*Paradise Valley’s Mayor & Town Council have a crush on relatively new Town Manager Jill Keimach. So much so that it is redefining municipal honeymoon.
*Did former Scottsdale City Councilman David Ortega vote for the Scottsdale Waterfront towers? If so, his opposition to the recent Southbridge II redevelopment approval across from the Waterfront, which includes similar heights, is also a redefinition: of hypocrisy and chutzpah.
*Ortega is joined in his opposition by one of Scottsdale’s worst landlords, Dewey Schade. Schade has infamously opposed a beautiful mural in downtown Scottsdale dedicated to the late John McCain. Now he is opposing Southbridge II which is led by Carter Unger, a veteran. Guess we won’t see Schade celebrating Veteran’s Day anytime soon.
*Former KFYI talk show host Barry Young is gearing up to take on Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego next year. And he has purportedly signed up Republican political consultant Nathan Sproul to assist him.
*The charity dinner Saturday night to honor some of the city’s cultural warriors and benefit Scottsdale Arts was a reminder of the mojo and momentum the group used to have, and may be rediscovering thanks to the many millions the recent Scottsdale bond package will inject into tired places and arts facilities.
*One of the worst rezonings in recent Scottsdale history is set to return to the Planning Commission on Wednesday evening. Defeated there once already, city staff has undertaken some extraordinary gymnastics to allow the developer another bite at the apple. We hope the Commissioners will do as they did before and say no to a wholly unnecessary proposal next to WestWorld that also flips its middle finger at Scottsdale voters.
*The likely Virginia Korte-Suzanne Klapp mayoral scrum in Scottsdale is shaping up to be what everyone thought. But is the field set? And Klapp is making some curious moves that jeopardize her deft 2018 positioning. Predictions of political pasts being prologue (think 2018 fault lines) may be shifting without anyone yet noticing.
*Will former Phoenix Mayor and current Congressman Greg Stanton run for Arizona Governor in 2022? Likely depends on whether President Trump is re-elected next year.
*Keep your eye on Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego’s Chief of Staff Lisa Fernandez. Already a big shot, she has a future with sky as the limit potential. Kind of like her boss.
*Former Goldwater Institute CEO Darcy Olsen’s charity, Generation Justice, is getting lots of accolades and rightly so. Foster care can be the stepchild of charity. Thanks to her that’s changing.
*The Arizona Coyotes almost had a new local ownership group before being acquired by a newbie to the state.
*Gaming is likely to be a very large topic during the upcoming State Legislative session.
*The under construction Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley will be the state’s sexiest project when it opens next year. Word is that recent community tours attended by hundreds of citizens shocked, pleasantly so, attendees. Notably, current Councilman Mark Stanton is the only member of the council still serving today that supported approval of the Ritz. We predict that vote is going to look real good next year.
*Will Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s ongoing jihad against ASU hurt any future political pursuits in 2022 or beyond? Matt Salmon, Karrin Taylor Robson, Kimberly Yee and others may be among those betting so.