By Scottsdale Pinetop
Scottsdale is a beautiful and unique place because its residents and councils in the past have invested in its future. We benefit today because of the good work and tough decisions previously made. But that doesn’t appear to be the case in today’s city affairs. In recent years, Scottsdale leaders and its voters have unquestionably allowed its infrastructure to deteriorate.
Last Wednesday, Scottsdale Community College hosted an “Issues and Experts Forum” that focused on the state of Scottsdale’s infrastructure needs but more importantly how the city intends to pay for the improvements city-wide. The forum included three Scottsdale City Council members: David Smith, Guy Philips and Virginia Korte and was moderated by Scottsdale Independent’s Editor Terrance Thornton.
Currently, city leaders have identified 118 infrastructure projects that are estimated to cost some $800 million. So how does the city intent to pay for it?
On May 1, Scottsdale City Council approved a resolution where city officials will ask for a .10 percent increase to local sales tax on the November ballot. The hope is the that the sales tax increase will raise just over $70 million to order to help pay for transportation projects. This decision after the defeat of a $350 million general obligation bond program. If the measure passes on the Nov. 6 ballot, city experts speculate that the sales tax measure will make the municipality eligible for $171 million in matching funds from Maricopa County.
But not all Council members are on board with ballot measure with Council members Milhaven, Smith and Korte expressing their distaste for a sales tax increase.
Like in any successful business, you have to reinvest in the company and keep making improvements. The city of Scottsdale has stopped doing that and as a result our basic systems have suffered. The roads need to be repaved and bridges need to be repaired. And while previous articles have been in favor of a general obligation bond, the governing board has made a decision and it is time to move forward with it. Infrastructure is something the City Council cannot afford to delay further. So how about some leadership, some compromise to set everyone on the same page for the good of all!