PHOENIX — The City of Phoenix has created new rules for 'employee resource groups' after ABC15 reported accusations of mismanagement at the City of Phoenix Municipal Employees Association.
COPMEA arranges social gatherings and excursions for approximately 3,500 city employees and retirees. Some members told ABC15 last month their concerns about how a board election was conducted, and they questioned how often board members got free trips and how many non-member guests they brought to events.
While COPMEA is a nonprofit organization, leaders and members often communicate using their official city email accounts, and dues are paid through direct payroll deductions. The group also was allowed to lease space for a store inside a city building.
Tuesday, all Phoenix employees received a memo saying the administrative rules are changing for COPMEA and similar organizations, known as employee resource groups. These internal and external groups are focused on supporting diversity and community in the municipal workforce. In addition to COPMEA, the following organizations are affected:
- City of Phoenix Employees for Christ (COPEFC)
- Disabled Employees, Allies, and Leaders (DEAL)
- National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA)
- Native American Network (NAN)
- Noontime Toastmasters Club #7153
- Phoenix Asian League (PAL)
- Phoenix Hispanic Network (PHN)
- Phoenix LGBTQ Employee Alliance (LGBTQ-EA)
- Women in Leadership (WIL)
The rule changes, which will take effect in 60 days, include:
- Elimination of payroll deductions, so organizations will be responsible for directly collecting membership dues.
- The COPMEA store must relocate, and groups no longer can have dedicated or leased operating space within city facilities
- New rules will allow the city the right to audit the groups to ensure greater transparency and accountability while protecting employees and their funds.
- Additional rules will address whether city email accounts can be used for group business and if that business can be conducted on city time.
According to the memo, the city auditor, the Phoenix Police Department, and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office recently reviewed complaints made to the city's integrity hotline. Those reviews, according to the city, did not result in criminal findings but they did raise concerns about oversight and governance of employee resource groups.
You can reach Melissa by email at melissa.blasius@abc15.com or call 602-803-2506. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @MelissaBlasius or Facebook.
