Why GOOD|GOAT Built These Tools

The people who wrote Phoenix’s City Charter gave every citizen a direct line to the City Council. Under Chapter IV, Section 22, any citizen can present a written petition at a regular Council meeting, and the Council must act on it within fifteen days. It is one of the most powerful accountability tools a Phoenix resident has.

That power depends on more than asking a question. A petition that doesn’t comply, or doesn’t ask the Council for something it can actually do, is easy to dodge. The City can call it informational, refer it to staff, or answer it in a General Information Packet, and the Council never votes. A petition written the right way, with a specific measure in the City’s own legal form, is hard to dodge.

A petition doesn’t guarantee the result you want. What it can do:

• Show where each member stands. A recorded vote shows which members support your proposal and which reject it.
• Put it on the record. Your proposal and the Council’s action become part of the City’s official record.
• Open discussion among members. Councilmembers have the opportunity to debate it in public.
• Make the City state its position. City staff states its position on your proposal.

We built these tools so every Phoenix resident can write a petition the right way.