PHOENIX, AZ – Vestar, one of the leading privately held shopping center owners and operators in the western United States, has announced the promotion of Clint Marchuk to Senior Vice President of Capital Markets, effective immediately. Marchuk has been with Vestar for 12 years, joining the company in 2014 as Vice President of Acquisitions.

During his tenure, Marchuk has led the identification, evaluation and execution of shopping center acquisitions across the western United States, including the recapitalization of District at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, Nevada, and Orchard Town Center in Westminster, Colorado, as well as the acquisition of Scottsdale Quarter in Vestar’s home market of Arizona. He has played an integral role in the growth and evolution of Vestar’s 30-million-square-foot portfolio, overseeing more than 92 transactions totaling approximately $4.3 billion throughout his career.

“Clint has been instrumental in Vestar’s growth over the past 12 years, bringing investment expertise, strong industry relationships and proven leadership to every opportunity we pursue,” said David Larcher, president and CEO of Vestar. “This promotion reflects both the significant contributions he has made to Vestar and our confidence in his leadership as we continue to execute new investment opportunities and expand our portfolio across the western United States.”

As Senior Vice President of Capital Markets, Marchuk will continue to work in Vestar’s Phoenix headquarters, overseeing all acquisitions while assuming broader responsibility for the company’s capital markets strategy, including acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and capital partnerships. In his expanded role, he will work alongside Vestar’s executive leadership team to advance the company’s long-term investment strategy and support the continued growth of its portfolio.Read More

October Lineup Includes Debut of Homegrown at Alamar, Return of Avondale’s Annual Barks & Treats and Creepin’ Candy Crawl

From pets and pumpkins to local vendors and Halloween fun, Alamar is filling October with three free events that bring Avondale families, businesses and community partners together. The month-long celebration includes two returning City of Avondale favorites and the debut of Homegrown at Alamar, a new fall signature event inspired by harvest traditions and Alamar’s contemporary agrarian roots.

Homegrown at Alamar will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Hay Moon Park, where a community market, local vendors and live music will set the scene for Alamar’s newest fall tradition. The fall festivities will also include a petting zoo, barrel train ride, duck races and other family-friendly fanfare.

The new event falls between two returning City of Avondale annual favorites, with Barks & Treats kicking things off on Saturday, Oct. 3, and Creepin’ Candy Crawl following on Thursday, Oct. 29. Alamar is the founding sponsor of Barks & Treats and a major sponsor of Creepin’ Candy Crawl.

“Fall at Alamar is about making time for special moments that bring a community closer,” said Eric Tune, Senior Vice President of Brookfield Residential, Alamar’s Masterplan Developer. “Homegrown at Alamar gives local businesses, families and organizations a new way to connect, while Barks & Treats and Creepin’ Candy Crawl continue traditions people look forward to each year. We invite everyone to join us, enjoy time outdoors and experience the welcoming spirit of Alamar.”

Barks & Treats begins the monthly festivities from 8 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Alamar Park. The event includes pet caricatures, crafts, a photo booth and a festive pet costume contest. Local partners will also offer vaccinations, microchips, nail trims and a little pampering for four-legged family members.

Homegrown at Alamar follows from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Hay Moon Park, where local vendors, live music and family-friendly activities for all ages will help kick off a new Alamar fall tradition inspired by the harvest season. The event offers residents and visitors a chance to discover area businesses, meet local organizations and share a lively Saturday morning outside alongside friends and neighbors.

Alamar will close out the month with the Creepin’ Candy Crawl from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at Alamar Park. Families can explore a trick-or-treat trail hosted by local partners and organizations, along with face painting, creepy crafts, food trucks and a costume contest for youth and adults.

All three events are complimentary and open to the public, giving kids, adults and even four-legged family members plenty of ways to come together and recreate throughout October. Together, they also offer visitors a taste of everyday life at Alamar, where parks and outdoor gathering places give neighbors plenty of reasons to gather and enjoy time outside. Visitors can also make a day of each event by exploring Alamar and touring more than 18 model homes by 6 builders.

Brookfield Residential, Lennar, Pulte Homes, Richmond American and Taylor Morrison are currently building within Alamar, with new homes starting from the high-$300s. DRB Homes will make its debut Oct. 24, completing the builder lineup for the community’s newest phase of development.

As Alamar’s masterplan developer, Brookfield Residential oversees the broader vision for the Avondale master-planned community while also serving as a home builder within the community. In addition to bringing almost 700 new single-family homes to Avondale, Alamar’s newest phase also features seven new thoughtfully designed parks with custom art installations. This new phase will also serve as the future home of Estrella Vista Academy, a state-of-the-art high school set to open near Alamar Boulevard and Dysart Road and serve up to 2,400 students.

For more information about Alamar, upcoming events and available homes, visit www.liveatAlamar.com. For more about Brookfield Residential, visit BrookfieldResidentialLand.com.

A major work by Colombian artist Olga de Amaral will head to the auction block at the Larsen Fall Art Auction in Scottsdale Oct. 17, giving collectors a chance to bid on a $400,000-$600,000 work by an artist whose profile and prices have climbed dramatically over the past two years.

Olga de Amaral, “Moon Basket 15,” 1988

Larsen Gallery will offer de Amaral’s 1988 “Moon Basket 15” during its Fall Art Auction, where it will headline a notable group of Latin American works by Jesús Rafael Soto, Oswaldo Vigas and Roberto Matta.

Measuring 64 inches by 32 inches, “Moon Basket 15” combines acrylic, gold leaf and gesso on silk and linen. A private Paradise Valley, Arizona, collection acquired the work from Bentley Tomlinson Gallery in Scottsdale in 1992 and has held it ever since.

The sale comes at a remarkable point in de Amaral’s career. Her auction record was $698,500 in May 2024, and then rose to $1.17 million by May 2025. By November 2025, “Pueblo H” had sold for $3.12 million at Christie’s in New York, setting another auction record for the artist.

Major art institutions have also turned considerable attention toward her work. Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain presented de Amaral’s first major European retrospective from October 2024 through March 2025, bringing together about 80 works spanning more than six decades. The exhibition later traveled to the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. Her work also belongs to collections including Tate Modern, the Museum of Modern Art, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Born in Bogotá in 1932, de Amaral has spent decades working outside the traditional boundaries of textile art. She incorporates materials like linen, cotton, gesso, gold leaf and palladium into her work, intermingling weaving, painting and sculpture.

“There’s an enormous amount of attention on Olga de Amaral right now, and for good reason,” said Larsen Gallery’s Mary Holford. “She’s spent decades creating work that is unmistakably her own, and to have ‘Moon Basket 15’ in this auction alongside Soto, Vigas and Matta gives us an incredible group of Latin American artists represented in the same sale.”

Among those works is Jesús Rafael Soto’s “Variantes Vertical,” created in 1998 and estimated at $100,000-$200,000. Made from painted wood with metal mounting hardware, the three-dimensional work measures 40.5 inches by 40.25 inches by 6.75 inches deep. The Venezuelan artist moved to Paris in 1950, where he became part of the city’s avant-garde art scene and explored movement, space and perception in his work.

