Vice Mayor Vincent Manfredi is pushing back on criticism over a City of Maricopa land sale south of Copper Sky, saying the transaction was approved without any conflict of interest. In a letter published by InMaricopa, Manfredi said the City attorney reviewed the situation and told him he did not need to recuse himself.
According to Manfredi, the property was designated for commercial development and had remained vacant for years before a local businessman expressed interest in buying it. He said the buyer wants to build a large family entertainment center, which he described as the kind of private investment and entertainment option residents have said Maricopa needs.
Manfredi also addressed questions about his relationship to InMaricopa and businessman Scott Bartle. He said Bartle has no ownership interest in InMaricopa, and that Manfredi has no ownership stake in Bartle’s entertainment company or any financial interest in the proposed project.
The council later approved the land sale unanimously. Manfredi said public records requests are within the public’s right, but argued that the current effort is aimed at manufacturing a scandal rather than uncovering wrongdoing.
