Valley Metro CEO Stephen Banta isn't the only person screwing the taxpayers in this case.
Remember the member of all the cities in the Phoenix metro area that run Valley Metro are guilty of ALLOWING Valley Metro CEO Stephen Banta to rip off the taxpayers by charging us for his personal trips to Portland.
And remember Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton actually tried to cover up these outrageous rip offs by offering Valley Metro CEO Stephen Banta a consulting job.
So if you want to fix the problem vote the members of the Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria and other Valley cities out of office.
Valley Metro CEO Banta, wife racked up taxpayer-funded flights
Craig Harris, The Republic | azcentral.com 10:05 p.m. MST December 6, 2015
When Valley Metro hired Stephen Banta to run Maricopa County's transit system in late 2009, he was given a lucrative contract that included a relocation allowance.
According to former Phoenix City Councilman Tom Simplot, who was the transit board chairman at the time, Banta was "head and shoulders" the best candidate for Valley Metro, and board members were willing to give him leeway to travel back and forth to Portland, Ore., where he had been a transit executive and still maintained a home.
But Simplot said he was surprised to learn from The Arizona Republic that Valley Metro paid at least $15,347 for 44 round-trip airfares between Phoenix and Portland from February 2010 to July 2012 for Banta and his wife, Ellen.
Ellen Banta accounted for two-thirds of those flights.
The Bantas also charged Valley Metro $3,541 to rent vehicles 13 times when they returned to Portland, according to Banta's expense reports, obtained by the newspaper through a public-records request.
"We realized we hired someone away from a job who didn't expect to leave his previous employer," said Simplot. "I know there was a lot of leniency built into his transition to move to Phoenix. But the multi-thousand dollar question is: How long was that supposed to go?"
Simplot said he didn't know Banta and his wife had continued to fly back and forth to Portland at the taxpayers' expense after 2010.
Stephen Banta declined to comment. His personal spokesman, David Leibowitz, said Banta made the board aware he was having trouble selling his home in Portland and sought and received board approval to continue traveling to Oregon.
"This was not a secret. When he incurred an expense, he reported it," Leibowitz said.
The Republic last month reported Banta was reimbursed with taxpayer funds for flying first-class, buying alcohol and charging expensive meals while running Valley Metro. Among The Republic's findings, Banta was reimbursed for dinners around the country that the guests he reported entertaining told The Republic they didn't attend.
The newspaper's investigation resulted in Banta's resignation. The Valley Metro boards today are expected to approve a separation agreement.
Valley Metro CEO Steven Banta is trying to rescind his resignation.
Simplot said he definitely did not attend one dinner and possibly two more in which Banta claimed on receipts to have entertained him. Simplot's disclosure brings the number of dinners reported guests say they didn't attend to at least 10.
"I just can't imagine an executive writing down random names to substantiate these sorts of expenses," Simplot said. "This definitely goes from poor judgment to at best poor record keeping. At worst, it's willful submissions of false documents."
Simplot said he did attend a handful of other meals with Banta at which they discussed Valley Metro business during the past few years. But, he said he was surprised Banta turned in receipts to be reimbursed $99 this past July 28, for a dinner and drinks the two shared at Pita Jungle in downtown Phoenix. Simplot said he thought Banta was personally picking up the tab because he had bought Banta meals in the past.
Simplot characterized the initial relocation package Valley Metro gave Banta in December 2009 as more than fair. The contract included a one-time $15,000 payment for relocation benefits at his date of hire, all out-of-pocket moving costs, shipment of household goods from Portland to Phoenix, 12 months of temporary housing not to exceed $42,000, and two house-hunting trips for Banta and his wife.
When Banta received a five-year contract extension in 2012, the Valley Metro boards — composed of elected officials throughout Maricopa County — gave him a second relocation package for up to four months of "transition housing" totaling $14,000.
His contract also allows him to take an annuity worth $235,000 to $265,000 with him when he leaves.
Valley Metro has two boards. One 16-member group oversees the bus system while a five-member board oversees light rail. The boards in August gave Banta a $25,000 bonus on top of his $264,493 salary. During his nearly six-year tenure, the boards gave Banta nearly $141,000 in bonuses, according to Valley Metro records.