Jesús Rafael Soto, “Variantes Vertical,” 1998

Larsen will also offer two works by Venezuelan artist Oswaldo Vigas. His 1976 oil on canvas “Grupo Azul” measures 56.5 inches by 45 inches and carries an estimate of $130,000-$180,000. His 1985 oil on canvas “Duende Azul” measures 72.5 inches by 51 inches. Vigas’s career spanned more than six decades, with pre-Columbian imagery and European modernism influencing his paintings, prints and ceramics.

Roberto Matta, Untitled, 1995

Chilean artist Roberto Matta also joins the lineup with an untitled 1995 oil on canvas measuring 53.5 inches by 79 inches that could fetch $70,000-$100,000. Matta worked in Europe and the United States, with Surrealism and his interest in the subconscious influencing his often-dreamlike work.

Together, the de Amaral, Soto, Vigas and Matta works give Latin American art a significant presence in the 21st installment of the biannual Larsen Art Auction. The Oct. 17 sale includes 440 lots spanning contemporary, modern, Southwestern, Native American and Latin American art, with paintings, limited-edition prints and sculptures ranging in value from several hundred dollars well into six figures.

The auction comes as Larsen continues to attract collectors and consignors across Arizona and well beyond. The 35-year-old Larsen Gallery has generated more than $25 million in lifetime auction sales, with its April 2026 sale drawing buyers from more than 40 states and 20 countries.

Award-winning auctioneer Jason Brooks keeps the bidding lively throughout the day with quick humor and plenty of crowd interaction.

Collectors can now view available lots, and the Larsen Fall Art Auction begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, with live, telephone, absentee and online bidding available throughout the event.

For more about the Larsen Art Auction, visit LarsenArtAuction.com or follow developments on Facebook, X or Instagram.

Exclusive Series Brings Bank Members Closer to the People, Decisions and Ideas Driving Business Across the Valley

From helping transform nearly 13 million square feet of Arizona real estate to advancing some of the state’s most important business and economic development efforts, Sharon Harper has spent decades influencing how Arizona grows and does business. This fall, Scottsdale Community Bank clients will hear firsthand what decades at the forefront of Arizona’s economy have taught Harper about leadership, growth and opportunity.

Harper, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Plaza Companies, will headline the next edition of The Vault, Scottsdale Community Bank’s exclusive speaker series built around candid conversations with notable figures from across the Valley’s business community. Set for 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, the event is complimentary for Vault members.

“Sharon understands Arizona business from an extraordinary number of angles. She’s built and led a highly successful company, brought ambitious projects to life and spent decades at the table for conversations about economic development and the future of our state,” said Scottsdale Community Bank President and CEO Neill LeCorgne. “Our clients make big decisions every day, and The Vault lets them learn from leaders who’ve faced those same decisions on a larger scale. Sharon’s experience and perspective make her a valuable voice for Vault members.”

Harper oversees an extensive real estate portfolio across Arizona that includes urban redevelopment projects, medical and healthcare properties, senior living communities and bioscience centers. During her tenure, Plaza Companies has grown into one of the Southwest’s leading commercial real estate firms, earning industry awards and national recognition for its work.

Harper’s influence extends well beyond commercial real estate. She serves on the Arizona Commerce Authority Board of Directors, Creighton University and Arizona State University Board of Trustees, The McCain Institute Board, GPEC’s Executive Board, GPL’s Executive Board, and holds leadership roles with several prominent business, economic development and nonprofit organizations. Her contributions have also earned her numerous honors, including the Phoenix Business Journal’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Most Admired Leader and, most recently, Scouting America’s Grand Canyon Council Trail of Leadership Award. She and her husband Ollie were also honored in the 2025 class of Arizona Historymakers by the Arizona Historical League.

Previous editions of The Vault have featured Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson Auction Company, and Adam Strecker, founder of Hi Noon Hospitality and founding partner behind Buck & Rider, Ingo’s Tasty Food and Pinyon.

Membership in The Vault is complimentary and available to Scottsdale Community Bank clients, shareholders and directors. The bank hosts several editions throughout the year, giving members opportunities to connect with other business leaders and exchange ideas with accomplished Arizona executives and entrepreneurs.

For more about Scottsdale Community Bank, visit ScottsdaleCommunityBank.com.

By Marco L. Sánchez

By Vanessa Rogers

Scottsdale voters got their first side-by-side look at the council race this week as three candidates are competing for two seats. Early voting begins next week. The first of two debates touched on water, tourism, short-term rentals and public safety.

Water Takes Center Stage

Raoul Zubia, a lifelong Scottsdale resident, called water the top issue he hears from voters. He said he is running to “secure our water.” He also said he wants City Hall to be calmer and more focused on residents.

Incumbent Barry Graham, who also grew up in Scottsdale, agreed that water security is a high priority. However, the two men framed it differently. Graham said the supply is secure today but could be at risk if the city keeps giving it away to large apartment developers.

Development and Neighborhoods

Graham highlighted his record of protecting neighborhoods and his opposition to short-term rentals. He described his approach to growth as stopping harmful overdevelopment. Zubia, for his part, returned to his call for a council that puts citizens first.

Both messages are easy to understand. Voters will decide which one matches the city they want.

The Empty Podium

Organizers invited the third candidate, Michelle Ugenti-Rita, to the debate. They said she was unable to attend. As a result, voters heard from only two of the three contenders.

Her positions will need another venue. A second debate is set for Oct. 19, and attendance requires advance registration through the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce. Whether all three candidates share a stage then remains to be seen.

A Lighter Moment

The evening was not entirely serious. Candidates fielded questions about their favorite animals, and Zubia picked the Labrador retriever. He has two at home. Graham went with zebras.

Karaoke came up as well. Zubia admitted he does not sing, though he offered “Celebrate” as his pick. Graham went with “Sweet Caroline.” Fortunately for everyone, nobody had to perform.

What Comes Next

With ballots about to go out, there is still time to do homework. Watch the second debate, read candidate materials, and compare answers on water and development. In a race this close to home, every voter has a say.

By Betty Janik

Scottsdale needs leaders with experience, common sense, and a genuine commitment to our community. Raoul Zubia brings all three. His record of service, leadership, and collaboration makes him the right choice for Scottsdale City Council.

Raoul has served numerous Scottsdale philanthropic organizations, including the EVIT, Charro, and SUSD Foundations and Partners for Paiute. He also serves on the Parada del Sol Committee and announces for the parade, reflecting his commitment to the traditions that make Scottsdale special.

His public service includes serving as Vice Chair of the Human Services Commission, which advises the City Council on programs supporting housing, seniors, and youth. He also served as Vice Chair of the Protect and Preserve Task Force, helping develop the financial strategy behind Proposition 490. The measure passed in every Scottsdale precinct and provides 30 years of funding to protect and maintain our open spaces and quality of life.  Conversely, Barry Grahan voted against 490, but he is now taking credit for the improvements to open space paid for by this measure.

