Supermodel-Turned-Trilogy Wellness Ambassador and Host of “Unexpired” Podcast Reflects Growing Trend of Older Adults Pursuing New Opportunities Well Beyond Traditional Retirement Age

Kim Alexis has never been one to stand still. Across a career that has taken her from the world’s most recognizable fashion runways to television, publishing, entrepreneurship, wellness advocacy and public speaking, the Scottsdale resident has continued to evolve with intention. Today, the supermodel is channeling that same energy into a new podcast, new business ventures and a growing platform dedicated to encouraging others to embrace life’s next chapter with purpose and possibility. Since moving to Arizona, Alexis has built a network of personal and professional relationships that have supported her continued evolution, including a longstanding relationship with locally owned Scottsdale Community Bank.

“I have no interest in retiring,” Alexis said. “I love the idea of working, reinventing, creating, evolving – the basis of the ‘Unexpired’ show is finding likeminded people. People that understand that you don’t have to give up just because you’re a certain age.”

Alexis represents a growing number of Americans who continue launching businesses, pursuing new careers and embracing new challenges long after reaching traditional retirement age.

“We may be aging, but we’re still relevant,” Alexis said. “We can start new things and new businesses.”

Alexis is also one who leads by example, having just launched “Unexpired,” a podcast featuring long-form conversations with a series of celebrity guests. Alexis chose the name “Unexpired” to reflect the belief that people do not lose their value or purpose simply because they reach a certain age.

The premiere episode featured Arizona veteran broadcaster Mike Broomhead interviewing Alexis and giving listeners a glimpse into her own journey before she takes the hosting lead in future episodes.

It was a venture that grew out of an unexpected disappointment. Alexis was set to appear in a Super Bowl commercial before illness sidelined the deal. Rather than dwell on that, she instead chose to devote her time and attention to creating something new.

Working with Phoenix-based Backlot Studios and with support from her husband, Jeff Schwartz, Alexis developed “Unexpired” as a platform for conversations about fitness, nutrition, self-esteem, reinvention and personal growth. Together, the team has completed 28 episodes, with a new episode debuting each Wednesday. Featured guests include a wide variety of chefs, musicians, athletes, comedians and entertainers, among them Carol Alt, Kathy Ireland, Justine Bateman, Esai Morales, Bruce Hall of REO Speedwagon, Larry the Cable Guy, Roger Clemens, Nancy Lieberman, Jay Leno and Jason Scheff of the band Chicago, among others.

Listeners embraced the podcast from the outset, with its third episode, featuring Alt, generating more than 5,000 YouTube views. The show currently streams on 13 platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and is actively seeking sponsorship partners as its audience expands. More information about episodes and streaming platforms is available at UnexpiredPodcast.com.

While the podcast itself is a recent development, reinvention has long been a recurring theme in Alexis’ life. Raised outside Buffalo, New York, Alexis initially enrolled at the University of Rhode Island to become a pharmacist. Her life changed after someone encouraged her to try modeling, and she enrolled in a modeling class in the 1970s, which was then not unlike a “charm school.”

A photographer affiliated with Elite Models spotted her and immediately saw potential, making her an offer she couldn’t refuse: guaranteed income for a year if she were to put college on pause to pursue modeling.

Alexis accepted, and after graduating high school and turning 18, she moved to New York City and in four days landed a magazine cover. Within three months, she’d secured a national cosmetics campaign with Elizabeth Arden. In time, she became one of the most recognizable faces in fashion, but she found herself

facing an uncertain future at the age of 27 when her work as an Ultima II girl came to an end after another company acquired Revlon, eliminating existing contracts.

Rather than see this as a setback, Alexis chose to view it as a fresh start. She soon signed on with the William Morris Agency, which had broadcast and entertainment divisions. Soon, she landed a spot at Good Morning America, where she spent three years as a fashion editor and correspondent from 1987 through 1990. While living in Florida and commuting back and forth from New York City, Alexis realized she enjoyed this new side of media arguably more than modeling.

“I realized I liked being able to speak,” Alexis said. “Whereas, with modeling, you’re just staying silent.”

Following her time at Good Morning America, Alexis hosted a variety of cable television programs while continuing to evolve professionally. She continued following her curiosity, earning certifications as a fitness instructor and integrative health practitioner and obtaining her real estate license in her early 60s. Rather than pursuing entirely new careers, Alexis viewed those experiences as opportunities to deepen her understanding of wellness, lifestyle and active adult living, areas she now focuses on in her role as National Wellness Ambassador for Trilogy by Shea Homes.

In that position, Alexis occasionally leads fitness classes and group hikes, develops adaptable fitness programs for older adults and collaborates on healthy menu items at select communities. Several of those items already appear on menus, with additional desserts and mocktails planned for the future.

And while many of Alexis’ current efforts involve older communities, she’s also interested in connecting with younger generations, helping people of all ages make decisions that improve their health and wellness while sharing lessons from a career that has spanned multiple industries, decades and reinventions. Drawing on her experiences from the worlds of fashion, media, wellness and business, Alexis approaches those interactions with warmth, credibility and a passion for growth.

“Feedback was hard to come by back then,” Alexis said, of her early modeling days. “It wasn’t like today. If my fame was right now, it would be such a different thing. But you’ve got to love the era you were put in; there were reasons for it.”

Alexis moved to Arizona in 2017 after marrying Jeff Schwartz and soon found herself at home in the state. She loves the fact that it’s a large area with a close-knit culture, and she loves how you can be in a big city at one moment and fully immersed in nature in another. That sense of community also extends to the local businesses she supports.

“It’s a big town, but it still feels like everyone knows everyone,” she said, noting that this relationship-focused approach is one of the reasons she chose to bank locally with Scottsdale Community Bank since moving

to Arizona. “I appreciate having a local bank where people know you by name and take the time to understand your goals. Those kinds of relationships are becoming harder and harder to find.”

Today, Alexis balances her professional pursuits with family life as the mother of three adult sons and a grandmother of one grandson. She also remains open to partnerships and endorsement opportunities that align with her values and interests, preferring long-term collaborations built on authenticity, rather than traditional social media influencing.

For Alexis, every new venture serves the same purpose: proving that growth doesn’t have an expiration date. On “Unexpired,” she grills guests about the decisions that steered their lives, the challenges they faced along the way and the reasons they had for starting over, and in many ways, these conversations have mirrored her own experiences.

And if Alexis has her way, the next chapter may just be her busiest yet.

Learn more about the “Unexpired” podcast at UnexpiredPodcast.com.

Friday, July 10 at 9:00a.m. at Mountainside Fitness (Brown & Greenfield in Mesa)

As he approaches his 100th birthday, it goes without saying that David Keaggy of Mesa, Arizona knows a thing or two about staying fit.

The 99-year-old credits daily exercise with keeping him healthy, active and alive.

On Friday, July 10 at 9 a.m., Keaggy, a retired master archer and U.S. Air Force Veteran, will once again celebrate his birthday – this time his 100th birthday at Mountainside Fitness, 1253 N. Greenfield Rd. Mesa, AZ 85205, doing what he loves most: riding the stationary bike and lifting some weights.

And, of course, enjoying a slice of well-deserved birthday cake – once the workout is complete.

The Mesa 99-year-old, who was born in 1926, is no stranger to special birthday workouts and challenges. For his 90th birthday, the World War II Veteran performed 83 consecutive push-ups in front of onlookers and a local television station. When he turned 97 and 99, Keaggy performed his birthday challenge in front of dozens of TV cameras and onlookers as his story made national news. And he’s back at it for his 100^th birthday!

“I’ve always loved an audience. It keeps me pushing even harder,” Keaggy said. “But even more importantly, if I can inspire someone else to get out here and change their body for the better, that’s worth it. I always say if I can do these workouts at my age, almost 100 years old, then everyone else needs to be out here with me. No more excuses!”

Keaggy is dedicated and has exercised all his life. Even now, at 99 years old, he still works out several days a week at Mountainside Fitness in Mesa. His usual routine includes warming up on the stationary bike for 10 minutes, followed by a circuit workout using 15 different machines and free weights.

The soon-to-be centenarian says his secret to a long, healthy life includes staying away from alcohol and caffeine, coupled with maintaining a low weight and working out as much as five times a week.

“We are beyond excited that Dave is once again celebrating his birthday here at Mountainside Fitness. The fact that he is about to turn 100 and is still devoted to his regular workouts is incredible and definitely something to celebrate,” said Craig Cote, CEO of Mountainside Fitness. “Dave is not only our oldest Member, he is also the biggest cheerleader and motivator to everyone he meets and everyone who sees him working out.”

Mountainside Fitness Mesa is located at 1253 N. Greenfield Rd. Mesa, AZ 85205.

Members of the media and the public who want to see Dave Keaggy complete his special birthday workout should plan to arrive at 9 a.m. on Friday, July 10.

For more information or to sign up for a Mountainside Membership — visit www.mountainsidefitness.com.

