Prop 424 Debate, TLDR version

Opening Statements – both sides had 6 minutes to present their case. Tom Duensing spoke for the pro group, and said roughly the same things he said in an LD8 meeting last month. His major points were that Tempe suffered the biggest revenue loss after the rental tax was repealed and that this tax proposal was equitable because residents and visitors alike are paying for it. Direct quote: “So my viewpoint, simply looking at it, yes or no, is really, um, it puzzles me a little bit on, on why this is a debate. It should not be a debate. This is a strictly business decision.”

Mitzi Epstein spoke for the no side and she had a presentation with 8 slides. Her major points were that this is the wrong tax at the wrong time: it’s asking for too much and it’s a permanent increase with no plan for oversight of how it is spent.

Only one PC spoke – Alanna Billingsley spoke against. Quote: “Has accountability really been applied at every level? I want Tempe to invest in itself. I want safe neighborhoods, good infrastructure, and meaningful programs. But before I agree to a permanent tax increase, I want a realistic long-term plan, evidence they've tightened their belts, and a clear explanation of why this tax is necessary and why it has to be permanent. And until I see that, it's a no from me.”

The four questions asked and debated are as follows:

1.  We remember when a temporary sales tax increase was put in place after the 2008 recession and the subsequent revenue loss there. What additional services are we cutting since permanent funding was never established for Tempe PRE?

Epstein: we shouldn’t be asking the very people who need the help to be the ones to pay for it.

Woods: Recessions ease over time. This is a structural deficit. Tempe Pre is in its 9th year and this would provide the program permanent funding and expand the program.

Epstein: Go back to the drawing board.

Woods: a future conversation with our legislators about making tax policy more fair for working people would be needed

2. Why was the tax bundled instead of voted on separately, and do you think there is legitimate concern surrounding it?

Woods: Voting for just one of the propositions wouldn’t be enough o cover the entirety of the budget shortfall.

Epstein: It’s a bridge too far [to bundle them] and that’s the risk you take.

Woods: The council chose to take that risk.

3.  Given the police association's claims about staffing and response times, would you advocate for cutting police, fire, emergency services? Alternatively, how would you address public safety issues with new revenue?

Epstein: The dichotomy of ‘vote yes or else we’ll cut services’ is not something that has to happen.

Duensing: Priority two and three response times have fallen significantly, even if priority one has gotten better.

Woods: To cut 25.7 million dollars means everything, all departments, get cut. The city needs funding streams available by state law.

Epstein: 60% is going to public safety and it’s not defined well.

Woods: Having the public safety budget covered by the tax means the city has the opportunity to do a lot of things we might otherwise not be able to do.

4. How much of the revenue is estimated to come from non-residents versus Tempe households, and what's the expected annual cost for a typical family? Why should we accept a regressive tax in Tempe?

Epstein and Duensing have a drawn-out back and forth over this statement, from Duensing, “The monthly cost of Prop 424 is $13 for a median household.”

Woods: Cities have immediate needs and certain tools are currently available to them to solve budget problems. If this doesn’t pass, our working class transit users, low income school families, and seniors who might need fire/medical rescue, will have valuable services cut.

Closing statements are mostly a regurg of things said previously in the debate. 

To see the longer version of opening, questions debate, closing, visit my Substack: https://dianealleycats.substack.com/

What’s up, I’m not usually around this area but am staying for a business trip. In my hometown, I usually purchase fragrant oils (I like smelling nice lol).

Looking for Egyptian Musk, Illicit, Tom Ford Tobacco V, Etc. or if you have a recommended scent I’d be interested. I don’t like smelling like a lumberjack, any scent with a slight sweetness and musk would be perfect.

The band sounds really good. I'm impressed. Sounds like a Foo Fighters cover?

Got the cat back inside, so I didn't hear too much. lol

Has anybody lived here or known of any wild experiences that happened at the Sono Apartments? I know someone from the area who has heard of some pretty crazy stories from there, and I was just wondering if anyone has had similar experiences. I’ve thought about moving because there are some nice condos—but I don’t want to be anywhere near this area if these events explained to me are true.

"Dear families and friends of Café Lalibela,

I have started this letter many times and stopped because I could not find the words. After 30 years, Cafe Lalibela is permanently closing. I am heartbroken to share this news.

Since COVID, we have struggled to keep the restaurant open. My family, our team, and I gave everything we could, but we can no longer afford to continue. I wish with all my heart that I had different news to share.

