FEBRUARY 12, 2014

City of Phoenix banned from using taxpayer funds for union activity: Unprecedented Ruling by Maricopa Superior Court Judge

Phoenix will serve as a prototype for other cities to follow to defund union activity

PHOENIX – The City of Phoenix announced they are being forced to stop funding Phoenix Law Enforcement Association’s (PLEA) union activities and included that they will apply the ruling to all City of Phoenix unions.

"This is HUGE news for the taxpayers of Phoenix. Instead of using taxpayers’ money to fund union activities, we can use this money on vital City services. This money should be used to end domestic violence, end human trafficking, and put more police on the street," said Councilman Sal DiCiccio.

DiCiccio added: "It's disappointing that the Mayor and other members of the city council were complicit in funding union activities, which in turn supported their candidates and then once those candidates were elected, continued to give millions of taxpayer dollars back to the unions. It was a vicious circle which has caused part of the large budget deficits we have seen this year."

Mayor Stanton was the swing vote to use taxpayer monies to fund union activity, the swing vote to keep pension spiking and presented a budget supporting the food tax.

DiCiccio concluded: "It's time for the Mayor and complicit council members to protect taxpayers and not the government unions."

View the court decision HERE. View the City Manager's memo HERE.