Raoul’s leadership has earned meaningful recognition. He is the recipient of Scottsdale Leadership’s prestigious Frank Hodges Achievement Award and was inducted into the Scottsdale History Hall of Fame. The Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce has also recognized his business leadership and commitment to a vibrant, prosperous community.

Perhaps most telling is the breadth of support Raoul has earned. His coalition includes current and former Scottsdale leaders, water experts, the Scottsdale Firefighters Association, and Arizona’s Fraternal Order of Police.

That broad support reflects what Raoul brings to public service: the ability to listen, work with others, and put Scottsdale first.

He is a gentleman with good judgment and common sense—qualities we need on the Council. I believe his election will bring a collaborative voice and a renewed focus on what is best for our citizens and our city.

Betty Janik
Former Scottsdale Councilwoman
Sonoran Sage

By Raoul Zubia

With early voting beginning this week, I believe Scottsdale voters face a clear choice about our city’s future — and nowhere is that choice more important than water.

At last week’s City Council debate, I made water security the centerpiece of my campaign because it is the number one concern I hear from residents across Scottsdale.

I’m running to make sure we secure our water.

Scottsdale receives roughly 70% of its water from the Colorado River, leaving our city especially exposed as drought and declining reservoir levels create growing uncertainty across the West.

For decades, Scottsdale has been a leader in water conservation and recycling. We pioneered advanced water recycling and built a system designed to protect our quality of life for generations. We should be building on that legacy, not retreating from it.

My opponent Barry Graham has voted against critical water investments while arguing Scottsdale’s water remains secure and concerns about drought are overstated. At last week’s debate, he tried to justify those votes by suggesting additional water investments would simply enable more development.

That is a false choice. And I was glad to see the Arizona Republic fact-check Graham.

I have consistently said Scottsdale should not overdevelop. We must grow responsibly. But protecting our water supply is not about giving developers a blank check. It is about protecting the residents and businesses that are already here.

We can defend Scottsdale’s character and invest in the infrastructure necessary to secure our future.

That is why I am proud to have support from current and former Scottsdale leaders, water experts, firefighters, police officers and Preserve advocates who understand what is at stake.

Three candidates are running for two seats, but on water the choice is clear.

Scottsdale has spent decades preparing for an uncertain water future.

I’m running to make sure we don’t turn back now.

By Alexander Lomax

The fight over Axon’s Scottsdale headquarters has entered another round, and it’s still a fair question who is winning. Last week, a group of residents filed an appeal seeking to overturn the state law that blocked a public vote on the project. Their argument is simple. Lawmakers cannot erase a constitutional right to challenge a decision at the ballot box.

This fight has swung back and forth. Each side has taken a round. SB1543 is where the momentum shifted.

Round One Went to the Residents

Ordinary neighbors started this. They gathered roughly 27,000 signatures to put the project before voters. That is no small feat, and it was exactly how the referendum process is supposed to work.

Round Two Went to the Bully

Then the Legislature stepped in. SB1543 arrived, reporting indicates Axon lobbied for it, and Gov. Katie Hobbs signed it. The planned election vanished. In effect, the signatures were collected and then set aside.

Round Three Went to the State

Residents went to court next. A trial judge ruled that the law’s population thresholds apply to cities likely to attract international headquarters. In other words, the statute reaches beyond Axon’s own case. That reasoning led him to conclude it was not unconstitutional.

Opponents obviously see it differently. They contend the law was a direct response to their referendum campaign. The timing, they say, tells the story.

Axon CEO Rick Smith. Photo Credit: Jim Poulin, Phoenix Business Journal

Now the Appeals Court

Round four is the one that matters. The appeal puts the question squarely before a higher court. If a statute can wipe out a referendum after the signatures are in, then the right to vote carries an asterisk.

Appeals typically move slowly, so patience will be required. However, the stakes are bigger than one company or one campus. Any city could face a similar play from a well-connected employer. Meanwhile, every voter in Scottsdale has an interest in the answer.

Underdogs do not always win. They do, however, deserve their day in front of a court that takes the Constitution seriously. For now, the best we can do is hope that voting and constitutional rights prevail over the bully in the next round.

Acclaimed $300 Million Museum Square Project In Old Town Scottsdale Seeks Millions in Damages Over Fruitless, Untimely, Frivolous, and Failed Litigation

Developers say neighboring HOA’s spurious legal challenges have stalled the Old Town Scottsdale project despite previous court defeats and unpaid legal fees to Museum Square

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) The developers of the anticipated Museum Square in Old Town Scottsdale, ARC Scottsdale Holdings, on September 21^st filed a complaint accusing a neighboring condominium association and several of its leaders of abusing the legal process, spreading falsehoods, and needlessly stalling the $300 million mixed-use development designed to enhance part of the Scottsdale Arts District around 2nd Street and Marshall Way. Pending evaluation and confirmation by expert witnesses, damages against the HOA could be many millions of dollars. The HOA has lost a series of lawsuits and already owes unpaid legal fees, costs, and interest to Museum Square.

Museum Square would transform a former city transit site into a vibrant anchor for Scottsdale’s Arts District, with plans for five buildings, including a luxury hotel, upscale condominiums and apartments, and public open spaces. The project received the permits needed to begin construction and was unanimously approved by the Scottsdale City Council over six years ago.

The Gateway at Main St. Plaza Scottsdale Condominium Association previously sued the City of Scottsdale and the developers in an attempt to undo a 2019 termination of development restrictions. The court dismissed all four counts, denied the Association’s motion for reconsideration and awarded the developer more than a hundred thousand dollars in attorneys’ fees and costs, plus interest.

The new complaint of ARC against the Gateway HOA states: “The Association used the 2025 Lawsuit to accomplish an improper use, namely, to coerce ARC into conveying an unearned and untimely ‘economic benefit’ on the Association.”

ARC Scottsdale Holdings filed the new lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court against the Gateway association residents, Terry and Beth Rogers, and Daniel and Jane Doe Conroy. The complaint alleges abuse of process, interference with business opportunities, injurious falsehood and wrongful institution of civil proceedings. It also seeks declaratory relief.

According to the complaint, the Association joined the City of Scottsdale in an agreement terminating seven sets of development restrictions in 2019, clearing the way for Museum Square before ARC purchased the property in 2022. Yet six years later, the HOA sued to reverse that agreement, despite allegedly receiving a warning from an independent law firm that its claims were weak and unlikely to succeed, not to mention the period for making such claims had already passed and were time barred.

The court dismissed all four counts of the HOA’s lawsuit without allowing the HOA to amend its claims. It also rejected the Association’s request for reconsideration and ordered it to pay ARC legal fees and costs, plus interest.Read More

By Ronald Sampson

Scottsdale Unified’s board votes Tuesday on closing more schools. Days earlier, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office found the district violated the open meeting law while drawing up the options. Four weeks later, voters will decide whether to hand the same district $375 million through a bond.

