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Vice Mayor Greg Stanton's
Arcadia News Column
January 2004
Protecting Our Neighborhoods at the State Legislature
January marks the beginning of a new state legislative session and, as your councilman and a member of the City Council's neighborhood subcommittee, it is my job to keep you informed, not only at the city, but also at the state Legislature. As always, I will be your neighborhood advocate; doing everything I can to protect Phoenix neighborhoods.
Neighborhood leaders agree it is important to vigilantly keep track of legislation. Paul Barnes, planning and zoning chair and board member of the Arcadia Camelback Neighborhood Association said, “The issues that are currently under discussion are situations that affect all our neighborhoods. Neighbors are ‘real people' who are voting constituents and we need to make our voices heard.”
I will be advocating for the following issues at the state Legislature this session:
- Protecting essential neighborhood services – A portion of the city budget that is used to provide public safety services like police and fire protection, as well as libraries and parks and much more comes from a partnership between the city and state –this partnership is called state-shared revenues. State-shared revenues return your tax dollars back to the community and allows for the best uses of these funds. It is important that state-shared revenues remain protected.
- Support region-wide transportation plan – The city is engaging in Valley-wide comprehensive transportation planning and I support legislation in 2004 which would allow voters to extend the current half-cent transportation sales tax – which is set to expire on December 31, 2005 – an additional 20 years. If authorized by the state Legislature and approved by the voters, the plan would greatly enhance transportation options, including improved public transit, light rail and freeway and street improvements.
- Protecting neighborhoods from unlawful liquor operators – One of my frustrations is when the neighborhood opposes a liquor license and the state liquor board approves it. I support legislation that would at least limit the length of a state-issued permit that the city opposes. This one-year probationary period would allow the liquor operator to demonstrate to the community that they can operate their liquor business in a professional manner and within the law. In addition, another provision grants local governments the ability to request that a license renewal hearing be held if an existing licensee poses problems for the community.
- Protecting neighborhoods from sex offenders – Nothing is more important than protecting our families. In order to do this, we should be able to find out if there are any sex offenders living in our neighborhood. Currently, when a sex offender is released from incarceration, the offender is required to register with the county sheriff of the offender's new residence within 72 hours of in-state release, and within 10 days of out-of-state release. I support legislation that would increase the penalties for sex offenders who fail to register as required by law.
These are just some of the legislative issues affecting your neighborhoods and your families. If you have comments or concerns about legislation or any other issue you would like to discuss with me, please feel free to call my office at 602-262-7491, send an e-mail to greg.stanton@phoenix.gov or visit my Web site at phoenix.gov/DISTRICT6.
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