#LocalBuzz: Highs, Lows and In-Betweens

By Scottsdale Pinetop
The Highs
*Bill Crawford has currently raised $52,558.05 based on his 2nd Quarter campaign finance report for his Scottsdale City Council campaign.
*Coalition for Greater Scottsdale (COGS) announced two endorsements for Scottsdale City Council, Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield and Solange Whitehead.
*On July 9th, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 640 announced their endorsement of Councilwoman Kate Gallego in the Phoenix mayoral campaign.

The Lows
*Councilman David Smith expressed his concerns for allowing more height in areas of Old Town Scottsdale calling the city’s height limits the “city’s bargaining chip.” Councilman Smith was the only councilmember to express these concerns at a July 2nd council meeting.
*Scottsdale City Council candidate Alyssa Robis withdrew her candidacy on June 18th after a local Scottsdale resident challenged 363 of the 1,286 signatures collected.
In-Betweens
*Phoenix Councilman Daniel Valenzuela formally announced his resignation from the Phoenix City Council effective July 16, 2018 to run for Phoenix Mayor.
*The Town of Paradise Valley Independent reached out to each candidate to offer its third installment of an eight-part series focused on the issues that matter to local residents. Click here to read the full interview. 
Do you believe the public should have access to any and all information regarding the business of the Town of Paradise Valley or do you think some things should be kept from the limelight of the public arena?
Vice-Mayor Jerry Bien Willner: “I believe that the public should have full access to all of the public records required under the law, but does not include “any and all” information, as the law protects certain information from disclosure when necessary.
Anna Thomasson: “Yes. Generally, I believe that the greater the level of transparency, the better. I believe there are a few instances when documents related to town business do not need to be publicly available.”
Paul Dembow: “I’m for transparent government. This said, if the town has a legal issue, having that discussion in public would not make any sense.”
James Anton: “If everything about everything was available to everyone, our government’s ability to function would come to a halt.”
Ellen Andeen: “I believe we have a broad-based transparency portal available to the public. Items protected should be executive session materials, attorney-client privileged information or items protected by law.
 
Candidates in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and Phoenix should feel free to send me tips and information at stayabreastaz@gmail.com