By Scottsdale Pinetop
The Highs
*Former Councilwoman Kate Gallego has been endorsed by former Mayor of Phoenix Terry Goddard.
*Mark Phillips, former Managing Editor and Executive Producer for Sunday Square off at 12News, has joined Daniel Valenzuela’s team as Communications Director.
*The Coalition of Greater Scottsdale (COGS) PAC will be holding a silent auction fundraiser next Sunday for their endorsed candidates, councilwoman Kathy Littlefield and Solange Whitehead. The event will be held on Sunday, September 30 at Clayton on the Park (7343 E. Scottsdale Mall) from 2:30pm-5:00pm.
The Lows
No Lows for the Week
In-Betweens
*Former Councilman David Valenzuela and Sean Bowie will be hosting a joint fundraising event on Friday, September 28th at 5:30pm. Click here to RSVP for event.
* The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce and the Scottsdale Independent will be hosting a Scottsdale City Council candidate debate at Scottsdale City Hall on Monday October 1st from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
*The Scottsdale Independent reached out to each candidate seeking their interpretation of how the municipality ought to help those in need throughout the city of Scottsdale. Click here to read the full article.
- Socioeconomic inequalities are all around us and Scottsdale is no exception, but many would be hard-pressed to believe about 8 percent of the city’s population lives beneath the poverty line. If you are elected to City Council, what role do you think the municipality should play in helping the less-fortunate?
Councilman David Smith: “I have argued since before joining council that our local sales tax applied to groceries is punitively burdensome on our neediest citizens. The county doesn’t tax our food. More than half of Arizona’s citizens live in communities that do not tax food. But Scottsdale does as it is estimated a family of four pays $175 a year for this tax, just to eat!”
Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield: “One course of action I would like discuss is increasing the voluntary amount people can pay into Scottsdale Cares. Funding for these charities is always a limiting factor. Increasing the maximum people can donate from $1 per month to perhaps $5 per month might allow us to help a great many more people who struggle to make ends meet.”
Councilwoman Milhaven: “Volunteers play a critical role in our city. They support our community center operations and provide programs and services. By working together, the city helps to connect folks in need with the people and resources that can help.”
Bill Crawford: “If elected to City Council, I will take what I’ve done on a micro level and apply it to our city at large. I will help organize my fellow leaders in neighboring cities and I will ask for a summit conference to address this issue. By working with neighboring municipalities and pooling our resources, neither Scottsdale nor the indigent will have to “go it alone.”
Solange Whitehead: “A city government should ensure taxes are spent conservatively to keep taxes low and quality of life and public safety services fully funded. I believe the city must continue to offer and expand safety net programs in partnership with community nonprofits that provide a “hand-up” to neighbors in need.”
Candidates in Scottsdale and Phoenix should feel free to send me tips and information at stayabreastaz@gmail.com