A Decade of Losing

The enrollment trend is not subtle. According to AZ Free News, SUSD has lost roughly 6,000 students since 2010. Over that stretch, it had closed only one school. Figures differ by source and time frame, but every one points down.

Charter and private schools have taken many of those families. A 2019 analysis found that charters inside district boundaries added about 6,200 students over nine years. Meanwhile, SUSD lost nearly 3,800. In a market this competitive, the district keeps coming up short.

Closing Is Not a Strategy

Each closure option would save roughly $2.6 million to $2.7 million. That is real money. However, shrinking the footprint does not win back a single student.

The district’s answer to losing is to close the building and move on. Phase I shuttered Pima and Echo Canyon. Phase II could close more, and district leaders have said additional rounds may follow if enrollment keeps falling. Yet the public record shows little in the way of a plan to compete. Where are the signature programs, the enrollment targets, and the campaign to win families back?

District leaders say they will invest in thriving schools. Fair enough, but voters have not been shown what that means for retention.

Then Comes the Ask

On Nov. 3, voters will see a $375 million bond. That is 63% larger than the $229 million bond approved in 2016. According to ABC15, it would cost owners of a $600,000 home about $157 a year. The money would go to repairs, security, technology, and cooling systems at more than two dozen schools, with no new construction.

The ballot will also ask for authority to sell, lease, or exchange district property. Moreover, the district has not said what it will do with the campuses it closes. Taxpayers are being asked to fund upgrades while the district shrinks its own map.

The Real Referendum

Capital needs are legitimate, and aging buildings do not fix themselves. Still, a $375 million request deserves a harder question than “is this school old?”

Before voters sign the check, they should demand a plan. How do they intend to compete in this new scholastic ecosphere? How will the district stop the bleeding? What happens to closed campuses? And why should a process the county says broke the law earn their trust?

By Raoul Zubia

Residents do deserve the facts. That is exactly why I objected to Barry Graham’s inaccurate characterization of The Residence at Paiute as a “homeless shelter next to schools.” The Arizona Republic just fact checked Barry’s claims, Barry please read the Arizona Republic.

Despite his insulting suggestion that as a leader for Paiute, I didn’t read the documentation, the federal funding agreement used the technical term “non-congregate shelter.” But that does not turn the project Scottsdale designed into the kind of homeless shelter Barry’s rhetoric suggests. And he knows that. 

The City described The Residence at Paiute as a separately funded project of up to 28 affordable housing units. City materials stated those studio and two-bedroom units would serve seniors and people with disabilities, with several units dedicated to case-managed, temporary bridge housing for parents with children working toward stable, independent housing in Scottsdale.

 https://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/planning/projectsummary/unrelated_documents/NAC_03272024_Item%201_Binder.pdf

Barry has also conveniently conflated two separate projects. The 2019 bond project was for replacing aging buildings at Paiute. The Residence at Paiute was a separately funded housing project proposed as a second story on the new building. No bond financing was going to be used for the housing component. Period. That distinction was made explicitly in the city’s public materials. Barry knows that. 

https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/docs/default-source/scottsdaleaz/capital-improvement/paiute-neighborhood-center/paiute-neighborhood-center—upcoming-projects-%28fact-sheet%29.pdf

And this wasn’t a proposal for rows of shelter beds or a regional congregate homeless facility. It was a residential project with individual studio and two-bedroom units. The city’s capital plan described the proposed residents as homeless seniors, single-parent families in bridge housing, and seniors at or below 60 percent of area median income. And Barry knows that. 

https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/docs/default-source/scottsdaleaz/finance/budget-reports/fy-2024-25-volume-3-capital-improvement-plan.pdf

Barry can disagree with the project. He did. He voted against the two measures dealing with its housing component while supporting the separate funding for replacement of the aging Paiute buildings. But disagreement doesn’t justify describing 28 apartments for seniors, people with disabilities, and families receiving case-managed bridge housing simply as a “homeless shelter next to schools.” That’s just irresponsible. The city’s own documents provide a much more complete description of what was proposed. Again, Barry knows all of this.

https://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/cityclerk/DocumentViewer/Show/53dda456-5633-42f1-924d-ab4940da63d2?

My opponent has already shown he’ll lean into disinformation if it suits him. We’ve seen Barry and his running mate do it on water. It’s no surprise he’s twisting himself in knots on this issue after I called him out.

I supported The Residence at Paiute because I believe Scottsdale should help seniors and families facing housing instability remain part of the community they call home. Barry opposed it. That’s a legitimate policy disagreement, and voters can decide which approach they prefer. But we should have that debate based on the entire record, not the most alarming phrase someone can pull from a federal funding agreement and jam into a short video on social media. 

By Bedouin Bourdain

London does not ask to be liked. It simply plays its set, and you either know the words or learn them fast. This time the occasion was the Sun Devils, an Arizona State football weekend an ocean away from Tempe. However, the game was only the opening track. The rest of the album belonged to the city.

The Gilded Room

Sun Devil maroon glowed beneath a painted ceiling. Gods and nymphs tumbled through oval clouds overhead. Marble columns stood guard in amber light. Meanwhile, portraits of long-gone dignitaries watched a room of Arizonans cheer a pitchfork on a projection screen. It was absurd, and it was perfect. In fact, that is London in a single frame: centuries of ceremony, cheerfully hosting whoever shows up.

Twelve Miles of Personality

The only honest way to know this city is on foot. Hyde Park first, then Buckingham and Westminster. Across the Thames. Along the river past Tate Modern, through the idyllic stretch, until Tower Bridge carried us back over. Every mile brought a new neighborhood with a new accent. Mayfair buttoned up. Notting Hill in pastel. Chelsea polished. Soho restless. And Borough Market, impossibly charming as ever.

The Grit on Brick Lane

Then Shoreditch. Here the city takes off its jacket. Brick walls wear decades of paint like tattoos layered over tattoos. “FACT” and “H.M.P. LONDON” hang above barred windows. A blue “Curfew” sign goes politely ignored. Parked out front, a matte-black Chevy pickup on whitewalls looks lost and entirely at home. Nothing here is curated. Yet somehow everything feels composed.

Saints, Sinners and Supper

London also has the audacity to turn church into culinary compound. Under a Victorian timber roof, stained glass still glows above the old altar. Below, strangers pass plates and pour wine where pews once stood. Sacrilege, maybe. Nevertheless, the saints in the windows look well fed.

Later, forty floors up at Duck & Waffle, the Gherkin glowed like a lantern against the dark. Tower Bridge shimmered below. After that came late night at Hakkasan with friends. Somewhere in between, a dim pub with organ pipes behind the bar, an £8.95 Aperol Spritz and a bartender flashing a peace sign. Wonderland and whirlwind.

The Last Track

London is painters, poets and punk rockers, whether they call themselves such or not. They live in the kitchens, in the flats and on the street. With respect to Francophiles and Manhattan sycophants like me, this may be the world’s greatest city. It has been too long, London. Play it again soon.

Some people need two names. Carla has never needed more than one.

