By Co-Chairs Andrea Alley, Dana Close, Mike Norton, Dennis Robbins, Paula Sturgeon “For The Best Scottsdale”, a Political Action Committee “Early 2019, our group formed the Political Action Committee that supported our City’s efforts to approve General Obligation Bonds funding Capital Improvements in our City. As we campaigned, we made some strong commitments to voters, as did our City Council … Read More
The Council of No Strikes Again – Ironwood 92 Forced to Withdraw
We had high hopes for Ironwood 92: a well thought out development that would have provided affordable housing for healthcare workers and helped drive down rent prices by increasing supply. We had high hopes, but they were dashed by the Council of No. Last week, the developers of Ironwood 92 asked for a simple continuance to help ensure that their … Read More
Litigious Greenburg Father Won’t Go Away, Again Showing Why He Should
Ohhhh, the Greenburg Family: as content creators, we must admit that they are fantastic muses when it comes to creating articles of interest, disgust, outrage, and general intrigue. But as Scottsdalians, we can’t help but be disgusted that they are still somewhat relevant. We have spoken at length about former Scottsdale Unified School District Board President Jann-Michael Greenburg, who while … Read More
Dembow Theft Case Stuck in Limbo – Will the Courts Hurry Up Already??
It shouldn’t come as a big surprise to regular readers that we are not particularly big fans of Paradise Valley Councilman Paul Dembow. From the unconscionable action of stealing a cross from a grieving family, to his entirely unnecessary decision to run for a 4th term, to general issues with demeanor and charges of improper dealings, we believe that he … Read More
Southbridge 2 Owners Get Big Win in Gilbert, and Renters Get Future Relief – Good News for Scottsdale?
Another week goes by, and another instance of reasonable development projects going up in the Valley in places that are not Scottsdale hits the wire. This time it has some Scottsdale ties however. Creation RE has gotten final approval to develop the largest parcel of undeveloped land near Gilbert’s downtown area recently. Approval for the Heritage Park project is a … Read More
The Battle Lines are Shaping Up for Scottsdale District Idea, with Some Surprises
Last week we talked about the impending push to turn Scottsdale city elections into a district system instead of the current at-large election system. While there is still a long way to go, as sufficient signatures still need to be collected before it can even go to a public vote, the difficulty that the future proposition will likely face is … Read More
A District System for Scottsdale? It May Be Headed for the Ballot; Who Wins and Loses
As you very likely know, when you vote for a Scottsdale city councilmember, you don’t vote for one in your district. There are no voting districts in Scottsdale; all councilmembers are voted in “at large”. That might change for the 2024 election, as a local group will attempt to put the issue on the ballot for a public vote. 3-2-One … Read More
Protestors Organize Against “Satancon” Last Weekend, and Fall Perfectly Into their Trap
In the past we have already spoken about “Satancon”, the conference put on by the Satanic Order of Salem that came to Scottsdale this past weekend. Whether it is a legitimate push for religious freedom or simply absurdity, it’s difficult to tell, but one thing that it very likely is is harmless. Don’t tell that to the throngs of demonstrators … Read More
A Potential Financial Doomsday for Scottsdale Schools: Why Our Legislature Needs to Act Now
Scottsdale Unified had its share of struggles last year; an incredibly onerous number of struggles. 2021 could easily be considered a Year From Hell for the district. 2022 is arriving with a struggle that is even more imposing than scandal and angry protestors however; it brings the potential of financial crisis. Due to a relatively arcane statute that is over … Read More
Guest Editorial: Update on Proposal to Reduce Setbacks Is Tabled For Now; 20 New Code Changes on Horizon
By Councilmember Julie Pace Thanks to residents for voicing your opposition to the Mayor and Councilmember Dembow’s aggressive campaign to reduce the setback requirement for view and combination fence locations from 20 feet to 10 feet in front yards along 15 miles of streets in Paradise Valley. Our Town’s Planning Commission unanimously (7 to 0) opposed the setback reduction proposal. … Read More