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Phoenix to buy $11,000 in coasters to use for gifts????
When they told us they had to raise taxes I thought it was for something important! Not to give a bunch drunks attending a convention gifts!!! Phoenix City Council meeting dominated by coaster debate by Lynh Bui - Feb. 6, 2012 12:00 AM The Republic | azcentral.com It wasn't the multimillion-dollar bus contract that took the spotlight at the Phoenix City Council meeting last week. Nor did talk of revamping the city's parking-meter policies rise to the top. Both those hot issues and nearly 100 other items were on the agenda, but one unexpected debate ended in a split vote of 6-3 after running rings around the council -- drink rings, that is. Elected officials spent almost 20 minutes arguing over whether the Aviation Department should spend $11,000 on souvenir drink coasters for about 2,000 delegates coming to Phoenix for the American Association of Airport Executives Conference. Although the money would have come from the Aviation Department's marketing fund and not the budget that pays for public safety and general city programs and services, council members Jim Waring, Bill Gates and Sal DiCiccio thought it was a waste of money. Some called the debate petty micromanaging. Others said it was about being a watchdog for taxpayers. Regardless of the label, the fight is the latest example of the shifting culture and dynamics of the new Phoenix City Council. It also reflects the new mayor's philosophies on open government. Waring said he wanted the item off the consent agenda so he could vote against it, not expecting a "firestorm" of debate. "When I bring these things up, maybe some people think it's picky and so forth, but for what we get for those coasters, you can take that $11,000 and take it outside and set it on fire and you're gonna get the same result," Waring said. But Councilman Michael Johnson and others argued the conference will generate $3 million to $4 million in sales-tax revenue for the city, and the coasters are a small price to have delegates remember their trip to Phoenix and possibly incentivize a return. Some made light of the issue: "We're 'America's Friendliest Airport,' not 'America's Cheapest Airport,' " quipped Councilman Michael Nowakowski. Others were unapologetic: "I will examine each one of these issues as long as they are in front of me," Gates said. "I don't care how much money it is, I'm going to dig into them and I don't think we should criticize each other for digging into these issues." Whispers of "Coaster-gate" began floating around the offices at City Hall the next morning. And the day after, Mayor Greg Stanton gifted each of his colleagues with a coaster to highlight that the money will go to a local business. But the great coaster debate reflects more than just $11,000 in spending. Gates and DiCiccio have been the biggest fiscal conservatives on the nine-member council, and their voices on certain issues were amplified when Waring was elected in August to replace Councilwoman Peggy Neely, who resigned to run for mayor. The trio have been questioning items ranging from $15,000 in leather recliners for the fire department to the Aviation Department's plans to spend $4.9 million on a piece of land that sold for $1.4 million just the year before. "All these things tie into process and changing the culture at City Hall," Waring said. "It sounds like what happened before is these things never really got questioned." The new mayor is another reason why the coaster debate went on longer than expected. Just a month into his term, Stanton said he's committed to allowing elected officials and the public to speak their minds on policy issues to boost transparency and participation in city government. His commitment has extended City Council meetings at least an hour or two longer than they typically ran in the past. "It's a cultural change," Stanton said. "To me, the higher value is to have real discussion and real debate on issues rather than a quick meeting." Stanton acknowledges that philosophy may result in nearly 20-minute discussions over the purchase of souvenir coasters, but "it's ultimately for the public to decide whether or not the elected officials are using their office appropriately, and each council member has to decide how they are going to spend their own political capital." Councilwoman Thelda Williams said she is worried that extended debates over what appear to be minor issues could actually bore the audience and discourage public participation. "It seems like the little items get turned into big things," Williams said. "Everyone becomes defensive and everyone needs to state their position and it goes on forever." Heated discussions over big-budget items or policy changes make sense, Williams said. But coasters? "Give me a break," she said. |