Thursday night, Chandler City Council passed a proposal to spend up to over $56,000 for a “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Study” of the city’s community and its governance.
The proposal identified Cooperative Personnel Services, dba CPS HR Consulting (CPSHR), will conduct the study and offer their consulting services. The city’s Human Relations Commission (HRC) conducted a study last year following a survey from the city about their DEI initiatives. HRC will serve as a “steering committee” of sorts in CPSHR’s efforts, receiving progress reports and updates on the survey.
According to City Manager Josh Wright, the survey will have four phases. First, the creation of a DEI Aspirational Policy that will define the successful outcome of the study; the development of an external and internal communications strategy; definition of what the terms diversity, equity, and inclusion mean; interviews of council members.
The second phase will include an extensive DEI community engagement process. An online survey will be opened and promoted by the city, a community focus group will be formed, and a website will be launched to house all the documents associated with the study’s processes.
The third phase will look at the city’s employees. At this point, the city will have a “DEI Roadmap.”
Wright didn’t expand on what the fourth phase would include, but indicated it would focus on communication and transparency.
“In many ways this process can be thought of as a community dialogue about our shared values and vision for Chandler,” said Wright. “It is not simply a survey on a nondiscrimination policy or any one aspect of DEI, but rather a holistic look at how we build on our strengths as a city, improve in areas where we need to do better, and continue to create a community that is welcoming for all.”
Councilmember Matt Orlando expressed one of his main concerns with the study was that it wouldn’t produce “statistically valid” results. He asked how the HRC would play in the role of conducting the study.
“I don’t want to get this [topic to get] any more polarized,” stated Orlando.
Wright explained that they would create focus groups and further organize the study in the near future. He added that the HRC would serve a “critical role” in conducting the study.
Councilmember OD Harris asked why CPSHR was chosen to conduct the study.
“There is a strong feeling that there were groups that were left out of the discussion,” stated Harris. “Have we went back to talk to those groups? Have we had additional conversations [about] why we chose this particular company?”
Wright asserted that CPSHR was unbiased on the issue. He argued that they were the only consultant who provided all the services under one roof, and were able to do the study in “a timely fashion.” He said that anybody who believed the procurement process overlooked other companies should reach out.
It was revealed that the Request for Proposal (RFP) to conduct the study wasn’t opened up to the public, which several members of the community took issue with in public comment.
According to the mayor, over 600 comments were issued about the proposal. Mayor Kevin Hartke assured the community that he’d read them all.
Prior to the meeting, Harris had expressed high hopes for the proposal in a statement to AZ Free News.
“First and foremost I was elected to represent all city of Chandler residents. We are in the first step, in putting forth a scientific study on discrimination in Chandler. This is the first true study of its kind as we continue to evolve as a community of diverse people and backgrounds. I am very excited to have this conversation tonight. It’s my call to action in-regards to this critical conversation for all City of Chandler residents to share their experiences and life stories. This data will allow us to specifically identify any barriers, find appropriate solutions, and lastly come together for what is best for our community.”
Harris changed his tune once he learned during the meeting that the survey wasn’t open to a public RFP. He expressed his displeasure, attempting to offer an alternative motion to rescind a vote on the proposal and instead open up the survey to public bidders.
However, a majority of the council voted for the proposal, ending that possibility for Harris. Only Harris and Councilmember Christine Ellis voted against the proposal.
The study will be completed in the spring.
Watch discussion of the proposal at the council meeting here.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The Arizona Senate’s liaison to the Cyber Ninjas-led audit, Ken Bennett, will be hosting a town hall series over the next few weeks to discuss what happened with the audit. The series, “What Happened at the Audit,” was organized by Look Ahead America, an America First nonprofit dedicated to voter outreach and election integrity.
The town halls will occur at the following locations from 7 to 8:30 pm:
· October 19: Hilton Garden Inn Tucson Airport
· October 21: Scottsdale Studios
· October 25: Prescott Gateway Community Room
· October 27: Shugrues Restaurant and Brewery in Lake Havasu City
The town halls will also be live streamed on Rumble and on Look Ahead America’s website.
I invite Arizona patriots to attend Look Ahead Arizona's Town Hall Series "What Happened at the Audit" featuring Ken Bennett (@BennettArizona), moderated by yours truly.
Look Ahead America also hosts the results of the Voter Integrity Project (VIP), an initiative by former President Donald Trump’s 2016 data analyst and strategy director Matt Braynard. Braynard is also the executive director of Look Ahead America. He will moderate the town halls.