Decades ago, the South Scottsdale native legally dropped her last name as a personal declaration of independence. It suited her. After all, the woman who refused to be ordinary helped give Scottsdale the most extraordinary thing it owns: the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

Today the Preserve protects about 30,500 contiguous acres and more than 180 miles of trails. It is widely called the largest urban preserve in the nation. Councils and voters made it official. However, Carla was among the first to dream it, and then she did something harder. She acted.

A Desert Education

Carla moved to south Scottsdale in 1965. Her mother, a scientist, raised her on outdoor exploration and camping trips to national parks. At Coronado High School in the 1970s, she co-founded the Ecology Club. Meanwhile, she roamed the McDowell Mountains with her brother, archaeologist Greg Woodall.

Then the bulldozers arrived. “Watching the Sonoran Desert get bulldozed and the Boulders fenced off for private development was heart wrenching,” she told AP&G readers in a Speakers’ Corner profile. Many people feel that grief. Few turn it into a movement.

From Dream to Ballot

By 1991, Carla was championing the idea of a preserve. In 1992, she joined the board of the McDowell Sonoran Land Trust. Two years later, she served on the new McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission.

Her defining moment came in 1995. Carla led the “Save Our McDowells” campaign, which asked voters to approve a two-tenths of 1% sales tax to buy preserve land. Scottsdale said yes. That vote turned a dream into a funding stream, and the city has been buying back its mountains ever since.

From 1998 to 2007, she served as the Land Trust’s executive director. In addition, she and Chet Andrews built a steward program that has trained thousands of people to care for the Preserve.

The “Marxist of the McDowells”

Not everyone applauded. A local newspaper once dubbed her the “Marxist of the McDowells,” according to High Country News. The label was absurd then, and it looks even sillier now. Few things are more conservative than conserving land for your grandchildren.

Carla also understood politics better than her critics did. “We’ve got to have a broad base of support,” she told High Country News. “If the business community throws a whole bunch of money against an initiative, it’s going down.”

So she built that base. In 2001, she helped bring 1,500 people to a State Trust Land hearing. She also pushed to reform how Arizona handles state trust land, warning that state ownership is not the same as protection. “There’s this illusion of open space,” she said. “People see the sign that says it’s owned by the state, and they think it’s protected. It’s not.”

A Road With Her Name

Recognition followed. Carla received Scottsdale Leadership’s Frank Hodges Award and was inducted into Scottsdale’s History Hall of Fame. Fittingly, the access road to the Preserve’s Gateway is named Carla Way.

Yet she never treated the Preserve as finished business. She has kept advocating for the funding to maintain it and the will to protect it. These days she lives in Peaceful Valley, where she watches the Indian Bend Wash path from her front porch with her cat, Fnuts.

Why She Belongs Here

Scottsdale’s builders gave the city its resorts, its ballfields and its skyline. Carla gave it something no one can build: a mountain range that belongs to everyone.

Moreover, she proved that one determined resident can outlast a bulldozer, as long as she brings enough friends. With development fights dominating City Hall, that lesson has rarely mattered more.

Carla is a Scottsdale Hall of Famer. One name is plenty.

By Vanessa Rogers

Scottsdale made national news this week, and not in a way worth celebrating. An Associated Press report that ran from Houston to Las Vegas told how “poop water” attacks helped kill the city’s plan to purify recycled water for drinking. The headline in some outlets was blunt: a wealthy suburb dropped its recycling plan over election-year claims.

The timing could hardly be worse. Arizona is absorbing the largest cut in the Colorado River shortage, losing 760,000 acre-feet of supply. Scottsdale gets roughly 70% of its water from that river.

Lake Powell change. Photo Credit: NASA

What the Council Actually Did

The decision came quietly in June. During budget season, the City Council removed dedicated funding for the program. In its place, the council approved a vague $100 million allocation for “new water sources and supplies.” As a result, the plan to add purified water directly to Scottsdale’s supply by 2027 is off the table, at least for now.

No one has explained where that $100 million worth of water will come from. That silence should worry every ratepayer.

A 28-Year Track Record

This is not an experiment. Scottsdale’s advanced water treatment plant has been running since 1998. It uses ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet treatment. In 2019, Scottsdale earned Arizona’s first direct potable reuse permit, one of only three in the country at the time.

That work continues today. Scottsdale still sends purified water underground to recharge its aquifers. The only thing shelved is the final, logical step of sending that same water straight to the tap.

Water purification system in Scottsdale. Photo credit: Arizona Republic

In fact, the plant could serve 60,000 households. About 7,500 people have already tasted the water at city events. “We’ve been doing it for 28 years,” Scottsdale Water’s Bryan Cassens told the AP.

Moreover, less than 1% of the city’s wastewater comes from toilets. The “sewage” framing is theater, not science.

The Politics of Disgust

Michelle Ugenti-Rita has been the program’s loudest critic. According to the AP, she released a May campaign ad with actor Rob Schneider holding up clear and brown liquids. The ad accused her opponents of pushing sewage water. She did not respond to the AP’s repeated requests for comment.

Meanwhile, Councilman Barry Graham called the program a last resort “in a water crisis, not now.” He added, “I can’t just assume that every visitor and resident is going to trust the experts.”

That is a remarkable standard for public policy. Leaders are supposed to make the case for sound decisions, not retreat from them because the case takes effort.

The Question Voters Should Ask

Ben Grumbles of the Environmental Council of the States summed it up well. “It can be frustrating when there are politicians scoring a cheap, fast point,” he said.

Scottsdale spent decades building one of the West’s most respected water-reuse programs. Now other Arizona cities are lining up to copy it, while Scottsdale shelves its own.

Early ballots will soon be in mailboxes. Every council candidate should answer one simple question. If not purified water, then what, exactly, and at what cost? A punchline is not a water plan.

TAAAZE Takes Fight Against Axon Law to Arizona Court of Appeals
Opening Brief Maintains Controversial Law Is Unconstitutional Special Legislation
Appeal Seeks to Restore Scottsdale Voters’ Say on Massive Apartment Complex

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) The fight for voters’ rights and against Arizona’s controversial “Axon Law” has moved to the Arizona Court of Appeals.

Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions (TAAAZE) has filed its opening brief asking the Court of Appeals to reverse a Maricopa County Superior Court ruling and block enforcement of Senate Bill 1543. TAAAZE argues the legislation was specifically designed to benefit Axon Enterprise and prevented Scottsdale voters from having their say on the company’s massive apartment project.

The appeal was filed September 23 in Arizona Court of Appeals Division One. TAAAZE, Chairman Bob Littlefield and Scottsdale resident Tamara Goulden are the plaintiffs/appellants.

The appeal centers on a straightforward constitutional argument: Arizona’s Constitution prohibits special laws granting special or exclusive privileges when a general law can be made applicable.

TAAAZE argues the Axon Law violates that prohibition.

In the brief, TAAAZE’s attorneys say the legislation was “carefully and specifically tailored” to change zoning rules in the city where Axon wants to build and for the particular uses Axon wants. If that does not constitute unconstitutional special legislation, the brief says, “then it’s hard to imagine what is.”

