Resident group alleges council member violated Arizona open-meeting law

A representative of Prescott Valley Positive Voice told the Town Council that council member communications may have violated Arizona's open-meeting law and urged the council to investigate.

Lori Hunt, who identified herself as a Prescott Valley resident and a friend of Prescott Valley Positive Voice, said the group has at least two instances in which "the council member contacted a quorum of council members by email." Hunt referenced the League of Arizona Cities and Towns guidance and cited Arizona Revised Statutes numbers read into the record as "38-431 and 38-431.09," saying the law applies to in-person quorums as well as electronic communications.

Hunt said Vice Mayor Zircher had advised the council member in question to stop emailing a majority of the council and to avoid using a personal email address for such communications, but that further emails were sent afterward. "We have great concern over this violation of state law by a council member, and we hope that you do too," Hunt told the council. She said Prescott Valley Positive Voice has a copy of one of the emails she described and that its members believe there may be additional violations.

The record shows Hunt thanked the council for lighting the new arch and for other recent council actions, but she asked the council to treat the alleged email contacts seriously and to follow open-meeting-law requirements. The transcript does not record any formal council response or motion arising at that time; the mayor did not announce any immediate investigatory action on the floor.

The council took no recorded formal action in response to Hunt's remarks during the meeting.