We know that Scottsdale is a great place to retire, raise a family, golf or party. You may have never thought of it as an ideal place for a romantic getaway for couples, but apparently we also rank highly for that, at least according to a new survey. CuddleNest, a website that appears to be a travel deal website focused … Read More
More Than Just Veto Power: Governor Hobbs Finds New Power via Attorney General
Governor Katie Hobbs has had a rough half-year as Governor, but that seems as though it may have been halted by the hire of Chad Campbell as her new Chief of Staff (learn more here). And it seems as though the fruits of that change are already blooming with a new executive order, and in the process demonstrates that her … Read More
Your Property Taxes are Going Up, Scottsdale. Is It Justified?
Uhh ohh Scottsdale homeowners…your taxes are about to go up. And it’s not just because your home values have risen quite a bit in value either. Indeed, your property tax rate will rise as a result of a 4-3 vote in city council, with Betty Janik against joining Barry Graham and Kathy Littlefield in forming what seems to be an … Read More
Guest Editorial: SB1432 – A Win for Scottsdale, Rio Verde Foothills Residents, and Arizona
By Councilmember Solange Whitehead This past week, Governor Katie Hobbs signed SB1432 into law with an emergency clause. The bipartisan bill creates a path to water security for Rio Verde Foothills residents. I discussed the new law with Mark Brodie on KJZZ’s The Show this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A8w7hlBdFg In passing the law, the State ends a water crisis created in part by … Read More
The Road Diets Debate is Getting Spicy in Scottsdale
Municipal politics is generally a practice of the mundane and the relentlessly boring for the typical outsider (and many insiders). Meetings are often inundated with procedure and are full of subjects such as zoning details; not exactly Mr. Smith Goes to Washington material. But sometimes even the mundane, such as the topic of bike lanes, can get spicy in its … Read More
The Current Culture Wars Come to Arizona Again: Why Both Sides are Wrong
By Alexander Lomax What do you consider to be an important quality in an elected official? Perhaps their ability to compromise and get deals done, perhaps their approach on fiscal matters and spending. Maybe it’s a major social issue with significant ramifications for you and your loved ones, such as abortion. Before this past election, nearly no one would have … Read More
Finally…A Resolution to the Rio Verde Foothills Water Crisis. For Now.
What an incredibly tumultuous six months it has been for the residents of the Rio Verde Foothills and their pursuit of secured water supply; you can get fully up to date here. After a few head fakes and potential resolutions, it looks like finally a solution is in place. Governor Katie Hobbs is widely assumed to sign into law HB … Read More
Guest Editorial: Free Enterprise
By Doug Ducey Friends, I wanted to take a moment to touch base. First off, I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all the support you have provided to me the past decade-plus, and especially how encouraging you’ve been about my future since the new year. My first day out-of-office started exactly how you’d expect – with a … Read More
Guest Editorial: Galvin Applauds Law Addressing Rio Verde Foothills Water Crisis, But Has Concerns
By Supervisor Thomas Galvin Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin says he’s “cautiously optimistic” about a new law that seeks to end the water crisis in Rio Verde Foothills (RVF). Governor Katie Hobbs signed Senate Bill 1432 yesterday, which should, hopefully, get water flowing to RVF quickly. SB 1432 sets up a standpipe district that will enter into an agreement with … Read More
Do We Still Need Proposition 400?
Proposition 400 is the sort of item that has been there for as long as many of us have been in the Valley, but few of us think about it. The one-half cent sales tax has been instrumental in facilitating the growth of our area since its inception in 1986 and continuance in 2004. It will be expiring in a … Read More