The Arizona lawmakers are calling on Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to conduct a formal investigation under A.R.S. § 41-194.01 into the City of Phoenix’s policy that allows unelected department heads to unilaterally give away up to $32,000 of taxpayer money to non-governmental organizations without City Council approval or legal authority.
The lawmakers, State Representatives David Marshall, Walt Blackman, and Quang Nguyen submitted a detailed letter to Mayes requesting wat is known as a “1487 investigation.”
In their letter, the lawmakers provided extensive documentation that Phoenix officials have used public funds to sponsor outside organizations and events through a so-called “Gift Policy” that was never approved by ordinance and appears to violate multiple provisions of Arizona law and the state Constitution.
According to the legislators’ request, the City’s accounting system reveals mislabeled payments and expenditures labeled as “sponsorships,” “miscellaneous,” “marketing services,” “advertising,” and other unexplained donations to non-governmental organizations.
The lawmakers assert that at a minimum, the city’s Gift Policy violates:
• Article XIII, § 2 of the Arizona Constitution and A.R.S. § 9-499.01, which prohibit city officials from exercising powers not granted by law;
• A.R.S. § 9-303(B), which limits the City Manager’s spending authority to what is specified by ordinance (in this case, only to settling legal claims, not discretionary gifts);
• The Arizona Constitution’s Gift Clause (Article IX, § 7), which bars public funds from being donated or granted to private entities without a direct and proportionate benefit to the public.
“This policy wasn’t approved by the City Council, wasn’t adopted by ordinance, and isn’t authorized by statute or the Phoenix City Charter,” said Blackman, Chairman of the House Government Committee. “It appears to be nothing more than an illegal slush fund for politically favored nonprofits—and that’s exactly what Arizona’s Gift Clause was written to prevent.”
“An abuse of public resources cannot go unchecked. We’re talking about millions of dollars spent with no legal authority and zero transparency,” said Nguyen, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “This is exactly why the Legislature created the SB1487 process—to stop cities from operating outside the law. The Attorney General has a duty to investigate and take enforcement action immediately.”
The lawmakers’ submission includes extensive documentation, including correspondence between Representative Marshall and the Phoenix City Attorney, a legal analysis, and an exhibit of questionable transactions by City departments.
Expect NOTHING to be done under this communist regime. These Soros and cartel backed illegitimate members of the executive branch of AZ government have been giving the middle finger to everyone here except those who pull their strings.
Unfortunately we have a legislature that lacks the stones to override vetoes and force those who should do their job to actually do it. Lip service is cheap and it sure appears we have a bunch of cheap suits sitting in the legislature!
That’s just like asking the fox to watch the hen house.
Typical left wing scum. Taking our taxes and giving it to thier political cronies.
End the NGOs.
Its amazing what lengths democrats will go to to dump you tax money into some black hole. So nice that AZ is slowly turning blue and the republicans won’t do anything to stop it. Sorry AZ, you will be totally blue by 2030.
Reminds me of the phrase “You can wish in one hand and s__t in the other and see which one fills up first.” Nice effort but a waste of time with the current AG.