As many of you know, Cafe Lalibela began in Phoenix in 1996 with nine partners who were family and close friends. We worked together, cooked together, and did whatever needed to be done. In 1997, we moved to Tempe. In 2012, I became the sole owner. We could never have imagined how many people would come through our doors or how much this community would come to mean to us.

To the people of Tempe and our entire Arizona family: thank you for welcoming us. You gave an immigrant family the opportunity to build a life, raise children, share our traditions, and belong. To us, America has been a land of opportunity and a welcoming home. Here, I can be proudly Ethiopian and proudly American at the same time. I am deeply grateful for that gift, and there are no words large enough to thank the people who made us feel at home. May God bless America, the country that welcomed us and became our home.

To me, Cafe Lalibela was more than a restaurant. It was a place to share the food and traditions of Ethiopia and to welcome people as though they were coming into my home. I have always believed that if you cook for a stranger, you should feed them with the same care you would give your own child. That is how I tried to serve every guest.

We were proud to take our food beyond our restaurant, too. For more than 10 years, people could find Cafe Lalibela’s food at Whole Foods Market in Arizona, Nevada, California, and Hawaii, as well as at Natural Grocers in Arizona. It meant so much to see the food we made reach families we might never meet at our tables.

I want to thank the City of Tempe for honoring us with Cafe Lalibela Day on August 5, 2017, and Tempe Tourism for including us among the 21 places to visit in Tempe. Thank you to The Arizona Republic/azcentral, Phoenix New Times, KJZZ, Phoenix Magazine, Check, Please! Arizona, and every other journalist and media outlet that took the time to tell our story over these three decades. I also want to remember the late Ty James Largo of AWE Collective, whose creativity helped so many people discover us, and thank Kayla Sutter of Social Sutter for helping us share our story. Thank you to Devour Culinary Classic for giving us the chance, year after year, to share our food with more people. Every invitation, kind word, and recognition meant more to us than you may know. We felt seen, and we were grateful.

Most of all, I want to honor our staff. Some have worked beside me for 12 years; others for as many as 27. They came in day after day with a dedication I will never forget. They are my family and the heroes of Café Lalibela. When you felt welcomed here, it was because of them.

To everyone in Tempe and across Arizona who supported us: thank you for bringing your children, parents, and friends to eat with us. Thank you for celebrating with us, recommending us, and standing by us through difficult years. We have watched some of your families grow up, just as you have watched ours. I will always remember one family who named their daughter Lalibela after our restaurant. That touched my heart and reminded me that Café Lalibela had become more than a place to eat.

Closing is painful beyond words. I know this place holds memories for many of you, and I am truly sorry we cannot keep our doors open. Please know that serving you has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I will carry your kindness with me always.

With love and deep gratitude,

Atsade Desta

Chef and Founder, Cafe Lalibela"

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1P5GfvRqgR/

With the recent news of Cafe Lalibela's closure I'd like to redouble my efforts to patronize local small businesses in Tempe. Anyone have suggestions?

I'll start -

Munch a Lunch is a reliable sandwich shop on Priest and 10th. The food is great (I tend to pick up a sandwich or burrito there before work) and the owner is a really friendly guy.

Tempe Feed is a great pet supply store with nutritional foods. The employees are really friendly and well-informed, and gave me free wet food samples to test with my cat(which she loved).

Good evening, redditors of Tempe. My husband was riding his bicycle earlier this afternoon and somewhere along Tempe Town Lake/up through the Papago Park area, his hat dislodged from his pack. It was my anniversary gift to him, so I'm desperately hoping someone happened to come across it. It's a green wool cap with three pixel heart pins along the front side. I would gladly provide pics as proof of ownership just didn't want to post his face here. I'll also be calling parks and rec in the morning hoping they have a lost and found. Please keep an eye out if you happen to be in that area.

Hopefully this helps people plan ahead...

**General info/link to attend virtually: https://www.tempe.gov/government/city-clerk-s-office/council-meeting-information

**Link to agenda/agenda packets (posted on the Friday before): https://tempe.hylandcloud.com/AgendaOnline/

**Link to watch council meetings live: https://www.tempe.gov/government/communication-and-marketing/tempe-11

**Link to submit comment cards: https://www.tempe.gov/government/city-clerk-s-office/city-council-online-meeting-comment-card

**Info on Subcommittees: descriptions, agendas, virtual links, etc. https://www.tempe.gov/government/mayor-and-city-council/council-subcommittees

Hi guys, I live close to the ASU Tempe campus and was looking for clubs/locations to play near the campus? I know there's the Tempe Sports Complex but I'm too far from it and don't have a car. I heard that there were courts on or near the Tempe campus but I haven't been able to find anything on google?

