New reporting by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalismhas found many members of Phoenix’s 15 Village Planning Committees have ties to the development or real estate industries. These committees generally hear zoning and city planning-type issues.
The investigation also found the city’s ethics commission doesn’t actually have any members who’ve been appointed to it — that panel would, in theory, look into complaints filed by residents about those Village Planning Committees or any other ethics concerns they have.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced last week that the city would start the application and appointment process for the ethics commission.
T.J. L'Heureux, reporter with the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism and a master's student at Arizona State University's Cronkite School, joined The Show to talk more about this.
