Meeting Time: April 17, 2021 at 10:00am MST
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Agenda Item

PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE CITY MANAGER'S TRIAL BUDGET

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    Gladiela Lopez Felix about 3 years ago

    If this crisis response program is implemented the money must come from the police department, not the surplus. PHXPD, one of the most racist and violent police departments in the nation, is overfunded and under disciplined. It’s pathetic. PHXPD does not keep Phoenix residents safe. The surplus needs to go to our community needs and safety. The crisis response would reduce the number of calls police respond to, so there is no reason for that money to stay with the police department.

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    Rebecca Denis about 3 years ago

    A balanced budget does not look like giving more money to the police who are violent and corrupt and already have a bloated budget. We need to DEFUND the police so we can invest money back into our communities. Public transportation should be free, we need better mental health and rehabilitation services. Public housing should be a priority for this council as we have an affordable housing crisis in our city currently. You must reject any new money, including covid relief money to police.

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    Aaron Evans about 3 years ago

    Absolutely no more money needs to be pushed into the violent system we call the Phoenix Police Department. The city needs to put funds into services that benefit the people, not the police. Reallocate funds and use it for NOCAP, a crises assistance program independent from all other current first responders. Stop letting armed cops pretend to know how to handle mental health crises and wellness checks. More $ to police = more unnecessary violence towards the community.

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    Cynthia McWhorter about 3 years ago

    People don't want a police response or any cooperation with law enforcement, including ICE when calling for help.
    The Crisis Assistance Program will respond to calls that currently go to the Phoenix Police Department. It makes sense that the money for the Crisis Assistance Program should come from the cost savings for PPD, now that officers have fewer calls for service. Operations should dictate budgets. If the Police Department has less work to do, they should receive less money.

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    Julie Gipe about 3 years ago

    NO pay raises or any additional funding to the police department. Reallocate the funds to much needed services (mental health, education, climate) which will improve our society and our people. If we allocate money where it will actually make a positive impact in our communities, we'll all benefit from it. However, if we continue to carelessly overinflate police budgets, we'll continue to deteriorate as a society. Let's invest in specialized services that work; not more police.

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    Kelly Kwok about 3 years ago

    Council needs to reject this budget until the public is guaranteed full access to future labor negotiation meetings. Negotiating the contract behind closed doors resulted in pay raises for police ($60 million) and minimal changes in transparency and accountability. Continuing to let police negotiations happen behind closed doors means PPD is going to stay violent and unaccountable. Council has the power to change this process and end secret negotiations. No more money to cops.

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    Graham Weisse about 3 years ago

    It is a bitter farce that funding for a police department—unremittingly hostile to communities it purportedly serves—dwarfs allocations for all other city services. At least $20 million in ongoing funding needs to be drawn off from the bloated police budget to maintain a community-directed crisis response program in conformity with all NOCAP principles. Money should also be diverted from the police to expand shelter capacity and affordable housing citywide and boost climate preparedness efforts.

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    Allison DeCoste about 3 years ago

    I am commenting in favor of decreasing the budget allocation for police and investing in solutions that are safer for our community. In many situations, police are underprepared/informed to handle a medical/mental health crisis. They shouldn’t have to. Investing in crisis assistance programs like NOCAP and with health professionals will bring trust and sustainable aid to the most underrepresented members of our communities (unsheltered individuals especially <3). Thank you!

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    Dusenge Gloria about 3 years ago

    I am against the 75 new civilian positions for Phoenix police. PPD says it’s necessary to increase transparency, but every attempt by police to increase transparency and training have failed. We need access to public records from police, but continuing to add more people to a rotten system isn’t going to fix anything. Police records need to be handled by the City Clerk’s office.

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    Denise Romesburg about 3 years ago

    I support the budget's proposed spending of $2.8 million and an increase of 14 positions to address Climate Change and Heat Readiness. Phoenix desperately needs a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and climate action planning. It's only going to get hotter!

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    Lauryn Wingate about 3 years ago

    I encourage you to consider renewal & expansion of the PHXbizConnect HUUB platform so that businesses can continue to get support in this critical time. As a business owner in Phoenix, this tool has been vital to helping me navigate the pandemic & even grow. I believe this platform should be a standard tool for all cities, but especially Phoenix.

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    Rochelle Price about 3 years ago

    I support funding for climate change and heat readiness. Let's fight back against record breaking deadly heat in our city.
    I support funding for additional staff to plant and care for trees.
    I support funding for Cool Corridors.
    I support funding for maintenance for the park long delayed at 55th ave and Samantha.
    Let's plant more trees, make our city walkable, and cool enough to be walkable, with public spaces in all of our communities.

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    Jessica Spencer about 3 years ago

    I cannot support this budget that just throws more and more money at a useless police force that exists solely to target those it deems less than human. The community wants funding for CHANGE, not for more violent police forces who use violent nazi imagery coins to pass among their members to target our community members. I support money being moved to support an actual crisis response versus this team of murderers we now employ.

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    Erin Rugland about 3 years ago

    I cannot support a budget that increases funding to an inflated and ineffective police department. It's a shame because there are some great budget initiatives, particularly the Climate Change and Heat Resilience items, but how can you claim to try to improve the quality of life of low-income communities through heat reduction if those communities will still be heavily policed?

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    john meyer about 3 years ago

    I believe that the best way to maximize limite police funds is to reduce the number of nonviolent calls the police force responds to through the development of a community driven entity that will dispatch professionals from the mental health and social work sectors to address nonviolent situations.

    It is a proposal that makes sense given the number of people unnecessarily killed through nonviolent interactions with police, and it will allow everyone in the community to feel safer.

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    Sierra Ayers about 3 years ago

    Please make the community safer by NOT giving more money to the country's deadliest police department, and instead moving $15 million to the Neighborhood Organized Crisis Assistance Program. How is the nations 5th largest city only allocating less than $200k for public housing? Support the community you work for by investing in community services. We need money for housing, healthcare (mental healthcare), substance abuse resources. Stop using tax dollars for the police.

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    Tom Bukacek about 3 years ago

    As a small business owner in Phoenix, I encourage you to consider the renewal and expansion of the PHXbizConnect HUUB platform so that businesses can continue to get the support they need in this critical time. I would love to see the city invest in offering free consultants through HUUB’s 24/7 online tool to help us grow our businesses. Thank you for your consideration.

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    Karylann Kwasny about 3 years ago

    Phoenix PD is considered one of the most violent police forces in our country. Instead of rewarding poor performances with increased salaries, make them earn their increased wages by required higher education/training and use that extra money to INVEST IN COMMUNITY SERVICES. That extra money could be used towards services to help people protected by COVID like healthcare and housing assistance/accessibility. Stop giving these murderers more money and lets protect and help our fellow citizens.

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    Eva Valencia about 3 years ago

    Please support our community by 1) Moving $15 million from the proposed police budget to fund a new crisis response program. 2) Opposing $10 million for the PD "crime suppression squad." 3) Opposing any new civilian positions for the PD--insure transparency by giving the city clerk's office oversight of police records. Please invest in programs (housing support, rehab support, transportation, arts, and climate change mitigation) that will improve the quality of life for all Phoenicians. 

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    Donna Reiner about 3 years ago

    As the past chair of the Arts & Culture Commission, thank you for your continuing support of the arts sector w/ COVID relief money this past year & the trial budget that increases the Phoenix Office and Arts and Culture budget by $200,000 -- $110,000 for grants, $60,000 for public art maintenance, & $30,000 to support youth, professional development, & community programs. As the past chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, thank you for the additional funds for grants which is needed.