Carson Rose, Reid Umar Launch June 30 Presale for ATLYS Water Bottle With More Than Three Million Social Media Views and a 1,400+ Sign-Up Waitlist 

The ATLYS One, a patent-pending sports bottle developed by two Phoenix Country Day School students, has attracted a sizable following ahead of its June 30 presale launch, generating more than three million social media views, a 1,400+ sign-up waitlist and upwards of $140,000 in funding before selling a single bottle.

Lifelong friends Carson Rose and Reid Umar will launch presales Tuesday, June 30, 2026, for the press-to-spray ATLYS One, a 24-ounce, vacuum-insulated electric stainless-steel squirt water bottle that combines one-handed hydration with all-day cold retention.

The first 1,000 units are available at a discounted presale price of $49.99. After the initial production run, the bottle will retail for $54.99, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Inspiring Children Foundation, which helps young people navigate depression, anxiety, trauma and other mental health challenges.

The launch follows two years of product development and multiple design revisions, with the pair documenting

the process of building the company while balancing school, sports and everyday life.

The concept took shape after Umar had ongoing problems with disposable and reusable water bottles, including damaged lids, problems keeping liquids cold and mold buildup. As an athlete, he wondered if a better option existed and decided to design one himself. He ran the idea by his longtime friend, Rose, later that day.

Carson Rose

“I remember thinking there had to be a better way,” Umar said. “I called Carson and said, ‘Why doesn’t this exist?’ The idea stuck with us, and before long, we found ourselves spending most of our free time trying to figure out how to make it work.”

Rose and Umar were both 15 when they formed a 50/50 partnership and agreed to work together on a design that would solve issues associated with other popular water bottles. Now 17, they are preparing to bring the product to market after two years of development, testing and refinement.

While both Rose and Umar relied on disposable squeeze bottles during practices and games, they failed to keep

Reid Umar

drinks cool for long, especially during Arizona’s intense summer heat. Insulated metal models did a better job of keeping beverages cold, but lacked the ease and portability that athletes wanted.

“We looked around and realized there wasn’t anything currently on the market that solved these common issues,” Rose said. “Every bottle seemed to involve

Home Run Derby, Celebrity-Owned Teams and Championship Competition Headline Big League Wiffle Ball’s Signature Event

Scottsdale Stadium will once again host the biggest event on the Big League Wiffle Ball calendar when the seventh annual Western Wiffle Ball Classic returns Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. The tournament draws the country’s top wiffle ball talent, uniting elite pitchers, serious power hitters and teams willing to travel hundreds of miles for a chance to leave with a championship trophy. The league has taken off in recent months, drawing sold-out crowds and hosting games on ESPN, Fubo and other broadcast networks.

The Western Wiffle Ball Classic is the best-attended event on the Big League Wiffle Ball calendar and features Recreational and Competitive divisions, with teams of three to five players competing throughout the day for championship honors. All ages can enter for a day of fun.

Differences in strike zone dimensions, pitching distances and equipment define each division, helping produce a wide range of playing styles and strategies.

The tournament will also include a Home Run Derby, giving players an opportunity to compete for a separate trophy and prove who has the most power at the plate.

“This event has developed a reputation as one of the toughest tournaments we host all year,” said Big League Wiffle Ball Founder Logan Rose. “The level of competition is incredibly high, so if you want to see some of the best pitchers and hitters in the country compete against one another, this is one you don’t want to miss.”

Big League Wiffle Ball’s ownership group includes a growing roster of well-known athletes, entertainers, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Former NFL star Julio Jones and Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Nelly joined the league earlier this year as owners of the Atlanta Ballers, while other teams count Kevin Costner, Dude Perfect, Gary and AJ Vaynerchuk, Marc Lasry, David Blitzer, David Adelman, Ron Biscardi, Molly Bloom and Howard Warren Buffett among their ownership ranks.

Celebrity ownership may draw attention to the league, but the Western Wiffle Ball Classic has built its reputation on competition and fun. All 10 of BLW’s professional teams will be in attendance and participating in the pro division.

For more about Big League Wiffle Ball or to purchase tickets, check out BLWiffleBall.com or follow developments on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube.

For sponsorship inquiries or general questions, email LRose@blwwiffleball.com.

Highline Autos, Garaza Design and Compass Luxury Real Estate Veteran Frank Aazami Bring Collectors, Homeowners and Industry Professionals Together for a One-of-a-Kind Valley Experience

Some garages hold a couple of cars and a workbench. Others hold custom sports cars, meticulously restored classics and extensive collections that were decades in the making. Compass luxury real estate veteran Frank Aazami, Highline Autos and Garaza Design are giving Arizona’s automotive enthusiasts a chance to see some of the state’s most impressive garage homes firsthand during the Great Garage Homes Bus Tour, an exclusive, 50-person event highlighting a side of Arizona’s luxury real estate market few buyers ever get to see. Please RSVP here or by calling or emailing Frank Aazami at 480-266-0240 or frank.aazami@compass.com.

Set for 3 p.m. (please arrive at 2:30 p.m.) through 6 p.m. Friday, June 26, and departing from Garaza Design’s showroom (14201 N Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ, 85260), the Great Garage Homes Bus Tour gives attendees a peek inside high-end homes featuring exceptional architecture, upscale features and expansive garage amenities that reflect the lifestyles and preferences of serious collectors.

Aazami has seen automotive elements become a bigger part of the conversation in recent years, with many buyers increasingly seeking out homes with amenities of interest to auto enthusiasts, like car lifts, climate-controlled storage and showroom or auto shop space.

The state has long attracted car collectors, with the internationally known Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction taking place annually in Scottsdale and Arizona’s dry climate helping it appeal to those looking to preserve and drive classic and exotic and specialty vehicles year-round.

“Twenty years ago, a lot of luxury buyers wanted a three-car garage and called it a day,” Aazami said. “Today, I work with clients who design entire homes around their collections. The garage has become a destination space, and this tour gives others with similar interests a chance to see what’s possible when passion plays a role in the design process.”

While tour guests will get to see the homes and automotive amenities they feature, they’ll also get to network with fellow collectors, homeowners and automotive professionals while getting an inside look at a distinct and exclusive part of Arizona’s luxury market.

Space is limited to 50 guests, so interested parties should RSVP as soon as possible by registering here, calling 480-266-0240 or emailing frank.aazami@compass.com. For more about Compass in Arizona, visit AZHomes.com.

Photo Credit: Phoenix Business Journal

Scottsdale said goodbye this week to one of its defining architectural voices. Vernon “Vern” Swaback, founder of SWABACK Architects + Planners, died July 5 at age 87.

He was one of the last living apprentices of Frank Lloyd Wright. His firm helped shape decades of Scottsdale’s built landscape, and his civic fingerprints run through some of the city’s most consequential planning decisions.

From Chicago to Taliesin West

Swaback arrived in the desert in January 1957. He was 17 years old, fresh off a train from Illinois, carrying a suitcase and little else. A family friend drove him out to Taliesin West through what he later called the endless dark desert.

He spent his first night in a canvas tent. It was the start of a 21-year run inside Wright’s organization, where Swaback eventually became Director of Planning. He worked directly alongside Wright until the architect’s death in 1959, then stayed on with the Wright organization until 1978.

Building a Scottsdale Institution

Swaback founded his own firm in 1978. What began as a one-man practice grew into a 40-person, nationally recognized firm still headquartered in Scottsdale today.

Photo Credit: Arizona Highways Magazine

His planning work extended far beyond individual buildings. He guided the master plan for the 8,000-acre DC Ranch community in north Scottsdale. He also worked on the historic Arizona Biltmore Estates and Mountain Park Ranch. Industry peers called the Biltmore rezoning one of the most complex in Arizona history.

He returned to lead the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation as Chairman and CEO in 2004, guiding the organization through a difficult transition period. Swaback also authored 14 books on architecture, design, and community planning over his career.

A Civic Life Beyond the Drafting Table

Swaback’s influence on Scottsdale went well past his architectural portfolio. He served on the city’s Urban Development Committee and its Public Art Selection Committee. He also served as vice-chair of the citizens group that helped establish the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, one of the largest urban preserves in the country.

From 1991 to 1993, he directed Scottsdale Visioning, a citizen-driven planning program that shaped the city’s growth strategy for years afterward. He later chaired Cattletrack Arts and Preservation, a nonprofit dedicated to Arizona’s arts and design history.

The city recognized that record in 2008, inducting him into Scottsdale’s History Hall of Fame. The Historical League later honored him as a Historymaker in 2019.

A Legacy Rooted in Place

Colleagues who worked alongside Swaback often described him as more teacher than boss. He remained known for weaving Wright’s philosophy into daily conversations at the firm, not about specific building designs, but about the deeper relationship between architecture and the way people actually live.

Swaback stepped back from day-to-day work at his firm in recent years for health reasons, though he remained its founding partner. He is survived by his wife of decades, Cille, along with the broader community of architects, planners, and civic leaders he mentored across nearly seven decades in the Valley.

Scottsdale’s skyline, preserve system, and planning DNA all carry Vern Swaback’s fingerprints. Few figures leave that wide a mark on a single city.

