety of issues so that voters can decide which candidate most closely represents their issues.

Citizens for Phoenix consists of over 100,000 households represented in 60 Neighborhood Associations, Churches, and Civic Organizations throughout Phoenix and we continue to grow.

Join us now and help take back our city!