Though Cyber Ninjas submitted its final audit report on Maricopa County weeks ago, Bennett has continued his work as liaison. Most recently, Bennett appeared before the U.S. House Oversight Committee to testify last week. Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan was noticeably absent, though he was invited.
During the hearing, Bennett responded to questions about whether he believed the audit showed Trump as having won rather than Biden. Bennett said no.
“I would not characterize it that way. I was asked by the Senate to be the liaison to the Maricopa audit,” stated Bennett. “The Maricopa audit found that the results were very similar to what Maricopa County canvassed in the official results.”
Those interested in attending any or all of the town halls must register in advance here.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The city of Phoenix is facing the reality of a dwindling police force with violent crime surging ahead. This was revealed during the Phoenix City Council’s Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee meeting on Wednesday.
Phoenix Police Department (PPD) reported that they’ve experienced a “continued decline” in the number of officers over the past two years, despite all recruitment efforts. They reported 172 less officers between March of last year and July of this year. Since July, PPD reported having 60 less officers. PPD also reported that it is 42 officers short of minimum staffing level for optimal patrol operations.
“Despite aggressive hiring campaigns over the last two fiscal years, like most other law enforcement agencies across the country the department has experienced a continued decline in the number of filled sworn positions,” said PPD. “On average the department is currently losing approximately 30 officers per month and expects to lose over 100 additional officers by mid-December 2021.”
The department also reported that officers are carrying a higher number of caseloads on violent crimes than recommended – anywhere from three to eleven times the amount they should.
Last year, the FBI reported that homicides rose by nearly 44 percent while aggravated assaults rose by over 24 percent.
On Tuesday, Councilman Sal DiCiccio posted some of the research ahead of the committee meeting. He emphasized that the findings were alarming – increases in violent crime in every district and a reduced numbers of officers.
“There is rising crime in EVERY council district In Phoenix. Does that honestly make you and your family feel safe knowing that? We need change and we need it now,” wrote Diciccio. “800 police officers short [;] Response times increasing [;] ‘Defunding Police’ rhetoric[.]”
According to Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher, the largest spikes in crime occurred in districts 4, 5, 7, and 8. Those districts are led by Councilmembers Laura Pastor, Betty Guardado, Yassamin Ansari, and Vice Mayor Carlos Garcia – those who voted to install a police oversight board.
The vice mayor pushed to reduce police funding greatly during budget considerations earlier this year, which would’ve divested millions from PPD to fund public transit and child care. Additionally, Garcia and Guardado voted against a contingency that officers receive a raise in exchange for additional accountability measures.
In response to PPD’s reports of increased crime and less officers, law enforcement advocate and DiCiccio’s former Chief of Staff Sam Stone told AZ Free News that councilmembers supportive of “defunding the police” rhetoric were to blame.
“The council came one vote from defunding the police last year. One vote. Crime is skyrocketing. Murders are up citywide,” stated Stone. “People are being killed. And this crazy defund movement is to blame. That anyone on this council would seriously continue to try to cut police is just insane.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Several more Arizona voters have come forward to AZ Free News to report they’ve been receiving ballots for voters that should’ve been removed from the rolls years ago – in at least one case, several decades. This report is not to say that this is a widespread issue, but to reflect the fact that AZ Free News has received more reports of this issue from concerned voters.
One voter, Christine Accurso, told AZ Free News that her cousin, Nadia, had moved from her residence to Kuwait a decade ago. Despite her and Nadia both telling Maricopa County for years that Nadia no longer resides in Arizona, the county has continued to send ballots in Nadia’s name to Accurso’s address. Now, Accurso has another ballot for her cousin for Maricopa County’s jurisdictional elections.
The struggles began several years after Maricopa County purportedly removed Nadia from the voter rolls in 2011 at Nadia’s request. As expected, no ballots arrived for Nadia in the 2012 and 2014 election cycles. (However: even if the county had neglected to remove Nadia from their voter rolls initially, Accurso added that Nadia wouldn’t have gotten a mail-in ballot. Nadia had only ever voted in person, and confirmed with Accurso that she’d never signed up for the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) or any opt-ins to receive her ballot by mail.)
Then in 2016, Accurso said that she received a mail-in ballot for her cousin. They both contacted the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office. At first, they were relieved to hear from the office that Nadia would be removed immediately. Then 2018 came – and with it, another ballot for Nadia.
