By Robert Robb | Arizona Republic
(Editor’s note:Opinion pieces are published for discussions purposes only.)
The Phoenix City Council recently voted to sell a piece of property to the low bidder.
The council liked what the low bidder said it would do with the property more than the developer who offered taxpayers a higher price.
The difference wasn’t much in the context of the city’s overall budget, just $700,000. But it is symbolic of the city’s proclivity to shortchange taxpayers to support its business judgments, particularly regarding downtown.
And there is a track record: The city’s business judgment is terrible.
This decision occurred about the same time as the city finalized the sale of the Sheraton Hotel for $95 million less than it cost to build. And that’s just the beginning of the bill being presented to taxpayers. To get a buyer even at a fire-sale price, the city had to fork over $13 million for repairs and grant a $97 million property tax break.