We reached out to all Scottsdale City Council candidates with the same questionnaire but with two questions personalized for each candidate at the end. The submissions have been posted in the order they were received back.

Do you support the Axon development as originally proposed, including up to 1,900 residential units, or the compromise proposal of around 600 units? If not, what conditions would you require before lending your support?

I’m the only candidate who voted against the original 1,900-unit Axon proposal and opposed the so-called compromise Councilwoman Solange Whitehead is bragging about. I also testified against the “Axon bill” at the State Legislature. I rejected the compromise because it canceled the 27,000-signature resident referendum, waived Axon’s water requirements, and granted unprecedented self-certification perks that undermine resident protections.

In your opinion, has the amount of apartment approvals and construction in recent years been too little, too much, or just about right?

Too much. I have voted against thousands of apartments. But that hasn’t stopped Councilwoman Solange Whitehead from voting for over 6,000 high-density units that challenge our city’s character and harm residents’ quality of life.

In your view, is development in Scottsdale currently proceeding at the right pace, too quickly, or too slowly, and what principles would guide your votes on major development proposals?

Too quickly. Development must prioritize tourism, enhance our city’s character, and—most importantly—gain resident support. 

The Colorado River faces a deepening crisis, with Lake Powell at historically low levels. What specific policies should Scottsdale pursue to protect its long-term water security?

City leaders should not sow the seeds of panic. Our water professionals have planned for drought for decades through proven conservation and banking unused water, and we’ll continue to pursue acquisition, expansion and conservation. Unfortunately, Councilwoman Solange Whitehead and others are pressuring our water professionals to fast-track a $250M experimental “toilet-to-tap” program, which I believe should be a last resort. Her agenda would isolate Scottsdale as the only Arizona city to “give it a try” and I believe it would harm our tourism industry once affluent visitors learn that Scottsdale stands alone in direct potable reuse. Residents are rightly asking if Whitehead’s real goal is to greenlight even more apartments. We should not mix politics with water.

What is your position on the boundaries of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and under what circumstances, if any, would you support changes to land currently designated as preserve?

We must protect the Preserve as a permanent community asset. Any change must comply with Prop 420 and receive voter approval.

How would you approach funding police and fire services, and are there areas of the current public safety budget you would change?

I have shown in both words and deeds the importance of fully funding essential police and fire services as the top budget priority, which is why I’m proud that crime rates have dropped and the Scottsdale firefighters have endorsed my reelection. Any changes to our public safety budget should be coordinated with our police and fire leaders and aligned with what’s best for residents.

Old Town is always a centerpiece of the conversation regarding Scottsdale. What (if anything) would you do to improve it?

I’ve supported Old Town by replacing a poor marketing contract with a more effective approach, approving two new parking garages, voting against harmful downtown density, and supporting the updated Old Town Character Area Plan to keep heights lower. The conservative majority also pushed street paving and infrastructure improvements and ended the “stand down order” from the prior Solange Whitehead-bloc that enabled excessive homeless activity and panhandling, as well as her plans to replace substantial parking spots along 2nd Street with a bike lane. We must continue listening closely to stakeholders to protect Old Town’s vibrancy and visitor appeal.

Scottsdale faces competing demands on its budget. What are your priorities for city spending, and are there areas where you would cut or redirect resources?Councilmembers must check ideology at the door on the budget. We deliver efficient public safety, maintain a lean resident-focused workforce, carefully review quality-of-life spending, and keep capital projects on track so roads, infrastructure, and technology don’t degrade. This means paving roads instead of chasing ideological projects like city-run homeless shelters, the divisive Scottsdale Road roundabout, and road diets.

What is your approach to addressing homelessness in Scottsdale, and what role should the city play in expanding access to affordable housing?

Homelessness efforts should be handled regionally, with targeted local measures led by non-profits and faith-based groups in coordination with the city. Our council majority ended the failed ideological push to fund city-run shelters because it failed to balance compassion with effective measures that residents supported. 

If elected, what is the single most important thing you want to accomplish during your term, and how would you measure success?

Thanks to the conservative majority, Scottsdale enjoys record tourism and sales tax revenue, home values rising faster than surrounding communities, a strong economy, and historic low crime. In a second term, my priority is taking fiscal responsibility and accountability to the next level.

What is your favorite thing about the city?

Our outstanding citizens. No community does more to volunteer, stay engaged, and give back.

Tell us about the best restaurant, bar, shop or spot that not enough people know about.

The lesser-trafficked trails in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve—quiet, breathtaking hikes that remind us why we fight to protect our open spaces.

You are seeking a second term having voted to close the city’s DEI office and to end city-run homeless shelters, among other consequential decisions. How do you respond to critics who say those votes reflect a council that is more focused on ideology than on practical governance?

It’s the opposite. Those votes—along with stopping the road diet agenda, the extreme “Climate Plan” passed during the lame duck session, and other divisive projects—stopped ideology and restored residents’ values to City Hall. The four members not returned in 2024 lost because they put ideology and unwanted apartment-density before residents. Ours were practical, common-sense decisions focused on results.

Your background is in accounting and you have served on the Planning Commission and Transportation Commission before joining the council. In your first term, where do you feel the city’s finances are most vulnerable, and what would you prioritize in a second term to address that?

With my CPA background and experience on the Planning, Transportation, and City Council, our finances are most vulnerable to rising pension liabilities, water infrastructure costs, and non-essential spending. We’re also catching up on deferred road maintenance after years of neglect. In a second term, I’ll continue rigorous budget scrutiny to deliver efficient services and secure our financial future.

By Christian Serena

Axon CEO Rick Smith at the rally. Photo Credit: Arizona Republic

A Campaign Finance Report That Answers Nothing

Better Together wants Scottsdale voters to believe it has nothing to do with Axon. Its second-quarter campaign finance report shows no ties back to Axon, at least not directly. Every dollar the PAC raised this quarter came from a single source: National Horizon Inc., a self-described conservative super PAC based in Alexandria, Virginia.

That should be the end of the story. It isn’t.

Follow the Logic, Not Just the Ledger

Here’s the problem nobody at Better Together wants to explain. National Horizon calls itself a conservative outfit that fights for “less government and more respect for families.” Yet its $335,000 is being funneled straight into attacking three Republicans: Barry Graham, Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Bob Littlefield. That same money is simultaneously propping up Solange Whitehead and Eric Sloan, candidates considerably friendlier to Axon’s development ambitions.

A conservative Virginia PAC crossing the country to help defeat three conservatives and elect the more Axon-aligned alternatives makes no ideological sense. It makes perfect financial sense if the real client isn’t conservative at all.

Axon Rendering

Same Operatives, New Paperwork

Better Together isn’t some grassroots startup that materialized out of nowhere. Its treasurer was Axon’s spokesman as recently as May. Its chairman was Axon’s political consultant. Both men ran Arizonans for a Better Future, the PAC that took direct, on-the-record contributions from Axon CEO Rick Smith, President Josh Isner and Chief Legal Officer Isaiah Fields.

That PAC’s fingerprints are all over the effort to elect legislators who backed the Axon apartments. When that arrangement got too obvious, the same officers filed new paperwork on June 5 and launched Better Together. The mission stayed identical. Only the letterhead changed.

Money Doesn’t Need to Touch Axon’s Hands to Be Axon’s Money

Council candidates Ugenti-Rita and Littlefield aren’t buying the technical distinction, and neither should voters. Littlefield told the Daily Independent he’s confident Axon money is still involved, just taking, in his words, a circuitous route.

That’s the entire game. Super PACs let money change its identity as it crosses state lines. Axon writes a check nowhere near this filing, yet the same operatives who ran Axon’s last PAC are spending someone else’s dollars to fight Axon’s exact opponents. Whether that money originated with National Horizon’s own donors or was steered there specifically to launder its way back into Scottsdale is a question campaign finance law doesn’t require anyone to answer, at least not before Election Day.

Voters Deserve Better Than a Shell Game

Axon’s spokesman/Better Together’s treasurer insists this is all above board, and legally, it may well be. That’s precisely the point. Nothing about Better Together’s structure is illegal. It’s simply designed so voters can’t trace the money before they cast a ballot.

Scottsdale residents should ask themselves a simple question before July 28. Why would out-of-state conservatives spend a third of a million dollars helping elect Scottsdale’s more development-friendly candidates? The honest answer probably isn’t ideology. It’s real estate.

Here at the Arizona Progress & Gazette we support free speech to the fullest, and we are honored to give voice to a wide range of opinions. But free speech does not mean freedom from retort. We have a ton of respect for Betty Janik, who has earned that standing through a storied career of public service and honorable politics. But earned respect does not mean reflexive agreement.

The truth here is simple. Solange Whitehead voted to cancel the Axon referendum election to cater to Axon and avoid public humiliation. The voters would have made clear at the ballot box what the more than 26,000 people who signed to get the initiative on the ballot already told us: they firmly reject Axon’s apartment megacomplex plans and the petulant, bullying tactics the company uses to get its way.

Say the vote had been scheduled as it should have been, for November 2026. It was Axon’s own doing that it would have had to wait that long. The company sought approval for its megaplans during a lame duck session of the city council in late 2024. That timeline was a consequence of Axon’s own approach, not some bureaucratic accident.