“The weirder thing is that we didn’t get [ballots] in 2012 or 2014 – for those other elections we didn’t get one for her. Then all of a sudden in 2016 we got one,” said Accurso. “The thing that bothers me the most is the fact that [Maricopa County has] been told multiple times [to remove her], and we’ve called and confirmed multiple times [that she was removed]. Then this year I got another one. Something is just wrong.”
AZ Free News was also informed that another individual received a ballot in 2020 for her husband, who’d been deceased for 20 years. That was the first year the deceased individual received a ballot, and for some of the family members it reportedly opened up old wounds connected to the loss.
Yet another concerned voter told AZ Free News that she received ballots for her son in 2018 and 2020 – despite the fact that he moved out of the state in 2017. She marked and returned the ballots to Maricopa County election officials both times to indicate that he no longer lived there.
“I haven’t checked [this year] to see if he still hasn’t been taken off of the [registered voter] list,” explained the voter. “I just remember thinking – how easy to cheat!”
2 live at our house. 2 of our adult children haven’t lived with us for years. They live in WA. pic.twitter.com/Qi6nyrMSuO
Former Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels has encouraged voters to support Gilbert’s $515 million transportation bond – a deal which her lobbying firm, Horizon Strategies AZ, could stand to benefit from greatly. Ballots for the all-mail special election began to be sent out last Wednesday.
The former mayor offered her endorsement on a text alert sent to Gilbert voters.
“Gilbert consistently ranks as one of the most desirable places to live because we have always focused on keeping taxes low and quality-of-life investments like safe roads, bike paths and improved technology to keep traffic moving,” read Daniels’ endorsement. “Question 1 is a responsible plan to keep up with growth and maintain our current streets and intersections. Please join me in voting YES on Question 1.”
Daniels’ endorsement was paid for by “Yes for Safe and Efficient Gilbert Roads,” sometimes also marketed as “Yes on Question 1.” The PAC disclosed that they received no funding from out-of-state contributors, and weren’t authorized by any candidate.
AZ Free News reached out to Daniels about her endorsement and potential benefits from the bond. She didn’t respond by press time. Daniels resigned from her position as Gilbert’s mayor last August, citing “personal reasons.” Shortly after, she turned her focus on building up her public relations and lobbying firm.
Former mayoral candidate Matt Nielsen raised concerns about Daniels’ endorsement of the $515 million transportation bond, noting that Horizon Strategies would stand to benefit from it. He told AZ Free News that the whole advocacy movement behind the bond was “really swampy.”
Nielsen also raised questions about Vice Mayor Yung Koprowski’s advocacy to pass the bond. Koprowski co-chairs “Yes for Safe and Efficient Gilbert Roads Committee,” or “Yes on Question 1 Committee” alongside Councilmember Kathy Tilque. The vice mayor also owns a transportation planning and civil engineering firm, Y2K Engineering. On Sunday, Koprowski and Tilque published an opinion piece in Gilbert Sun News urging Gilbert voters to approve the transportation bond. They also published their advocacy in the town’s publicity pamphlet.
“What it is is that the language behind the $515 million dollar bond is so vague that it looks like a blank check for government spending. The $515 million wasn’t a price tag from looking at the needs of the town, saying ‘This is a dollar amount that is needed,’” asserted Nielsen. “It just reeks of backroom deals, bad behavior in government again.”
Two of Horizon Strategies’ key team members were lobbyists in their recent past.
Jessica Pacheco worked as a lobbyist for power giant Arizona Public Service Company (APS) and their parent company, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation from 2010 to 2020, as well as the Arizona Chamber of Commerce from 2007 to 2008 and SunCor Development Company in 2010.
Katie Prendergast also formerly worked as a lobbyist for power giant APS and Pinnacle West Capital Corporation from 2014 until last September. Prendergast’s profile on the state lobbying portal doesn’t include her work as a lobbyist for the Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA).
Additionally, Horizon Strategies recently hired an Arizona State Capitol legislative staffer named Kelsey Jahntz to become their legislative director, as Arizona Daily Independent reported. Jahntz isn’t listed on the state’s lobbying portal, and hasn’t been listed on the Horizon Strategies team member webpage as of press time.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Former Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels has encouraged voters to support Gilbert’s $515 million transportation bond – a deal which her lobbying firm, Horizon Strategies AZ, could stand to benefit from greatly. Ballots for the