SB 1543 requires certain Arizona cities with populations between 200,000 and 500,000 to allow multifamily housing and hotel uses on qualifying light-industrial property without requiring the type of application that would trigger a public hearing, shielding it from a citizen referendum.

While lawmakers said the purpose was to encourage corporate headquarters throughout Arizona, the law applies to just five municipalities. TAAAZE argues there is no reasonable connection between that limited reach and the stated statewide goal of attracting corporate headquarters.

“The Legislature said this was about attracting corporate headquarters to Arizona, but then wrote a law that excludes most of Arizona,” said Jean-Jacques Cabou, attorney for TAAAZE. “Our position is that this is precisely the kind of special legislation the Arizona Constitution prohibits. We are asking the Court of Appeals to enforce that constitutional protection and strike down the Axon Bill.”

The appeal is also about whether Scottsdale voters get a say in the proposed apartment development.

TAAAZE gathered more than 26,000 signatures after the Scottsdale City Council approved zoning changes allowing Axon to build 1,895 multifamily residential units, a hotel and commercial space. The Scottsdale City Clerk certified that enough signatures had been collected to place the issue before voters.Read More

by Alexander Lomax

Scottsdale’s November runoff has produced its share of colorful accusations. Few are sillier than the claim that Raoul Zubia is a socialist. However, the most revealing fact about Zubia isn’t anything his critics invented. It’s who actually backs him.

Where the Socialist Label Came From

The charge goes back to the primary. During the primary, the Phoenix Metro chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Zubia without asking him. He rejected it publicly on his campaign website. “A DSA chapter apparently endorsed me without my knowledge or consent during the primary, and I reject that endorsement,” he wrote.

Nevertheless, NicoPAC built an entire website around the label. Its Save Scottsdale page even compares Zubia to New York’s Zohran Mamdani. That comparison falls apart once you look at his résumé.

The sort of slop that the same couple people keep putting out there

The Record Says Otherwise

Zubia has lived his whole life in South Scottsdale and graduated from Coronado High. He has chaired the Human Services Commission and served as vice chair of the Protect and Preserve Scottsdale Task Force. He also sits on the boards of the SUSD Foundation, the EVIT Foundation and the Parada del Sol Committee. In 2024, he was inducted into the Scottsdale History Hall of Fame.

Moreover, his supporters include Republicans such as former state Rep. Deb Gullett and longtime GOP strategist Wes Gullett. His platform promises a city that is “safe, livable, and economically strong.” That’s Chamber of Commerce language, not Das Kapital.

Follow the Money Instead

Here is the more honest critique. Zubia is clearly the favorite of the real estate and development crowd. Scottsdale REALTORS endorsed him in May. Soon after, the REALTORS of Arizona PAC gave his campaign $8,000. In addition, Axon President Josh Isner gave $5,000 on July 1. Axon, of course, is pushing its own massive apartment scheme.

Zubia hasn’t hidden his views on growth either. His opponents quote him as saying that if Scottsdale stops growing, “it’s just going to go somewhere else.” Critics call that anti-NIMBY. Supporters call it realism.

A Fair Fight Over a Real Issue

For some voters, developer support is disqualifying. They worry about density, traffic and water in a desert city that is already stretched thin. That concern is legitimate, and those voters should act on it.

Meanwhile, other voters see growth as inevitable and want someone at the table who will manage it. That position is legitimate too.

Either way, this argument should be about land use, not ideology. Raoul Zubia is a civic-minded, pro-growth pragmatist. On November 3, Scottsdale can decide whether that’s what it wants. Calling him a socialist only makes the conversation dumber.

By Raoul Zubia

Let’s start with what was true, because our neighbors deserved the facts, not fear.

Barry Graham’s recent video called The Residence at Paiute a “homeless shelter.” It wasn’t, and getting this right mattered because this project was actually something Scottsdale should have been proud of.

The Residence at Paiute was set to bring up to 28 studio and two-bedroom units at the Paiute Neighborhood Center, built specifically for seniors and people with disabilities who called Scottsdale home, offered at low or no cost. Think about our neighbors on fixed incomes, veterans, longtime residents who had watched rents climb past what Social Security could cover. This was for them.

A small number of units were also reserved for case-managed bridge housing, support for parents with kids who were actively working toward stable, independent housing right here in Scottsdale. That wasn’t a shelter. That was a bridge back to stability, with real support attached, for families who were already part of this community.

This project sat alongside the city’s broader effort to modernize the Paiute Neighborhood Center, where social workers and partner organizations like Hirsch Academy and SARRC already served families every day. Strengthening that campus meant strengthening the safety net our whole community relied on.

Scottsdale had always taken care of its own, our seniors, our veterans, our neighbors working to get back on their feet. That’s what this project was set to do. It deserved an honest conversation, not a mischaracterization.

Every city has a few people whose fingerprints are everywhere, even though most residents never learn their names. Jim Bruner is one of those people in Scottsdale. With this piece, we launch a new series celebrating the men and women who built the city we enjoy today.

Consider it our Honor Roll, the Arizona Progress & Gazette Hall of Fame.  

From Iowa to Arizona

Bruner grew up in Lake View, Iowa, and earned business and law degrees from Drake University. He then served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam era. In 1969, he and his wife Sandy moved to Arizona, and his volunteer work began at the Boys Club, now the Boys and Girls Club. He eventually became its president.

That pattern held for the next four decades. Bruner showed up, did the work, then took on something bigger.

Eight Years on the Council

Scottsdale voters sent Bruner to the City Council in 1980, and he served through 1988. Three fights from those years still shape the city.

First, in 1985, the council voted unanimously to require fire sprinklers in new homes and commercial buildings. Homeowners were furious about the cost. Decades later, that ordinance is a national reference point, and the lives it has quietly saved are impossible to count.

Second, Bruner worked to secure Bureau of Reclamation land for what became WestWorld. The immediate goal was practical, namely keeping the Arabian Horse Show from moving to Phoenix. Today the site hosts Barrett-Jackson and countless other events.

Third, he negotiated with PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman to bring the tour to town. The result was TPC Scottsdale and, eventually, the loudest golf tournament on earth.

The Deciding Vote

Bruner later served two terms on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and chaired the board twice. In the late 1980s, he worked with Gov. Rose Mofford to stop Florida from poaching Cactus League teams. That effort still pays off every March, when 15 clubs report to Valley ballparks.

Then came the hard one. Bruner cast the deciding vote on the funding mechanism for the county-owned ballpark downtown, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The tax was deeply unpopular, and the backlash was fierce. Nevertheless, Arizona got a big-league team, and Bruner went on to chair the Stadium District for three and a half years.

A Civic Résumé Without End

His day jobs were serious, too. He practiced law at Snell & Wilmer and served as chairman and president of Northern Trust Bank of Arizona. Meanwhile, he chaired the Scottsdale Healthcare board and helped found both the Scottsdale Cultural Council and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. He also chaired the Arizona State Retirement System, the Catholic Community Foundation and the Valley of the Sun United Way campaign. Arizona named him a Historymaker in 2014, and the Cactus League placed him in its Hall of Fame. He was also a key founder of the Western Spirit museum in Old Town, a Smithsonian affiliate.