Could the city council have called an earlier special election instead? Yes, but only at great taxpayer expense, and only as another favor for the largest apartment developer in Scottsdale’s history. She chose cancellation.

It should also be noted that Councilwoman Whitehead never once showed up at the state legislature to help block Axon’s push to strip away Scottsdale’s charter rights. Many others made that trip, including Mayor Borowsky. Whitehead was not among them.

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

And yet it was Whitehead who cancelled the only election duly scheduled under Scottsdale’s charter and its routine procedures. Not delayed. Not rescheduled. Cancelled.

We admire Janik’s valiant attempt at spin in her recent submission. But that is all it is: spin. The facts remain the facts, regardless of how gracefully they are dressed up.

As the line often attributed to Sir Thomas More goes: “I don’t agree with a word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” We extend Janik that same courtesy here. We simply won’t let the record go uncorrected.

Whitehead didn’t dodge a hard vote. She cancelled the only one voters were promised, after sitting out the fight that could have protected Scottsdale’s authority in the first place. Janik can call that leadership. We call it what it is.

There are many reasons to support Whitehead’s re-election.  Janik’s sycophancy is not one of them.

Councilwoman Solange Whitehead voted to send the Axon referendum to the ballot.  Mayor Borowsky and Councilwoman Maryann McAllen also supported the vote.  Barry Graham – you led the effort to block it.

Your claim that off cycle elections are bad is  wrong.  These elections have been great for Scottsdale!

1. North Scottsdale’s (wonderful) Ashler Hills park was one of Councilwoman Whitehead’s successes.  It was funded by the 2019 Bonds approved overwhelmingly by Scottsdale voters in an off-cycle election.
2. General Plan 2035 co-written by Councilwoman Whitehead added barriers to urbanization, strengthened protection of the Preserve and NAOS.   Voters in every precinct ratified it in an off-cycle election.
3. The first vote to create the McDowell Sonoran Preserve was approved by voters in off-cycle election on May 23, 1995!!!

The City of Glendale had a referendum petition submitted the same time as Scottsdale’s Axon referendum.  Glendale residents got to vote in May 2025.  We didn’t.

I’m hearing that you and Bob Littlefield delayed the vote so you could run on it in November 2026 – so the State stepped in and took away Scottsdale’s rights.  See below quote from AZ Republic

Arizona Republic

“Some officials argued that it’s unfair to keep voters and Axon waiting. Those in the majority, however, have noted that off-cycle and special elections limit voter participation.

For (Bob) Littlefield, the Nov. 3, 2026, date is ideal.”

Betty Janik

Former Scottsdale Councilwoman

Sonoran Sage

By Councilwoman Solange Whitehead

This week, a Council majority is staging a photo opportunity at Scottsdale’s Water Campus to reassure residents that Scottsdale’s water future is secure.

It isn’t.

The backdrop may be our award-winning Water Campus, but the reality is different. The experts who built Scottsdale’s nationally recognized water utility are gone. Funding for critical water projects has been cut. Long-term reserves are being spent on a one-time groundwater purchase that does not solve Scottsdale’s long-term water challenges.

Even worse, political rhetoric is undermining public confidence in Scottsdale’s state-of-the-art water treatment system. Trust is one of our greatest assets. Once lost, it is difficult to rebuild.

Here are the facts:

• Scottsdale receives about 81,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water annually but uses 68,000 acre-feet for drinking water and irrigation.
• The remaining 13,000 acre-feet has been stored underground to prepare for future drought.
• A 16% Colorado River cut would eliminate our ability to continue building those reserves.
• A 34% cut would require about 15,000 acre-feet every year of replacement water—not a one-time purchase.
• The groundwater now being pursued will take years to reach Scottsdale, does not improve our 100-year Assured Water Supply, and cannot replace the long-term water projects this Council has delayed or defunded.

The solution is not abandoning the strategy that made Scottsdale a national leader in water management.

Acting Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Scott Cameron recently pointed to Advanced Purified Water—not the Colorado River—as a key long-term solution for the Phoenix region. Yet this Council defunded Scottsdale’s Advanced Purified Water program, despite years of planning and broad support.

Photo Credit: Utah State University

People choose Scottsdale because it’s a first-rate city with a long history of planning ahead, investing in its future, and delivering an exceptional quality of life.

Residents don’t need photo ops. They need water security and a water utility that attracts and retains top water policy and technical experts—professionals who stay focused on the mission, free from political distractions, and capable of keeping Scottsdale’s water flowing for decades to come.

Photo ops don’t deliver water. Long-term investment does.

After Decades in Local Government, Thompson Brings Public-Sector Perspective to Growing Phoenix Firm

Former Scottsdale City Manager Jim Thompson is heading home to Arizona for a new chapter in the private sector. Following 40 years in city government, Thompson will join the Sustainability Engineering Group as president and chief growth officer starting July 1, 2026, bringing decades of experience in economic development and infrastructure planning to the Phoenix-based engineering, design and artificial intelligence firm. SEG combines traditional engineering and planning services with AI-powered due diligence tools that help municipalities, developers and businesses gather project information, evaluate sites and identify potential issues earlier in the process.

Thompson served as Scottsdale’s city manager from 2017 through 2024 after holding the same position in Casa Grande. His career in local government spans four decades and includes work in economic development, infrastructure planning and organizational leadership.

“I called Arizona home for much of my career, and I’m excited to return to familiar territory,” Thompson said. “After decades helping communities manage growth, infrastructure and economic development, what attracted me to SEG was its combination of engineering expertise and

AI-driven technology. Communities and developers are having to make increasingly complex decisions, and SEG is creating tools and resources that help them make more informed decisions and evaluate opportunities more quickly.”

The role places Thompson at a company with a client base that includes municipalities, developers and businesses – the same groups he worked alongside throughout his years in public service.

SEG, headquartered in Phoenix with an office in Dallas, operates across multiple regions around the world, offering planning, design and engineering services alongside proprietary AI-powered due diligence technology that streamlines site selection, development planning and project evaluation for municipalities, developers and businesses.

Despite the company’s international reach, Arizona remains SEG’s primary focus, and Fakih said Thompson’s experience in the region gives him a perspective few professionals in the industry can match.

“Jim has worked on some of Arizona’s most significant growth and development efforts over the past several decades,” Fakih said. “He understands what cities need, what challenges developers face and what it takes for a successful project to come together. People across Arizona know him, respect him and trust his judgment, and that carries a lot of weight when communities, businesses and public agencies need to find common ground.”

In his new role, Thompson will help oversee day-to-day operations, support business development efforts and work with clients across the company’s engineering, design and AI-related service lines.

Thompson’s professional background also extends beyond local government. He taught at Arizona State University in the Master of Public Administration program, including leading classes focused on organizational behavior and human resource management. He also taught at Regis University and the University of Washington.

After spending the last few decades in city government, Thompson expressed an eagerness to apply what he’s learned in a different environment.

“Arizona’s steady growth is creating plenty of new opportunities, but it’s also making projects more complex than ever,” Thompson said. “I look forward to helping clients navigate these challenges and find practical, manageable solutions that keep communities and projects moving forward.”

For more information about SEG, visit AZSEG.com.

By Alexander Lomax

The Arizona Governor’s Race Narrows to Two (plus Hobbs)

Karrin Taylor Robson’s exit in February cleared the Republican gubernatorial field down to Andy Biggs and David Schweikert. Both are sitting members of Congress. Both will face off on July 21.

Biggs holds a commanding financial edge. His campaign reports roughly $2.7 million raised for the cycle and $1.1 million cash on hand. Schweikert, who entered the race later after dropping his congressional reelection bid, has raised closer to $900,000 with around $300,000 in the bank.

Disclaimer: these are the Q1 numbers, and the extremely important Q2 financial reports aren’t due until July 15th, so things may materially change. That said, Schweikert has never been an exemplary fundraiser, so the number flipping is unlikely.

Andy Biggs. Photo Credit: Club for Growth

Biggs brings real strengths: endorsements from President Trump, the late Charlie Kirk, and Turning Point Action, plus more than 30 current or former state legislators. He has led every published primary poll, some by wide margins. His weakness is electability chatter. Some Republican operatives worry his profile echoes Kari Lake’s, a base favorite who twice lost statewide general elections.

Schweikert counters with a genuine free-market resume and a reputation as a deficit hawk. His drawback is timing, money, and real grassroots passion. He joined months after Biggs and still trails badly in cash and organization.

Attorney General Field Comes Down to Money and Trust

The Republican primary for Attorney General pits Senate President Warren Petersen against perennial candidate Rodney Glassman. Petersen’s committee has raised roughly $1.4 million this cycle, aided by leftover funds from his legislative campaigns. Glassman claims a larger war chest, north of $2 million cash on hand, but a large share came from loans he made to himself rather than grassroots donors.

