Possible Open Meeting violation last year could force Coyotes to relocate

Maybe we shouldn't get too attached to the name "Arizona" Coyotes just yet.

According to a report in the Arizona Republic, a previously undisclosed meeting of City Council members and an Arizona Coyotes attorney last June may have violated Arizona's Open Meeting Law and revealed key information to the Coyotes about the city's negotiating position.

Glendale mayor Jerry Weiers has asked the state's Attorney General to investigate.

"I think it's a clear violation," Weiers said. "That meeting is wrong on so many levels. It's like playing poker and showing your opponents all your cards."

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According to the story, violations of the Open Meeting Law can rescind actions taken by elected officials, which could potentially void Glendale's $225 million financial commitment that ensured the team would stay in the Phoenix suburb.

Media attorney David Bodney said the deliberations by the four council members who voted for the Coyotes deal were not held in a public meeting and "would be a likely violation of the Open Meeting Law."

The council approval of the Coyotes deal would be voided if it is determined that the Open Meeting Law was violated, he said.

The Glendale council would have 30 days after a violation ruling to ratify the Coyotes deal in an open meeting, Bodney said.

And if they chose not to ratify? Get ready for the whole "Coyotes relocating to X" circus to start up all over again.