Flagstaff city leaders vote to not invest with border-wall contractors
Jan 17, 2018, 9:31 AM | Updated: Jan 19, 2018, 10:25 am
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX — The Flagstaff City Council passed a resolution to oppose a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and to not invest with companies that design, finance and construct a border wall.
Hundreds of miles away from the border, Councilmember Eva Putzova authored the action during Tuesday night’s council meeting. The council approved the resolution on a 5-2 vote.
The resolution read, in part: “Be it further resolved that the Flagstaff City Council expresses its intent to divest from all companies involved in the design, building, or financing of the border wall.”
“There’s nothing ethical about procuring services from companies that profit from essentially the death of people,” Putzova said at the meeting.
“Speak with our money but at the end of the day we’re not going to resolve the underlying problem. Why this wall is being built?”
Putznova had tweeted out Monday that the council would be passing the agenda item.
At a council meeting two weeks ago, councilmen Charlie Odegaard and Scott Overton opposed going ahead with the resolution.
The Arizona Daily Sun reported that the president of the Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors wrote the council and described the move as unconstitutional, limited competition and could cost taxpayers more money.
A year ago, the group disapproved of a similar measure passed in Tucson.
The Tempe City Council was expected to vote on adopting an anti-border wall resolution at Thursday’s meeting.