Warren Petersen. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Petersen’s case rests on substance: 14 years of legislative experience, endorsements from Andy Biggs and law enforcement groups, and a clear policy focus on crime and border enforcement. Glassman leans on personal wealth and relentless self-promotion, but that self-funded advantage comes with baggage. Coconino County prosecutors are investigating him for allegedly accepting campaign contributions above legal limits. He has also switched party registration multiple times over the years and lost his last bid for this same office in 2022. For anyone who follows Arizona politics, he’s been a running joke for a solid decade, colloquially known as the Assman.

Rodney Glassman. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The Takeaway

Biggs enters the final stretch as the clear favorite. Trump’s endorsement, Turning Point’s spending, and a consistent double-digit polling lead give him real momentum heading into July 21. This contest is done, and it’s only a matter of how much Biggs wins by, and if there is a handshake agreement consolation prize waiting for him.

Petersen looks positioned to win the Attorney General primary as well. His fundraising has closed the gap, his endorsements run deeper within the party, and voters have likely been largely tipped off to the nature of Rodney Glassman and his desperation to win public office. Glassman’s money has bought attention, but attention is not the same as trust, and Arizona Republicans will likely notice the difference at the ballot box.

Photo Credit: oldtowntavernaz.com

A Long Fight Over a Simple Expansion

Old Town Tavern just won something that should not have taken months to get: permission to expand into the empty space next door. The Scottsdale City Council approved the permits this week, clearing owner Paul Mitchell to grow his bar and restaurant. Mitchell called himself “ecstatic.” He had reason to be relieved as much as excited.

The holdup was Scottsdale’s parking code for bars with live entertainment. Businesses in that category must provide a set number of parking spaces or pay a fee into the city’s parking garage fund. Old Town Tavern got tangled in that requirement for months before finally clearing the finish line this week.

A Vice Mayor Says the Quiet Part Out Loud

Vice Mayor Maryann McAllen did not mince words about the process. She called it “a little outrageous” that a business had to be dragged through this just to expand. McAllen also said the city needs to take a hard look at its parking standards as they apply to businesses like Old Town Tavern. That is a notable admission from someone sitting on the council that enforces those rules.

Maryann McAllen. Photo credit: Scottsdale Progress

A Good Outcome, but Not a Good Sign

Scottsdale should be glad this ended the way it did. A working small business gets to grow, add space, and presumably add jobs. That is worth celebrating. But the length of this fight is the real story, not the vote itself.

Months of delay over a parking formula is exactly the kind of friction that makes small business owners in Old Town think twice before investing further. Scottsdale markets itself as a premier destination for hospitality and nightlife. That reputation depends on the city making it easy, not grueling, for existing businesses to grow. A zoning rule that treats every expansion as a fight worth having in front of the full council is not a business-friendly policy. It is a bottleneck.

What Scottsdale Should Take From This

McAllen’s instinct is the right one. The city should revisit its parking mandates for entertainment venues now, rather than waiting for the next small business owner to spend months navigating the same maze. One approval does not fix a flawed standard. It just proves the standard needs fixing.

Old Town Tavern’s win is good news for Paul Mitchell. Whether it is good news for Scottsdale depends entirely on what the council does next. If this fight leads to a genuine rewrite of outdated parking rules, the months-long ordeal will have served a purpose. If it does not, the next entrepreneur trying to expand in Old Town should expect the same fight.

Scottsdale City Council unanimously approved a request from Mayor Lisa Borowsky last week to begin examining how the city’s zoning ordinances apply to data centers and whether more specific requirements are needed as the industry continues to expand nationwide.

Scottsdale City Council directed the city manager and city attorney to agendize a work study session focused on current data center regulations and possible updates to Scottsdale’s zoning code.

The action comes as communities across the country grapple with the unique impacts of data centers, including land use compatibility, energy demand, water consumption, noise, aesthetics and proximity to residential neighborhoods.

“Data centers present both opportunities and challenges for cities,” Mayor Borowsky said.

“As Scottsdale evaluates future development, it’s important that our zoning regulations keep pace with emerging industries and reflect the expectations of our residents. This discussion is about ensuring we have the right tools in place before major proposals come forward.”

Under City Council’s direction, city staff will review existing zoning ordinances and explore whether additional standards should be considered to address the specific characteristics of data center developments.

Mayor Borowsky says the effort reflects Scottsdale’s longstanding commitment to thoughtful planning and ensuring that development is compatible with surrounding neighborhoods and community priorities.

“Scottsdale has always taken a proactive approach to planning,” Mayor Borowsky said. “Rather than waiting for issues to arise, we’re looking ahead and asking whether our current regulations adequately address the scale, operational impacts and infrastructure demands associated with this rapidly growing industry.”

The upcoming study session is expected to include a review of current city regulations, research on approaches being used in other jurisdictions and discussion of potential zoning requirements tailored to data center projects.

Possible areas for consideration may include site design, buffering, noise mitigation, infrastructure impacts, utility demands and compatibility with surrounding land uses.

“Residents expect us to carefully evaluate how new and evolving industries fit into Scottsdale’s vision for the future,” Mayor Borowsky said. “This is about responsible planning, transparency and making sure Scottsdale remains in control of how these types of projects are considered.”

By Alexander Lomax

A New PAC, a Familiar Playbook

A political action committee called Better Together has spent more than $250,000 attacking three Scottsdale City Council candidates, and Scottsdale voters still don’t know who is paying for it. The committee filed with the state on June 5. Its first campaign finance report isn’t due until July 15, well after most mail ballots will already be cast. That timing is not an accident. It is a loophole, and it is the same kind of loophole Axon has exploited before.

Following the Money Trail Back to Axon

Better Together’s treasurer is a former Axon spokesman. That alone should raise eyebrows. But the pattern goes deeper. Axon Enterprise and CEO Rick Smith each poured $500,000 into Arizonans for a Better Future, a PAC that backed legislators who supported the so-called Axon Bill. Axon President Josh Isner added another $100,000. Those same PAC officers turned around and formed Better Together weeks later, this time aiming directly at Councilman Barry Graham, along with Bob Littlefield and Michelle Ugenti-Rita, three candidates who opposed handing Axon nearly 1,200 apartments it never needed.

Axon insists it isn’t directing the operation. Its spokesman calls Graham’s accusations “making stuff up.” But the financial report shows zero contributions from individuals, only corporate-style spending with no names attached. If this PAC has nothing to hide, it should have no problem disclosing its donors before ballots are due, not after.

Axon Rendering

The Real Story Isn’t Barry Graham. It’s Axon.

We’ve documented this company’s approach for years: a rezoning maneuver that shortchanged Arizona schools by tens of millions, a sham poll designed to manufacture support it doesn’t have, and a legislative end run built to cancel an election Axon knew it would lose. Axon has shown, repeatedly, that when residents stand in its way, its response isn’t to make a better case. It’s to spend until the opposition goes away.

Better Together fits the pattern precisely. Graham, Littlefield and Ugenti-Rita are the only three candidates who consistently opposed Axon’s apartment component. Attacking exactly those three, while hiding behind a reporting deadline, is not grassroots politics. It is a corporation trying to buy itself a compliant council, three votes at a time.

What Voters Deserve Before July 21

Scottsdale residents have a right to know whose money is funding the ads landing in their mailboxes. If Axon truly isn’t behind Better Together, it can prove that by pushing for immediate disclosure rather than hiding behind a filing deadline that conveniently falls after most ballots are cast. But they’re not going to, because there is no doubt that they are behind this. As such, voters should treat every “Bye Bye Barry” sign as exactly what the evidence suggests: another chapter in Axon’s long campaign to get what the people of Scottsdale have already told it, clearly and repeatedly, that they do not want.

They are trying to hijack our democracy. It is up to us to reject their efforts as forcefully as possible.

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

From the Office of Mayor Lisa Borowsky

Scottsdale is taking a significant step toward strengthening long-term water stewardship as the Scottsdale City Council unanimously directed the city manager and city attorney to agendize a work study session on the potential creation of a large water user ordinance.

The proposed ordinance initiative, championed by Mayor Lisa Borowsky, is being developed in Scottsdale as Valley cities continue examining ways to ensure major water-consuming projects align with regional conservation and sustainability goals.

The City Council’s unanimous vote directs staff to return in late August or early September with information and policy options related to the creation of a large water user ordinance for Scottsdale.

“Scottsdale has earned its reputation as a national leader in water management because previous generations planned ahead,” Mayor Lisa Borowsky said.

“As we continue to grow and attract investment, we must ensure that projects with substantial water demands are evaluated through the lens of long-term sustainability. This is about being proactive today, so Scottsdale remains resilient tomorrow.”

The proposed ordinance would provide the City Council and the public with an additional framework for reviewing developments or business operations with significant water demands, while reinforcing Scottsdale’s longstanding commitment to responsible water management.

Mayor Borowsky says the effort reflects growing regional collaboration among Valley cities facing similar challenges and opportunities related to water planning.

“Water does not recognize municipal boundaries,” Mayor Borowsky said. “Protecting Arizona’s water future requires leadership, innovation and regional cooperation.”

Scottsdale has long been recognized for its investments in water conservation, drought preparedness and long-range planning. City officials say the upcoming work study session will allow councilmembers, staff and residents to discuss whether additional tools are needed to address the potential impacts of future large-scale water users.

