The Urban Phoenix Project Political Action Committee unveiled plans to recall District 7 Councilman Michael Nowakowski Wednesday night in an unyielding statement at the committee’s launch party.
“Some council members have failed to uphold not just the most basic urban principles, but even ethical principles,” Sean Sweat, chair of the Urban Phoenix Project PAC said. “So with that in mind…we launched a recall on Councilman Nowakowksi. He deserves to be removed.”
The announcement came at a launch party for the recently formed committee, which was created with the goal of electing more urbanists to Phoenix City Council. It is operated independently of the Urban Phoenix Project advocacy group.
In a later statement, Nowakowski said the recall would not change his dedication to his district or Phoenix.
“I will continue to advocate for the issues District 7 residents have expressed are important to them,” Nowakowski said in the statement. “This includes my ongoing support for workforce housing and the South Central Light Rail Extension.”
As he made the announcement, Sweat pointed out what he considered to be Nowakowski’s past transgressions, including the recent appointment of Nowakowski’s former chief of staff as an interim city council member for District 8. Sweat called the move an “extraordinary show of cronyism.” The PAC launched a petition against Mendoza’s appointment before it was official.
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The PAC also criticized Nowakowski’s light rail vote, which supported looking into four lanes for the South Phoenix light rail extension. Some warned this decision could put federal funding at risk for the project.
“I’ve heard countless hours of testimony making it clear that a large portion of South Phoenix business owners and residents were not in engaged in the Light Rail process. I will continue to work to ensure that all who are impacted by the project have an opportunity to be heard in an open and transparent manner,” Nowakowski said later in the statement.
Sweat also pointed to controversial anti-LGBT comments Nowakowski made in a 2016 video in a meeting with evangelical constituents, as well as accusations that he failed to disclose conflicts of interest in a land sale in 2015.
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Mayoral candidate and former District 5 councilman Daniel Valenzuela was also in attendance.
“Any time someone feels like they are not represented, we need to be here. We need to be listening,” Valenzuela said when asked about the recall effort. But in the end, “the voters are going to decide whether it is merited.”
The PAC must collect over 1,300 signatures to get the recall campaign on the ballot.
The PAC is also meant to show a united front for campaign donations and act as a “counterbalance” to developers, Sweat said.
“It’s a bigger ripple in the pond,” Sweat said. “(Candidates) notice it, and it’s a branded message. They know what that money means.”
The committee also plans to send out a mayoral survey and rate each mayoral candidate, as well as the candidates for Districts 5 and 8, after reviewing voting records and past stances on transit and urban issues.
The PAC’s donations will be allotted according to the ratings.
Editor’s Note: On August 30 this story was updated to include comments from Councilman Michael Nowakowski.
Contact the reporter at Rebecca.Spiess @asu.edu.