Why He Goes First

We disagree with plenty of decisions made at City Hall, past and present. This series is about something different. Bruner’s record shows what civic leadership looks like when someone takes the long view and absorbs the short-term heat.

Sprinklers, WestWorld, the TPC, spring training and a ballpark. That is not a bad list for one lifetime. Scottsdale is better because Jim Bruner showed up.

From the Office of Mayor Lisa Borowsky

A proposal championed by Mayor Lisa Borowsky to strengthen oversight of new large water users advanced Tuesday when the City Council directed staff to draft a new ordinance governing high-water-demand projects.

The action follows a council work study carrying examining regulatory options for future developments and business operations with significant water demands as communities across Arizona continue evaluating long-term water planning strategies.

“Scottsdale has always succeeded because previous generations planned ahead,” Mayor Borowsky said. “As our city continues to attract investment and opportunity, we must ensure projects with substantial water demands align with our long-term water management priorities.”

Under staff recommendations presented to City Council, developments projected to use more than 100,000 gallons of water per day would be required to submit a water demand exhibit and conservation plan.

Furthermore, projects exceeding 250,000 gallons per day would face additional review requirements, including economic impact analysis, while projects expected to use more than 500,000 gallons per day would require City Council approval.

City staff also recommended requiring conservation plans as a binding condition of water service for developments using 100,000 gallons of water per day or more, annual reviews for users exceeding 250,000 gallons per day and updates to conservation plans every five years.

In addition to those recommendations, Mayor Borowsky requested the City Attorney’s Office evaluate Scottsdale’s legal authority to require large developments and other significant water users to bring their own water allocations, water credits or other offset mechanisms as a condition of approval.

“Scottsdale residents expect us to explore every available tool to protect our water future,” Mayor Borowsky said. “Understanding whether large water users can provide additional water resources or offsets is an important part of that conversation.”

The proposed ordinance builds upon Scottsdale’s existing water demand policies, which already require additional review for development proposals expected to use more than 100,000 gallons of water per day.

Of Note: Current policy requires applicants seeking certain General Plan amendments or rezoning approvals above that threshold to provide information regarding projected water use, conservation measures and economic value associated with the project.

City staff also reviewed large water user ordinances adopted by neighboring municipalities. Those regulations include conservation plans, enhanced project review requirements, economic impact analyses and, in some cases, provisions requiring physical water supplies to be conveyed to a municipality to offset projected usage.

“One of the most important responsibilities we have as elected leaders is protecting our community’s future,” Mayor Borowsky said. “This is a prudent step that will help Scottsdale thoughtfully manage growth while safeguarding our most valuable resource.”

A draft ordinance is expected to return to the City Council following additional legal review and policy development.

By Vanessa Rogers

Jon Kyl died Thursday at 84. The former senator stepped away from public life last December after announcing a dementia diagnosis. At the time, he said his family faced “moments of joy and increasing difficulties.” Now Arizona says goodbye to one of its most consequential public servants.

You do not have to share Kyl’s politics to respect his work. In fact, on the issue that matters most to Arizona’s future, his work still runs through our faucets.

A Career Built on Homework

Kyl was born in Nebraska and moved to Phoenix after law school in 1966. He served four terms in the U.S. House starting in 1987. Arizona then sent him to the Senate in 1995, where he stayed until 2013. Along the way, he rose to become the Senate’s second-ranking Republican. Time magazine also named him one of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2010.

In 2018, Gov. Doug Ducey called him back to fill John McCain’s seat. Kyl served for several months and then stepped aside. He also reportedly turned down a chance to be secretary of defense.

Still, Kyl built his reputation less on speeches than on preparation. He was widely known as the senator who had actually read the bill.

The Water Legacy

His most lasting achievement may be one few Arizonans can name. In 2004, Kyl steered the Arizona Water Settlements Act through Congress. Then-Interior Secretary Gale Norton said he had “worked tirelessly for many years” to get it done.

The law did three big things. First, it ended a long legal fight between the federal government and the Central Arizona Water Conservancy District over repaying the cost of the Central Arizona Project. Second, it settled the Gila River Indian Community’s water rights, which were among the largest tribal claims in the West. Finally, it updated an earlier settlement with the Tohono O’odham Nation.

In plain terms, it turned water rights that existed only on paper into real certainty. Cities could plan. Tribes could build. Meanwhile, the canal that carries Colorado River water to the Valley rested on firmer ground.

Why It Matters Now

That certainty looks shakier today. The Colorado River keeps shrinking, and Arizona’s share faces deeper cuts as the basin states negotiate new rules. Scottsdale leans heavily on CAP water. We have written about the city’s exposure many times, and the risk has not gone away.

What Arizona needs now is exactly what Kyl practiced: patient, unglamorous negotiation among tribes, cities, farms and neighboring states. It also means knowing the acre-feet cold.

Who Picks Up the Pen?

Kyl leaves behind a congressional delegation facing harder water math than he ever did. The question is whether anyone in it is willing to do the homework.

Arizona has lost a statesman. The best tribute would be another deal like the one he built.

On September 15, the Mesa City Council unanimously approved a development agreement for Legacy Park and Gateway Crossing. The vote was not close, and it was not contested. At roughly $3 billion in private investment, this is the largest private project in Mesa history. Moreover, the council paired the agreement with annexation, zoning changes, an infrastructure agreement, and a new theme park district. Vestar’s 200-acre plan now has a clear runway.

Photo Credit: AZ Big Media

What Actually Gets Built

The site sits east of Ellsworth Road near Mesa Gateway Airport, between State Route 24 and Williams Field Road. Plans call for a 600-room luxury resort and a 150-room boutique hotel. Add 400,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and fitness space. There is also 3.8 million square feet of office space and 2,261 apartments. Meanwhile, a 20-acre public park and a pedestrian tunnel under Williams Field Road anchor the public side. Construction is expected to begin in early 2028, with the first phase opening in October 2029.

The Numbers Mesa Is Betting On

Applied Economics projects $58.8 billion in economic activity over 30 years. The same analysis estimates more than 13,500 jobs and $1.4 billion in city tax revenue. Thirty-year forecasts from paid consultants always deserve a raised eyebrow. However, the financing structure is the part worth noticing. Developers advance the public infrastructure costs and get reimbursed from tax revenue the project itself generates. In other words, Mesa is not writing a blank check up front.

Photo Credit: AZ Central

Another Chapter in the Mesa Revival

For years, Mesa was treated as the quiet neighbor in this valley. That reputation is badly out of date. Semiconductor suppliers have planted flags along the Gateway corridor. Data centers followed. Downtown, ASU’s Mesa City Center campus turned a sleepy Main Street into something with foot traffic and a pulse. Legacy Park is not an outlier, then. It is the latest entry in a decade-long run of Mesa saying yes to things.