The ordinance concept comes as Arizona communities continue evaluating how emerging industries, large employment centers and other high-demand projects fit within long-term water planning strategies.

No ordinance has been adopted or drafted at this time. The upcoming work study session will allow for public discussion, policy review and consideration of potential next steps.

“One of the most important responsibilities we have as elected leaders is protecting our community’s future,” Mayor Borowsky said. “Exploring a large water user ordinance is a prudent, responsible step that puts Scottsdale in a position to thoughtfully manage growth while safeguarding our most valuable resource.”

By Ronald Sampson

A Complaint That Never Had Legs

An independent hearing officer has dismissed the second ethics complaint filed against Scottsdale Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield over her votes on Axon’s headquarters campus. Local activist Dan Ishac argued Littlefield should have recused herself because her husband, Bob Littlefield, chairs TAAAZE, the group fighting Axon’s apartment plans. Hearing Officer Robert Donfeld ruled he had no authority to second guess City Attorney Luis Santaella’s advice that no recusal was required. He also noted it would be unreasonable to demand a fresh legal opinion every single time an Axon vote came up.

Ishac filed the complaint 15 days past the 90-day deadline. Donfeld waved that off too, writing that the ethics code lacks real teeth. Even with the benefit of the doubt on timing, the complaint still went nowhere on the merits.

A Pattern, Not an Isolated Complaint

This is the second time in four months someone has tried this exact argument. Former Councilman Tom Durham filed a nearly identical complaint in February, claiming Littlefield’s marriage created a conflict requiring her removal from office. That one was dismissed too, on the same basic reasoning: no financial gain, no violation.

Two complaints, two dismissals, one shared theory that a councilwoman’s spouse having an opinion disqualifies her from voting. Arizona ethics law has never worked that way, and both hearing officers said so. And frankly, at this point it contains a touch of misogyny, implying that the Councilwoman is unable to form opinions of her own.

Whose Fight Is Ishac Actually Waging?

Ishac isn’t a neutral bystander here. He has a public track record of showing up at council meetings specifically to attack Barry Graham, the councilman who has most consistently voted against Axon’s apartment demands. Now he’s aimed the same energy at the Littlefields, the other half of Scottsdale’s anti-Axon flank. That’s not a coincidence worth ignoring.

Dan Ishac

Whether or not Ishac coordinates with anyone connected to Axon, his complaint served the same function Better Together’s attack ads serve: pressuring the two or three council voices most willing to say no to a corporation that has spent years trying to get its way through petitions, polls, legislation and now ethics complaints. Residents deserve to know who benefits when a meritless complaint eats up a councilwoman’s time and a hearing officer’s calendar for months, only to collapse on arrival.

The Takeaway

Two dismissals in four months should settle the question of Kathy Littlefield’s conflict of interest. What remains unsettled is why Scottsdale keeps absorbing the cost of complaints that exist mainly to harass Axon’s most persistent critics, and why the people filing them never seem to aim at councilmembers who vote Axon’s way.

By Alexander Lomax

A cautionary tale is unfolding in California’s Imperial Valley, and it has direct implications for Arizona. Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing promised its planned AI data center would avoid drawing from the Colorado River. The developer said the project would rely on reclaimed and recycled water from local cities, not supplies from the drought-stressed river. That pledge has since collapsed. IVCM is now suing in Imperial County Superior Court for 260 million gallons of water per year from the Imperial Irrigation District, roughly 750,000 gallons a day. The company calls it a last resort. Critics call it a bait and switch.

Photo Credit: CNN

The story matters in Arizona for one simple reason: all of Imperial Valley’s fresh water comes from the Colorado River. And Arizona draws from that same system.

Arizona Is Already in the Crosshairs

The Phoenix metro is not watching this from a distance. It is in the middle of it. As of last spring, the Phoenix area had 75 data centers operating and 49 more planned. That growth is accelerating precisely as the Colorado River system faces sustained pressure.

Developers have increasingly sited large projects just outside municipal boundaries to avoid Arizona’s Assured and Adequate Water Supply law, which requires proof that a development can meet its water needs for 100 years. Building beyond city limits allows developers to sidestep that requirement while still relying on nearby water infrastructure. In early May, a data center in Arizona was caught taking public water without authorization, discovered only after residents complained about dust control issues.

The Numbers Are Staggering

The scale of the problem is hard to overstate. AI data centers consumed roughly 264 billion gallons of water in 2025 alone, equivalent to the annual water use of 1.8 million Americans. A 100-megawatt facility can consume approximately 500,000 gallons per day. Multiply that across dozens of planned Phoenix-area facilities and the math becomes uncomfortable.

What Comes Next for Arizona

The Imperial Valley saga is a preview of disputes Arizona will face if it doesn’t establish clear rules now. Other states are moving. Denver passed a moratorium on new data center construction while the city drafts regulations covering energy use, water consumption, noise, and placement. California passed legislation requiring water use disclosures before facilities go online.

Arizona has some of the most sophisticated water law in the West. It also has some of the most severe exposure to Colorado River cuts. Those two facts are on a collision course.

The question is whether the state will write the rules before the water runs out, or after.

The Phoenix Suns made a move Thursday night that felt less like a draft pick and less like a homecoming. Koa Peat, the Chandler-raised forward who starred at the University of Arizona, is staying in Arizona. This time, he’s wearing orange and purple.

The Suns traded into the first round to land the 19-year-old Peat, a 6-foot-7, 245-pound forward with a wingspan stretching past 6-11. His reaction said it all. In an Instagram post shortly after the pick, Peat appeared at home in a Suns hat: “Yo, what’s up U of A fans. Excited to be a Sun, man. Excited to stay home, man. Bear down.”

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

A Resume Built on Winning

Peat didn’t arrive at this moment by accident. His path to the NBA is one of the most decorated in recent Arizona prep history.

He led Gilbert Perry High School to four consecutive state championships. He then took his game to Tucson, helping the Wildcats reach the 2026 Final Four in a single breakout season. He averaged 14.1 points on 52.8% shooting, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.

Photo Credit: USA Today

Beyond the college game, Peat earned four gold medals with Team USA in FIBA competition spanning the U16, U17, and U19 levels. He has been winning at every stop.

The Analysts Weigh In

Not everyone graded the pick as a slam dunk. Some observers noted that Peat’s pre-draft workouts raised questions. ESPN analyst Jay Williams acknowledged that skill development would be critical for Peat to continue progressing at the NBA level.

Still, former Arizona star and ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson offered strong support. Jefferson pointed to Peat’s athleticism, size, and winning record as the foundation. “The young man has always played and answered the call,” Jefferson said during ABC’s draft broadcast. He praised Peat’s competitive edge as a defining trait.

Two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith went further, noting that Peat was not far behind the first overall pick, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, when the two played together at the 17-under level.

What It Means for the Valley

Phoenix is a city that has waited a long time for something to cheer about on the basketball court. Landing a homegrown player with Peat’s pedigree: an Arizona-raised, Wildcat-tested winner, is the kind of story franchises build identities around.

Peat will have work to do. Every young player does. But few arrive with a chip on their shoulder quite like a kid who grew up here, won here, and now gets to compete for a city that watched him do it.

The Valley raised him. Now he’s ours.

From Experience Scottsdale

By Miller Shea

Moderated by Taylor Seely of The Arizona Republic, the June 19^th candidate’s forum at the Kiva brought together seven candidates competing for seats on the council: Bob Littlefield, Michelle Ugenti-Rita, Barry Graham, Solange Whitehead, Crystal Carroll, Ethan Knowlden, and Raoul Zubia. Eric Sloan did not attend.

Littlefield, Ugenti-Rita, and Graham made it clear they will oppose Axon’s attempts to dominate the Scottsdale City Council and any expansion of the taser manufacturer’s council approved plans for 1,200 multi-family units at Hayden and the 101. They also oppose efforts to put reclaimed wastewater into Scottsdale’s drinking water supply. The three label the idea “Toilet to tap.”

Whitehead, Carroll, Knowlden, and Zubia insist the Axon matter is settled, with Whitehead defending her vote in favor of the 1,200-unit plan. It was originally 1,900 units. The four are also good with the city pursuing wastewater recycling technology.

In opening statements former councilmember and current candidate Littlefield defined himself as resident friendly with a record of standing up to massive developments such as Axon.

Michelle Ugenti-Rita says it’s time to have an honest conversation on candidate rhetoric and voting records. She said some candidates have sold Scottsdale out to the highest bidder and that woke liberal ideology is destroying Scottsdale.

Incumbent Barry Graham says he has a record of exposing wasteful spending and voting against harmful overdevelopment. He said he listened to the 27,000 residents who wanted to put the Axon issue on the ballot.

A political action committee run by pollical operatives with ties to Axon is spending massive sums opposing Littlefield, Ugenti-Rita and Graham.

Incumbent Solange Whitehead touted her efforts to protect the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and fund important infrastructure.

