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Tempe residents urged to oppose public funding for proposed Coyotes venue

A text message campaign is urging Tempe residents to demand taxpayer money does not get spent on what could become the Arizona Coyotes fourth local home in about 30 years.

Brendan Walsh, executive director of Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy, said if a new arena and entertainment district are to be built, public perks need to be negotiated and clear. 

“Meaning that there is an outline of exactly what benefits regular residents get. As opposed to just having this idea that we’re going to have X number of jobs and bring X number of revenue,” he said.

The Coyotes released a statement saying the project would be privately financed because they agree taxpayers should not pay for a new venue.

But the team also acknowledged that public money would be spent on infrastructure and cleanup of the land on the south side of the Salt River, which was once a landfill.  

Matthew Casey has won Edward R. Murrow awards for hard news and sports reporting since he joined KJZZ as a senior field correspondent in 2015.