Flagstaff City Council Takes Over Nine Hours Of Public Comment Over Police Funding Tuesday

The Flagstaff City Council met via video call Tuesday afternoon and into the night to consider numerous agenda items, including the budget. Council went through a number of issues before reaching budget discussion on the agenda. Members took over nine hours of public comment via email on the budget, the majority of the comments were directed to funding of the Flagstaff Police Department. Some supported police and didn’t want anything to change, while others wanted defunding, with money redirected to other areas including affordable housing and crime prevention programs. Prior to the marathon comment session, councilmembers voted to rename local landmarks and Agassiz Street, named after Louis Agassiz, who was a historically racist scientist. The city will seek community input regarding the new name to replace Agassiz. Council also voted on amendments to city codes in regards to public health and water resources.