(Clockwise) Council members Yassamin Ansari, Carlos Garcia, Laura Pastor and Betty Guardado. Photos: Courtesy of City of Phoenix
Four city council members attended Suns games or concerts using a city suite that is supposed to be for community and economic development purposes, according to records obtained by Axios Phoenix.
Why it matters: Ethics experts tell us that council members taking advantage of perks like this can create the perception that the city is misusing a public resource for private benefit, which diminishes trust between elected officials and constituents.
How it works: The city owns Footprint Center, but the Phoenix Suns organization manages it.
What we found: Council members Laura Pastor, Carlos Garcia, Betty Guardado and Yassamin Ansari attended events in the city suite in the past two years, sometimes bringing family members or friends with them.
Of note: A few council staffers also used the suite, sometimes without their bosses present.
What they’re saying: The council members and council staffers who attended events did not respond to Axios’ request for comment.
In a statement the city said council members and staff are allowed to serve as hosts in the suite for “uses such as economic development and retention and/or promotion of the city.”
The other side: Mayor Kate Gallego and council members Jim Waring, Deb Stark, Sal DiCiccio and Ann O’Brien say they have never attended an event in the suite, nor have they asked to, or been asked to attend.
The bottom line: Government officials are expected to adhere to a strict code of professional ethics, said Pat Shields, who serves on the ethics committee of the American Society for Public Administration.
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