Crystal Carroll leans into her business credentials and says she is tired of the disfunction in the city council and career politicians and lobbyists running the city.

Ethan Knowlden touted his business skills as a transactional lawyer. He claims That’s a skill set missing on the current council when it comes to budgets and contracts.

Raoul Zubia, a former banker, stressed his volunteer efforts including serving on a taskforce to protect the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and on the Charros Foundation.

In many ways the forum was an opportunity for the candidates to push back on claims made on social media and paid attack ads.

Water policy and the loss of some Central Arizona Project water took up much of the debate, including the use of reclaimed water as drinking water. Opponents call it “toilet to tap” and Ugenti-Rita even recruited Saturday Night Live alum and Scottsdale resident Rob Schneider to bash the concept on social media. It must haveworked as it put Whitehead on the defensive.

Graham argued that “toilet to tap” should be an absolute last resort, warning that rushing toward it removes natural restraints on high-density development. He advocated for conservation and acquiring more water rights. Littlefield echoed this, asserting that Scottsdale’s water department is the best in the state and has plenty of water for current residents, but lacks the resources to support “another 10,000 apartments.” He accused pro-density forces of using water purification technologies strictly to justify overdevelopment. Ugenti-Rita launched a direct attack on Whitehead, accusing her of dishonesty and claiming she voted to defund critical water infrastructure.Read More

Seventy-five years ago this June, a patch of sun-baked Arizona scrubland with 2,032 souls and barely a half-square mile to its name became an official municipality. Nobody could have predicted what it would become. That is the Scottsdale story: humble origins giving way to something genuinely extraordinary.

The area’s bedrock dates back 1.8 billion years, and Indigenous peoples called it home for more than 8,000 years before anyone else arrived. But the modern chapter began with a man of contradictions. U.S. Army Chaplain Winfield Scott purchased 640 acres in 1888 for $2.50 per acre, planted citrus trees, built a school, and gave the place his name. A soldier-turned-pastor-turned-farmer, he laid a foundation that somehow suited everything that followed.

From Farming Town to “The West’s Most Western Town”

Scottsdale’s first six decades were quiet ones: modest farming and ranching, a handful of tourist camps, and a scattering of artists’ studios tucked into the desert light. Then the postwar boom arrived, and the world discovered what locals already knew. The climate, the wide skies, the affordable land, and a certain sun-drenched glamour drew newcomers from across the country.

Photo Credit: AZ Central

The city’s 75th anniversary logo captures this perfectly: a spur at its center, a nod to the “West’s Most Western Town” that began its stride toward something world-class right there in Old Town.

An Arts City Almost From the Start

Frank Lloyd Wright arrived in 1937, purchasing property at the foothills of the McDowell Mountains and establishing Taliesin West as his winter home and school of architecture. It was a signal that Scottsdale would attract creative ambition, not just sun-seekers.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The arts have been part of the city’s identity since Helen Scott herself emphasized the importance of cultural life in the community. That spirit endured. Today, Scottsdale’s arts scene spans world-class galleries, the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, and Canal Convergence: an annual waterfront light festival that transforms Old Town into something luminous.

Sports, Horses, and Spring Training

In 1951, the city launched what became the Parada del Sol, a beloved annual tradition now in its seventh decade. By 1956, the Arabian Horse Show had relocated to Scottsdale, becoming a signature event still held at WestWorld today. That same year, the Baltimore Orioles played the first spring training games at Scottsdale Stadium. Baseball and Scottsdale have been inseparable ever since.

Photo Credit: Parada del Sol website

A Preserve as Ambitious as the City Itself

Perhaps no decision better defines Scottsdale’s character than the voter-approved sales tax increase in 1995 to purchase land for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, which now stretches over 30,000 acres and stands as the city’s signature landmark. A city that could have developed every inch of its horizon instead chose to protect it. That choice says everything.

75 and Still Sparkling

This anniversary year, a community art sculpture called Sonora, a 75-inch wire horse designed by Scottsdale Artists’ School, stands in Old Town, inviting residents and visitors to add fabric and memory to its frame as the year unfolds. It is a fitting symbol: a city still being built by the people who love it.

Scottsdale began as a chaplain’s citrus farm on cracked desert earth. It became something few cities ever do: genuinely itself, at every stage of the journey. Happy 75th.

By Councilwoman Solange Whitehead

Protecting Scottsdale’s Character

My job is to protect Scottsdale—not to cast meaningless “no” votes for political theater.

My record of stopping bad development is unmatched. Just as importantly, I’ve negotiated better projects and helped transform blighted, crime-attracting properties into vibrant destinations.

I’ve also changed rules and improved the baseline for development:

• Adopted building codes that reduce urban heat and conserve water.
• Increased development impact fees.
• Eliminated bonus height allowances and developer incentives.
• Required public open space and stronger landscaping standards.
• Ratified a General Plan that strengthens protections against urbanization.

Did you approve 4,500 apartments?

No.  Over the past eight years, I approved around 2,850. That is about 360 per year in a city of 240,000 residents.

I was able to stop many bad proposals. I’ve kept apartments away from neighborhoods. Where housing made sense, I negotiated better projects and expanded homeownership opportunities by approving roughly 1,700 condominiums and townhomes.

What is the biggest development threat in Scottsdale?

The Arizona Legislature.  Every session, the Arizona Multifamily Association lobbies for bills that would strip cities of their zoning authority. Every year, I’ve successfully fought back against the worst of these proposals.

Arizona has some of the strongest private property rights in the nation. That’s why effective leadership requires negotiating the best projects—not simply voting “no.” Councilmembers who oppose every project have made it easier for the Legislature to argue that cities can’t be trusted with zoning authority.

What are some of your successes in Old Town?  

• Successfully opposed several high-rise development developments.

• Revised the Old Town Character Area Plan to eliminate 150-foot bonus height allowances, require open space, shade and protect our character.

• Protected two historic buildings from demolition.
• Stopped the sale and development of the Rose Garden. It is now slated to be a park.
• Replaced vacant blight with quality hotels and mixed-use developments supported by local businesses.

• Opposed a $30 million parking garage without a parking study. Good government starts with data before spending taxpayer dollars.

• Kept Scottsdale’s Farmers Market in Old Town.

What other successes are you proud of?

• Protected Scottsdale by ending water exports and stopping a taxpayer-funded road in the Preserve – both of which benefited development in Rio Verde Foothills.

• Successfully stopped up-zoning projects citywide to protect neighborhoods.

• Initiated the successful thirty-year funding of parks, our Preserve and public safety.

• Turned a proposed water storage facility into a DC Ranch park.

• Negotiated the Crackerjax redevelopment to include a 2-acre public park, more trees, large setbacks, and lower building heights.

What about Axon: did you block the vote and approve 1,900 apartments?

No. Axon is approved to build 600 apartments, 600 condominiums, and must invest millions in community benefits including a dog park.  I voted to put the Axon referendum on the ballot.  Your vote was blocked by four on Council – including Barry Graham.

Other benefits:

• Having Axon in Scottsdale keeps us, and our police officers, safer.
• Scottsdale will now be the global destination for law enforcement training, research, and conferences—adding a recession-proof tourism sector that will keep our taxes lower.
• Protected high quality engineering and skilled labor jobs – these are the jobs that make Scottsdale and Arizona stronger.
• Stopped another 24-hour trucking and warehouse depot in North Scottsdale.

In Closing

Like you, I’m fiercely protective of Scottsdale’s unique character and low-density lifestyle.  And there is good news.  The apartment market has cooled, and many sites once planned for apartments are now becoming townhomes.

I’m an engineer trained to solve problems—I’ve spent my time on Council doing just that. It has been my honor to serve you and on July 21^st I ask for your continued support.

By Thyra Ryden-Diaz, PE, MPA – Scottsdale Water Interim Senior Director

Interim Senior Director of Water Resources

Recent discussion surrounding Scottsdale’s purchase of additional Long-Term Storage Credits prompted understandable questions about the City’s long-term water strategy. Water is one of our most valuable resources, and Scottsdale has planned for decades to assure the supply.

The most important thing residents should know is this: the City Council did not approve new groundwater pumping, new wells, pipelines or construction. Instead, it approved the purchase of water that already exists underground in the Harquahala Valley for future use.

This was not the start of a new project. It was another step in a strategy Scottsdale and some of its golf course partners started more than two decades ago.

In 2002, Scottsdale partnered with golf courses served by the city’s Irrigation Water Distribution System to create an innovative public-private water partnership. Together, they purchased land and groundwater rights in the Harquahala Valley, securing access to approximately 3,460 acre-feet of groundwater annually for the next 100 years.

What made the agreement truly visionary was not just the water rights it secured, but the structure of the deal. The participating golf courses agreed to fund the future infrastructure needed to recover and transport the groundwater to Scottsdale if it was ever the water was ever needed. The costs of developing the wells, treatment facilities, if required, and conveyance infrastructure would be borne by the golf course partners, not the Scottsdale taxpayers. More than two decades later, that long-term plan remains in place, with the infrastructure currently in the design phase.

