The Arizona Attorney General's Office has cleared the City of Tempe of potential legal infractions related to the May 2023 Arizona Coyotes referendum election. A previously lodged complaint claimed the city council used social media channels wrongfully in promoting the Tempe Entertainment District project alongside their agreement with consulting firm Strategy 48, as reported by the City of Tempe. As determined by state election law, while city officials have the right to express their preferences in elections, they must not employ city-sanctioned mediums for such advocacies.
Facing the allegations, the inquiry examined if the Council’s activity exceeded the limits, particularly whether the city had misused resources in the campaign effort. "All the public-facing communications released by the City which Strategy Forty-Eight participated in drafting, including the City’s TED webpage, were appropriately content neutral," expressed Mary Curtin, Senior Litigation Counsel with the Solicitor General's Office, in a letter dated October 9, as per the City of Tempe.
Moreover, the Attorney General’s evaluation found that social media content posted by individual council members did not constitute a use of city resources to sway public opinion toward the referendum. The City of Tempe has continuously touted its dedication to maintaining the integrity of elections and fostering trust within the community it serves.
