[dustygoon]

How is an organization with this reputation supposed to "win" this auction including approval for their development?

Eight vendors that worked with the team told The Athletic the Coyotes failed to pay their bills on time or had negotiated what they owed to a lower amount. For example, Paradigm Ventures Southwest, the team’s private airline charter, sued for breach of contract claiming the team owed them nearly $300,000. A longtime employee also sued the organization for wage theft.

Meruelo has also been sued for unpaid bills outside of the Coyotes. According to The Athletic, the SLS Las Vegas Resort and Casino he owned was sued by a public relations firm for not paying for the $22,000 worth of work it did.

According to the Phoenix Business Journal, a report from financial analytics company Dun and Bradstreet rated the Coyotes as having “high” delinquency and risk scores. Former Tempe City Councilwoman Lauren Kuby shared that report at a council meeting during negotiations last year.

Kuby says now that it doesn’t make sense to her that while a tenant who didn’t pay their bills would be evicted and have the eviction on their record for seven years, she sees the Tempe Entertainment District deal as letting the Coyotes off the hook.

“They have a terrible credit record, they don’t pay their bills, they don’t pay their rent,” Kuby said. “And the city is offering them this wonderful deal. And it’s just so ironic that the residents get shafted and the billionaire developer gets rewarded.”

https://coppercourier.com/2023/04/04...-alex-meruelo/