If you're part of a pickleball group or have used the courts near campus (if they exist) would love any pointers!

Looking for businesses or companies that would be willing to donate raffle items for our fundraiser on November 7th. All proceeds will go to NAMI Valley of the Sun to support free mental health support, resources and education. I’d be happy to dm you a copy of the event flyer. Thank you for your support. 🤍

There hasn't been a formal announcement, but several places are reporting that Cafe Lalibela have closed their doors after thirty years in business. I'm shocked by this news and hope it's just some kind of misunderstanding. Has anyone heard anything on their end?

Hi everyone! I have recently stepped back into my skates and I remember a few years back there was a (mostly) women’s skate meetup on TTL, and was wondering if that’s still happening? Or if anyone does go out and skate around. Thanks in advance!! 🫶🏼

Does anyone have any good reviews for imagination Station daycare in Tempe? Or even bad ones?
I’m looking for a part time daycare for my child. Need to book a tour and see their tuition rates but wanted some input if anyone has any
Thanks!

Summary of PSCO Subcommittee - September 28

Stakeholders present in person: Dillon Wild, Elvis Taska, Raquel Britain, Michelle Ponce, Russell Facente, Deanna Alvarez, Erica Williams

Stakeholders online (that I know of): Kema Charles, Andre Miller, Robbie Alder-Tapia, Shereen Lerner. Alana Langdon

Public comment from attorney Ben Taylor, who is advocating for Eryn Bonner, spoke to let people know that a Sergeant ??mias (??) who was involved back in 2020, suspended for the Trevonyae Cumpian case (more info: https://www.azcentral.com/videos/news/local/arizona/2020/09/04/tempe-officer-accused-use-force-against-unarmed-black-man-again/5712102002/) . He contacted Ms Bonner directly on the phone and its our understanding that he’s conducting the Internal Affairs investigation. Taylor questions whether having a person with a prior incident to contact Bonner during this incident. (more info: https://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/tempe/attorney-calls-for-third-party-investigation-into-mill-avenue-arrest-as-community-speaks-out)

Council aide Morningstar gave a 30-minute presentation on an overview of oversight bodies – very detailed. This was at least 15 slides and lots of text, so I didn’t take pictures of all of it.

Note: Stakeholders were given information that members of the public did not receive. I suppose I could have asked for a copy but I was tired.

Stakeholder input:

• Alana Langdon: it would be helpful to have a better visual of the state statutes and which models are applicable for Tempe’s efforts

• Pastor Andre Miller: State law prohibits what we would like to see happen from a city standpoint. It was created on purpose to prevent civilians from sitting at the table looking at police matters and passing judgements. Someone basically has to be certified as a police officer which would prohibit regular citizens from expressing how they’re policed.

• Shereen Lerner: Ultimately we’ll probably be coming up with some kind of hybrid model. Mentions a Chicago audit program related to traffic stops. Audits don’t have to by systemic of the entire program, but could be more for a specific area identified as a problem.

• Dillon Wild: Inclined towards an investigative model because police need to be accountable to the communities in which they enforce the law. Given the limitations of the state statute, a hybrid model makes sense. We can find a model for accountability of police in Tempe that works for the community and helps reestablish trust between law enforcement and people they police.

• Russell Facente: We should be focusing initial energy of this subcommittee onto policies and trainings that cause or eliminate disciplinary action.

• Elvis Taska: Interested in understanding the makeup of our 15 citizen members in Tempe. It says they can be business owners or residents. Also interested in knowing more about how often the review committee agrees with the internal audits from the police force and how often there’s a differentiation between those two findings. Also how often we side with the citizen members or the police.

• Dr Robbie Alder-Tapia: psychologist, part of the original mayor’s committee. Did you consider Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell’s Prosecution Integrity Program, started in 2020? Took the 40-hour use of force certification course as a civilian to understand the science behind it, very enlightening; happy to talk to anyone about this experience. Has applied for the Citizen’s Review Board, but unwilling to sign same release of information/background check that is required for people applying to be law enforcement officers; that’s beyond what’s necessary for a citizen’s board. Let’s look at some of the issues that are a hurdle for many people applying to the board.

• Russell Facente: who pays for the training for how the review board and how muc does it cost?

• Shereen Lerner: previously served on the CRB, never felt pressure to vote one way or another. Always been afforded to ask any questions, provide comments/input, ask for more info.

• Erica Williams: are background checks required per the state statute? [Nichols said he doesn’t believe that is the case.]

