This week, the Phoenix City Council voted to approve the creation of a secondary municipal ID and Unified City Services card for residents.
“The Phoenix City Council voted to create a city photo-identification card that will be available to undocumented immigrants. I voted against this, and have been adamantly opposed to it since the idea was originally proposed. I am disappointed that the City Council chose to move forward with this,” Phoenix City Councilman Jim Waring.
With the City Council approval, city staff will enter into a five-year contract with SF Global, LLC to provide the card at no cost to the city. The card will cost $30 for residents and will be valid for three years from the date of issuance.
As the first stage in the process, the company will develop a Secondary Municipal ID card to be paired with the Phoenix Public Library System. This card will launch February, 2017. The City will then work with the company to develop a strategy, plan and timeline for creating an integrated city services card for other city services such as the Parks and Recreation Reservation System, Golf Management System, and Human Services Membership System.
“The secondary municipal ID card will be a revenue neutral way to allow residents of Phoenix to more easily access city services with just a single card,” said Councilman Michael Nowakowski, chair of the City Council’s Public Safety and Veterans Subcommittee, which previously had approved a municipal ID card proposal. “This will make city government more efficient and make it more open to our residents.”
An eight-member committee of city staff and external stakeholders recommended on a 6-2 consensus vote SF Global, LLC, after evaluating a presentation and proposals from the firm over the summer.
In addition to approving the contract with SF Global, LLC, the City Council approved amendments to the Phoenix City Code that outline terms for the cards issuance and use.
Under terms approved today, each City department will accept the city card as a valid identification and valid proof of Phoenix residency. The Phoenix Police Department may use other identification forms and processes as necessary to substantiate a person’s identity. The city card is not intended to replace any other existing requirements for issuance of other forms of identification in connection with the administration of city benefits and services. Cardholders also would need to surrender the card if they no longer resided in the city.
To obtain a city card, a resident will need to complete an application under penalty of perjury that requires proof of identity (applicants must present a minimum of two documents from this Proof of Identity list) and proof of Phoenix residency (including at least two identity documents from this Proof of Residency list). At least one of the documents must display a photo of the applicant and at least one of the documents must display the applicant’s birth date. If the applicant’s current legal name is different from his/her primary document, the applicant must show legal proof of a name change. To establish Phoenix residency, each applicant will need to present utility bills or other information that includes both the applicant’s name and a residential address that is located within Phoenix.
Knowingly presenting false information to obtain a card; altering, copying or replicating a card without the authority of the City; or using a card issued to another cardholder with the intent to cause a third person or entity to believe the card user is the person to whom the card was issued would be a Class 1 misdemeanor.