Homeless in Arizona

That's what the title of the article should be. Not the title the Republic gave it saying that Stephen Banta wants to rescind his resignation so he can get a full years pay when he is fired.

Valley Metro CEO Stephen Banta was discovered to be spending out tax dollars on $500 a night hotel rooms in Europe, spending our tax dollars on $477 means, and lying about taking fellow government bureaucrats to these $477 meals.

Source

Valley Metro CEO Banta tries to rescind resignation

Craig Harris, The Republic | azcentral.com 6:19 p.m. MST December 2, 2015

Valley Metro CEO Stephen Banta has asked to rescind his resignation, saying he was pressured to quit

Banta, in a new letter, says Phoenix officials made false promises to get him to resign Banta said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton's Office wanted him to quit before The Arizona Republic published a story

Embattled Valley Metro CEO Stephen Banta has asked to rescind his resignation, saying he was pressured to quit last week by Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton's office before an article was published in The Arizona Republic about his questionable business expenses.

Phoenix City Councilwoman Thelda Williams, a member of the two transit boards that will convene Thursday to consider Banta's fate, said they may choose only to accept his original resignation letter and not his request to rescind it. If Banta is fired, his contract requires that he be paid a severance package.

Banta, in a Tuesday letter to the transit board chairs, said he had brokered a secret deal with Seth Scott, Stanton's policy chief of staff, and Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua in exchange for a hasty resignation on Nov. 24. Banta's letter states the two city officials agreed in a meeting that morning that if he resigned, he could stay in his current $264,493-a-year job until January and then become a paid consultant.

Following that meeting, Banta wrote, he agreed to quit. He sent Paniagua, who oversees public transit and light rail, a text message saying the stated reason for the resignation would be the recent passage of ballot Proposition 104. Prop 104 was a voter-approved sales tax increase to expand transit services. Banta's text message also said he would cite the need for new vision and leadership at Valley Metro.

Banta's Tuesday letter to the transit boards goes on to say Paniagua agreed to the language that would be used to announce the resignation. He said Paniagua told him if he quit immediately, a consulting agreement for full pay and benefits would run through April 30, 2016.

Banta subsequently announced his resignation without mentioning The Republic's investigation of his expenses. Stanton's office issued a statement wishing Banta well as he sought "new challenges."

The Republic, as it prepared to publish a story on Banta's expenses, became aware on Nov. 24 that he had quit. The newspaper published a story around noon that day on azcentral.com about his abrupt resignation. It detailed how Banta had flown first class, stayed in expensive hotels and bought alcohol with Valley Metro funds. Banta defended his expenses, saying it was part of doing business as Valley Metro CEO. The Republic later reported that Banta collected entertainment expenses for meals that the guests told the newspaper they never attended.

The mayor has been a strong proponent of public-transit expansion, once chairing the light-rail board. His office viewed Banta's expenses as an embarrassment to the city.

“Mr. Banta’s behavior initially appeared to be exceptionally poor judgment, but as we learn new information, it appears as though he engaged in an alarming pattern of fraud and deception that continues to this day," Stanton said Wednesday in a written statement. "Now, after bilking taxpayers through expense reports, he is attempting to again collect a windfall he doesn’t deserve. I fully support the city’s audit of Valley Metro records, and trust the boards will swiftly address the situation.”

Neither Banta nor four Valley Metro spokeswomen would answer questions regarding Banta's request to rescind his resignation.

Scott and Paniagua in interviews Wednesday disputed Banta’s letter, saying it’s misleading.

The two said they tried to encourage Banta to resign in order to save taxpayers’ money because Valley Metro may have to pay him a full-year’s salary if he’s fired.

They also said Banta was aware before he resigned that any exit proposal would need approval from Valley Metro’s two boards, and that Phoenix didn’t have the power to solely approve a deal even though it’s the biggest player in Valley Metro.

“It was not an agreement. It was an indication that Phoenix would be supportive of a proposal that he would make to the Valley Metro boards,” Scott said. “We were supportive of that prior to revelations that he engaged in potentially fraudulent activities…We were doing it on a pro-active basis because that would be the best way for taxpayers.”

Scott and Paniagua said Banta voluntarily submitted his resignation after he knew Mayor Stanton no longer would support him.

Banta, in his Tuesday letter to the transit boards, wrote that after submitting his resignation effective in January, Paniagua claimed he didn't have the authority to cut such a deal, that only the two Valley Metro boards could do so.

"On reflection, I believe I was hurried into my resignation decision," Banta's letter says. "Moreover, I believe it was neither in either Valley Metro or my best interest to resign under such pressure. Therefore, I am withdrawing my letter of resignation."

Banta also wrote that he wants to discuss the matter at the special joint meeting Thursday of the two Valley Metro boards.

Banta reports to the two boards, which are composed of Valley elected officials. One is the 16-member board that oversees public transit throughout Maricopa County. The other is a five-member light-rail board.

Williams, treasurer of the larger board and chair of the light-rail board, said "all of the cities are very upset about this, and they are struggling to understand what is going on. It will be an interesting meeting."

If the boards fire Banta, that could trigger a provision in his contract that calls for him to receive one year of severance pay in addition to his accumulated annuity and any unused paid time off.

Since publishing its initial story, The Republic also has found Banta was reimbursed $2,243 in public funds for nine dinners around the country in which the guests he claimed to be entertaining on behalf of Valley Metro said they didn't attend. The meals cost from $121 to $477.

Questions about Banta's expenses prompted Phoenix to call for a special audit of all employee travel and expenses at Valley Metro since January 2010, when Banta starting working there.

A sample of Banta's expense receipts

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