As opportunities arose, the city continued improving the strategy. In 2012, Scottsdale sold the original property and purchased replacement land closer to the Central Arizona Project canal, reducing future transportation costs. The participating golf courses later expanded the property, further strengthening the City’s long-term position.

Last week’s Council action continues that same strategy by purchasing 15,000 additional Long-Term Storage Credits. These credits represent water that already exists in the aquifer. Buying them is much like adding to an existing savings account and increased the amount of water available to Scottsdale in the future without needing any new pumping or infrastructure.

Recovering that water remains part of the long-term plan established years ago, and the infrastructure needed to do so is now in the design phase and progressing through agency approvals for the delivery of water via the Central Arizona Canal.

Scottsdale’s approach to water security has never relied on a single solution. Instead, the City has adopted a five spoke strategy to reduce dependence on the Colorado River: investing in conservation and demand management to reduce water use; advancing Pure Water; expanding long-term groundwater supplies through the Harquahala partnership; supporting regional water storage projects such as the proposed Bartlett Dam expansion; and pursuing emerging water solutions as new technologies and opportunities develop. Harquahala is one critical piece of this larger strategy—a forward-thinking investment that complements, rather than replaces, Scottsdale’s diversified approach to securing a reliable water future.

As the Southwest faces increasing uncertainty on the Colorado River, communities throughout the region are looking decades ahead to secure reliable water supplies. Scottsdale has been doing exactly that in Harquahala for nearly 24 years.

Scottsdale made thoughtful investments with forethought decades before they were needed. This week’s Council action reflects that philosophy: not a new project, but another prudent step in a long-term commitment to protecting Scottsdale’s water future.

Thyra Ryden-Diaz is Scottsdale’s interim senior director of Water Resources and has spent more than two decades helping deliver critical water infrastructure projects for the Scottsdale community.

By Bob Littlefield

During the last 20+ years I have waged eight campaigns for City Council and Mayor for Kathy and me. Each of them had some level of lying and personal attacks directed against us. Even Councilwoman Kathy, whose record re-election victory in 2022 showed how popular she is with the voters, was subjected to lies and personal attacks from special interests who didn’t want her on the City Council.

At the beginning of this election cycle, I predicted Axon would fund a negative campaign against those candidates who opposed their massive apartment complex proposal. Well, that prediction has come true beyond my wildest expectations. This year Axon is spending lavishly (over $1M on street signs, mailers, social media ads, and even cable TV spots) to defeat Barry Graham, Michelle Ugenti-Rita and me because we opposed their plans to build the largest apartment complex in city and state history—a request that has nothing to do with their being able to build their previously approved corporate headquarters. In addition, the viciousness of the personal attacks against us in this current campaign has lowered the bar for civility and honesty to new depths.

Nobody (including me) likes being publicly insulted, especially at this scale. But I believe the voters of Scottsdale are savvy enough to see through this dirty, ugly campaigning. After all, in 2024 Scottsdale voters fired all the Council incumbents and challengers who supported overdevelopment. So, I am optimistic the voters will make the right choices again in 2026. Scottsdale voters have learned the hard way that it matters more than ever who you elect to City Council! if Axon defeats the candidates who told them “No,” Axon will NEVER hear “No” from the Scottsdale City Council again!

That’s why, if you want to preserve Scottsdale’s special character and high quality of life, I ask for your support in the upcoming city election. For twelve years I served on the City Council and have a consistent record of fighting overdevelopment. In the last ten years as a private citizen, I have been involved in every major resident-driven battle to keep Scottsdale special.

Bottom line, I am the proven commodity you can trust to stay true to my resident-friendly promises once I get in office!

Learn how you can help at: https://www.boblittlefield.com/help.html

Former Councilman Bob Littlefield

By Steve Tyrrell

Dear Editor:

I previously voted for Barry Graham for City Council but will not be doing so this time.  Like many other Scottsdale residents I have grown tired of Mr. Graham’s attempt to portray himself as putting taxpayers first when in fact he does the opposite. His “Taxpayer First” slogan is just that: A slogan that is belied by action.

Mr. Graham is responsible for the effort to place citizen comment at the end of City Council meetings.  That approach to governance is a slap in the face to citizens and actually places taxpayers last in line to impact the City Council.  I am afraid that was the intention and it is both nasty and shameful.  It was also the last straw for me.

My friend Barry Goldwater once said the “extremism in defense of liberty is no vice”.  But as we have seen recently extremism based on personal ideology that sidelines citizen input and comment at City Council sessions exemplifies that concept of vice.

Most of us who live in Scottsdale want our city to operate in the middle lane of politics, being able to adopt good ideas on their face value and reject others based on pure ideology that fan the flames of distrust or extremism.  Common sense suffers when political ideologies from the extreme detour the Council into the far right brakedown lane of governance.  As we have seen no good comes of that.

I urge all Scottsdale voters to reject as false the notion that it is OK to place taxpayers last at the end of the line to impact our city government.  I plan to vote for candidates who actually value citizen participation while withholding my vote from Barry Graham. I urge others to follow suit.

Steve Tyrrell is a Scottsdale Resident

By John Ainlay

Scottsdale City Council is a clown show. That’s why I commend Raoul Zubia’s campaign signs that read “Kick out the clowns.” This slogan will resonate with anyone who has attended a council meeting in the last year and a half and it expresses exactly what voters need to do this July when we have an opportunity to vote for new Scottsdale City Council members and elect Raoul Zubia.

The current City Council is failing us. As voters consider their three choices for council, they must be ready to elect Raoul Zubia. Not having Raoul on the council will only invite more chaos because the leader of the current clown show, Barry Graham, is trying to strengthen his “bloc” by getting new clowns elected. And those candidates will certainly spell disaster for City Hall.

Let’s quickly review the obnoxious occupants of the clown car:

The driver of the clown car, Barry Graham, brags that he puts the taxpayer first, yet he is dead set on building unneeded parking garages at the taxpayer’s expense. Graham ran on a platform of listening to residents and managing budgets, but he has governed like a petulant toddler. He has proven to be more interested in rolling back ten years of Scottsdale progress, stifling council debate, silencing constituents during public comment, rejecting citizen petitions, and picking petty fights with Mayor Borowsky than actually governing. And during his tenure, he has done nothing positive for the city. At this point, the only thing Graham has actually built is public frustration, and re-electing him would be a colossal mistake.

Next up is alleged sexual harasser and serial loser Michelle-Ugenti Rita. When she’s not posing for weird videos with Rob Schneider or reportedly doing body shots in bars, she is fixated on spewing disinformation and sowing division. Since her humiliating departure from the state legislature and two subsequent failed attempts at elected office, Michelle has been looking for a new place to hang her hat. So now she is bringing her narcissistic, hyper-partisan, performative politics to the City Council race. And despite her checkered past, she is campaigning across Scottsdale. She must think we have short memories, but we don’t. We recall one news report from six years ago that after nude photos of Ugenti-Rita were allegedly sent to the person accusing her of harassment, the recipient responded, “I’m not interested; please stop messaging me.” Scottsdale voters may be feeling much the same way: Stop messaging us. We’re not interested.

And then there’s former council member Bob Littlefield, who, along with his wife and outgoing council member, Kathy Littlefield, are in the world’s worst relay race, handing the baton back and forth to each other without giving anyone else a turn. They have served a combined 6 terms. As the saying goes, politicians are like diapers – they should be changed regularly, and for the same reason. Littlefield has a vested interest in TAAAZE’s legal efforts to stop the Axon campus because, until two weeks ago he was the CEO of TAAAZE. The organization has raised approximately $500,000, over which Bob Littlefield has control as the organization’s CEO. Meanwhile, instead of doing the right thing and recusing herself, his wife has been participating in council votes that directly affect TAAAZE. When he was on council, Bob voted to raise taxes and defund Scottsdale police. Now, Bob should little the field of City Council candidates by dropping out of the race.

Finally, we have failed Corporation Commission candidate Eric Sloan, who was fired from his job at the Arizona Department of Gaming after complaints from nearly 20 employees that he created a frat-house work environment. Eric seems more interested in hailing Barry Graham than offering any new ideas. At a recent candidates forum, Sloan seemed to be fawning over clown leader Graham instead of offering any reasons why he’d make a good councilmember. When offered the opportunity to question another candidate, Sloan turned to Graham and even went so far as to ask Barry what he was proudest of on council, all while failing to really answer questions of his own. It was a sweet moment, but Scottsdale needs fixers with real solutions, not frat boys and bootlickers.

Make no mistake. These are clowns.

In contrast, Raoul Zubia is a lifelong Scottsdale resident and a community advocate who transcends the political spectrum, as showcased by his numerous endorsements. Raoul’s thirty years of banking experience, his respect for the community, his calm and thoughtful demeanor, and his common-sense approach to governance make him an obvious choice for the Scottsdale City Council at a time when his responsible leadership style is desperately needed.

Scottsdale, it’s time to “Kick out the clowns,” and prevent any new ones from getting in. Please join me in electing Raoul Zubia this July.

John Ainlay is a Scottsdale resident, activist, and former senior executive in the logistics industry.

By Councilman Barry Graham