Phoenix City Council Districts 5 and 7 show new support for proposed Talking Stick Resort Arena deal after a series of public meetings and new information. 

In order to assess the level of community support and see if the public meetings and information that was distributed over the last month had a direct impact (positive or negative) on public opinion, Phoenix Suns commissioned leading national political and public affairs survey research firm, Public Opinion Strategies (POS), to conduct a live caller statistical sample of “likely voters” in Phoenix City Council 5 and 7 Districts. New findings show a significant increase in support from both districts following the public meetings.

“As people learn that the city owns the arena and the tax has been imposed since 1989 and is primarily on tourists, support continues to grow reaching nearly 70 percent in some areas,” said Glen Bolger, partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies.

When voters were read two contrasting views about the proposed renovations, voters in District 7 strongly supported the proposal – with 67% in support and 72% of Democrats coming down on the pro-renovation side.   In District 5, when voters were read the two contrasting views, pro-renovation support was at  62 percent, with Democrats at 64% and just 31% of all voters opposing the proposal.

“It’s very important for the public to have all the facts on what the proposed arena deal really means for the city and who will be impacted,” said Jason Rowley CEO of the Phoenix Suns. “As is evidenced by this recent poll, once armed with all the facts, it is now clear that Phoenicians understand the importance of this investment for the future of our city.”

Public Opinion Strategies is a nationally recognized market research company that, since its founding in 1991, has completed more than 22,000 research projects and interviewed more than 9.5 million Americans. It is one of the most highly regarded and reputable companies in the polling industry. Nationally, POS has worked with 11 U.S. Senators, six Governors, 46 members of Congress, local governments and a variety of corporations such as the American Medical Association, AT&T, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Stanford University and the Wall Street Journal. POS performed the market research for many other stadium and arena deals including the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. Local POS clients include Governor Doug Ducey, Congressman Andy Biggs, Congresswoman Debbie Lesko and former Senators Jon Kyl and John McCain.