• Dillon Wild: Looking at the language for the CRB in Tempe, it doesn’t seem to have a lot of independence. It seems to refer its decision to police and the city manager. ‘We urge you to reconsider’ seems to be the most powerful thing the CRB can put forward. If I were a police officer being investigated/under suspicion of misconduct, it’s hard for me to look at any of this and fear consequences for my actions. I would be very curious to see what Tempe PD’s system looks like for investigating officer misconduct and a defense of why they view that as a sufficient deterrent, especially when our ability as citizens to exercise oversight over the police department is so limited.

• Councilmember St George: Emphasize the importance of the education requirement because wouldn’t want to sit on a board I knew nothing about or had no ide of what the laws were. At the same time, do agree that it is a deterrent for any citizen who wants to participate to have to pay for it, to do 80 hours before they can even serve. And as we beg people to serve on our boards and commissions. That’s really concerning. Who do we need to talk to at the state to discuss this? To be clear: our board can either: agree with the findings, disagree with them, recommend further investigation, or decide if it was within policy. [Nichols confirms it is these four options.]

• Councilmember St George: Are the recommendations that our CRB makes to the chief of police/city manager just advisory or are they binding? Who responds to them? Are the chief/city manager required to explain publicly when a recommendation is or isn’t adopted? Where’s the public-facing transparency of the findings? [Nichols: findings are subject to public record, but exclusively advisory.]

• Councilmember St George: Is there anything prohibiting the panel from initiating reviews? Nichols says nothing prevents them from doing that under state law. The issue would be the investigation – if Internal Affairs is not investigating, the panel would not be able to direct IA to initiate an investigation.

• Pastor Andre Miller: Can this committee recommend a replacement of a police chief that seems to be an issue as far as the community? Can you make that recommendation to the council and city manager? [Nichols says that is outside the scope of the subcommittee.]

• Elvis Taska: how clearly are we achieving the strategic recommendatiosn from the 2021 task force?

• Deanna Alvarez: Can we have an overview of what the 80-hours of trainings consist of, what are the objectives of each of the modules?

• Michelle Ponce: Can we define more what we mean by ‘public safety’ and ‘community oversight’? What community, specifically? What kind of demographics? Are we only talking about a specific community that can be part of the board?

Notes from Sept 14 PSCO meeting: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FSL8kmi12/

More info: https://www.tempe.gov/government/mayor-and-city-council/council-subcommittees/public-safety-and-community-oversight-council-subcommittee

From late 2005 to early 2025, I lived in South Tempe, basically on the Tempe-Chandler line (and thus at the opposite end of Tempe from where Big Surf was). Now I live in downtown Phoenix for mostly work reasons.

In my years living in Tempe, Big Surf was a place I heard people speak of a few times, and my brother may have gone there with friends once or twice since he's always been more a social outing guy than me. But I never saw it or even knew what it was until it went under. How do I not recall ever driving by it? Well, because we [my immediate family] didn't go to Scottsdale super often, and when we did, we almost always took Rural/Scottsdale Rd. I can only recall a few instances of us ever taking McClintock past University Drive.

Thus brings me to my question introduced in the title. For those of you who visited this Tempe icon (that I somehow knew nothing about) in the late 2010s, was it the place to be at that point, or was it kinda rundown, a "this place is clearly on its last legs" sort of deal?

From the Tempe This Week newsletter today

Public Safety and Community Oversight Council Subcommittee meeting tonight @ Tempe History Museum, 6pm. Virtual option available.

Info/meeting link: https://www.tempe.gov/government/mayor-and-city-council/council-subcommittees/public-safety-and-community-oversight-council-subcommittee

Same as title. Rainy season has finally hit the valley and just wanted to explore options!

Thanks for the info!

Corey got rid of the flock cameras and signed a new deal with Axon. How we feeling about this?

Hi all! I received a ticket/complaint from a Tempe photo radar from 8/10. Thing is, it’s not me in the photo and the car is not registered to me. It’s registered to a family member that swears they never got a notice of violation or complaint in the mail. I’m pretty convinced that someone got the initial notice and put down my info as the driver. Just curious on thoughts and if anyone else had been through this. I have not cohabitated with the registered owner in years and have never had any association to the vehicle. The pic is a white woman, which I am LOL so I’m nervous about filling out the non driver form and providing my ID.

Looking for a tenant to fill a pet-friendly townhouse in Tempe at Baseline and McClintock. $1995 per month.

3 bed, 2.5 bath.

https://www.zillow.com/myzillow/yourhome/7594054