The Contrast Is Hard to Miss

Meanwhile, other Valley cities spend years litigating whether a project belongs. Mesa took a generational proposal, ran it through the process, and approved it without a dissenting vote. Reasonable people can debate incentives, traffic, and water. Still, there is a lesson in a council that can actually decide something.

Mesa has room to grow and the political will to use it. Legacy Park is what that combination looks like on paper. In 2029, residents will find out what it looks like in concrete.

Mesa deserves praise for approving a project whose time has come, as judged by the enthusiasm from elected officials and those that they represent.

By Steve Colombo

We long-time Scottsdale residents chose to make the city our home. Simply being born here fails to make a candidate qualified. 

Years of drought and Colorado River cuts have made water a pivotal election issue. Only Mr. Graham and Ms. Ugenti-Rita have proven results on this topic. Raoul Zubia can only be judged by his campaign promises and with whom he surrounds himself (high density developers and their shady out-of-state PACs, and realtor groups with vested interests— spending record amounts). 

Supply and demand are fundamentals of economics. Both require attention and Barry and Michelle are focused on them: increasing our supply of water while managing and limiting its growing demand by, for example, limiting the overburden of more high-density housing. Again Mr. Zubia has failed to address these issues or simply does not understand. Either makes him unqualified to steward our limited resources. 

As Mayor Herb Drinkwater supported managed growth and the integrity of our city, Michelle and Barry have earned my vote. Mayor Drinkwater’s statue outside City Hall made my decision to vote for both very simple. Under Mayor Drinkwater’s leadership Scottsdale was named “America’s Most Livable City.” It still is. I vote to keep it this way. 

By Steve Colombo: 35 year Scottsdale resident and Managing Principal of SolarPowerFx, LLC

By Maricopa County Supervisor Mark Stewart

My office is aware that 3,126 early ballots for the 2026 General Election were mailed six days before the scheduled mailing date. Both the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office and the vendor have issued statements regarding the early mailing. 

According to the Recorder’s office, “The correct ballots were mailed to the correct voters.” No voters were negatively impacted. 

My office is reviewing background information to better understand the process and clarify the Board of Supervisors’ responsibilities related to vendor procurement and contract oversight. Understanding why the ballots were mailed ahead of schedule will help identify any needed improvements to the mailing process through the vendor. 

Once the review is complete, I intend to request a public discussion of the findings to clarify the situation and explain what steps Maricopa County is taking to prevent incidents like this from happening in the future. My goal is to provide clear information, accountability, and a reliable process for Maricopa County voters. 

By Scottsdale City Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas

Dear Friends – An exciting update – as you know, my son Trevor is a Scottsdale Firefighter. He and his crew rescued a great horned owl from a resident’s home yesterday! (Video here)

Over the course of the last week, we took the opportunity to reflect on Scottsdale’s incredible police and fire departments. We celebrated excellence, technical expertise, and a heart for service.

The Scottsdale Fire Fighters Association honored Rey Igliane as Scottsdale’s Firefighter Of The Year for his bravery, his high quality customer service to residents, and his commitment to mentoring new firefighters. It was such a pleasure to honor Rey!

The Exchange Club of Scottsdale honored Scottsdale Police Officer Keith English as Police Officer Of The Year for his dedicated service, for staying focused on the mission, and for his incredible mentorship within the department. To my delight, Rey Igliane’s service was celebrated again as well.

Congratulations Rey & Keith – Scottsdale is blessed to have you!

Trevor and the crew at Fire Station 608 safely rescued this great horned owl from a resident’s chimney and set the owl free. Great job, team!

It was a real pleasure to honor Firefighter Rey Igliane and Officer Keith English for their outstanding service to Scottsdale. Our sincere thanks and gratitude for these incredible professionals. Scottsdale is better because of them

By Barry Graham

It is difficult to believe Raoul Zubia would purposely mislead voters about events at the Paiute Neighborhood Center. But while Raoul is entitled to his opinion, I believe residents deserve to know the facts about the effort to locate a homeless shelter on the center’s campus.

Raoul took issue with my recent video in which I asked that we protect Paiute from outside agendas — including a homeless shelter next to schools.

I used the word “shelter” because the contract did. Section 2.0 of Contract 2023-130-COS said the parties would add “non-congregate shelter beds for people experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County,” on a second floor of “28 affordable rental and non-congregate shelter units.”

Nearly half of the $16 million for the project was federal or county-administered federal money. Those dollars come with HUD rules, a Maricopa Human Services referral pipeline, and without a “Scottsdale-Only” lock on the door. City staff wrote that the program was for homeless individuals with or without children — not only local parents with children — from anywhere across Maricopa County.

Voters in the 2019 bonds approved $11 million to replace aging buildings at Paiute. They were not asked to approve shelter beds. Staff later proposed combining the repairs with a housing floor. That was a change of purpose that Raoul lobbied for.

Parents of children on that campus and residents in Southwest Village ask for certainty — not a regional intake program looming over the children’s site.

When speaking about or voting on contracts without reading them, it risks misinforming residents and can have unintended consequences.

Respectfully,
Barry Graham

By Linda Milhaven

Raoul Zubia has the facts about our water and understands the importance of moving forward with water investments without delay. We will be safer with Raoul on City Council.

Barry Graham and Michelle Ugenti-Rita, the other two candidates vying for City Council seats, are compromising our water security by denying reality and/or outright lying about our water options.

Graham claims that water concerns are “alarmist”. He says we should not worry about cuts to our Colorado River allocation because “we don’t use our full allotment from the Colorado River.”

Ugenti-Rita aligns with Graham and doubles down to falsely say that recycled water is unproven and unsafe.

Both of them are wrong and dangerous. We need new renewable sources and our recycled water is cleaner than most bottled water.

Even the Associated Press noted, in a recent article about Scottsdale, that claims that recycled water is not safe are “unproven”.

The article also quotes several experts. One asks “Are you really going to play political games with the one thing that makes it possible to live in the desert?”. Another says, “there are politicians scoring a cheap, fast point. I hope over time the facts will bear out.”

We have been embarrassed nationally by Graham and Ugenti-Rita’s ignorance and political shenanigans.

The Facts

Former Councilmember Betty Janik (a retired scientist) put together a video to explain this complex issue.

Here are some of her key points.

Cuts to our Colorado River allocation will eliminate our previous surplus and create a deficit.

It is true that we were not using our entire allocation. We delivered water to our residents and then we recharged the rest into the ground and created a water savings account in the aquifer.

The new cuts will eat up our surplus, and we will need to pump water out of the aquifer to make up the difference. The water in the aquifer is not renewable so it is a stop gap solution, not a viable long-term solution.

Two projects that would have provided viable long-term solutions were taken out of the budget by Graham and his cohorts: The Bartlet Dam Expansion and Advanced Purified Water.

Both of these projects will provide safe renewable water sources into the future.

The Solution

Raoul Zubia will be a Councilmember who will protect us by facing our water challenges head on, relying on the facts and science and making the investments needed to develop renewable sources of water.

Vote for one and one: Raoul Zubia!