By Ronald Sampson
Photo Credit: Arizona PBS
We are officially past the halfway point of the first year of Lisa Borowsky’s time as the Mayor of Scottsdale, which is enough time to reflect on how things have been going. The verdict? It’s been tough…very tough. But the obstacles haven’t come from where one would think. The obstacles are internal ones.
The latest obstacle came recently as Borowsky’s efforts to halt a controversial Old Town parking garage project have hit another roadblock, with the city council voting 4-3 against her latest attempt to delay the development, a situation that has widely become known as “ParkingGate”, and also “the silliest scandal in Scottsdale history”.
The proposed three-story parking garage at First Street and Brown Avenue has been quite the point of contention. Borowsky has repeatedly tried to pause the project, citing concerns about its impact on the historic character of Old Town, with one business owner warning it will “desecrate the Mission and decimate area businesses.”
What’s most notable however is that the opposition, like in previous cases, has been from fellow Republicans. A majority of four council members, Barry Graham, Kathy Littlefield, Jan Dubauskas, and Adam Kwasman, have been dubbed “the bloc” by veteran Councilwoman Solange Whitehead and have been a frequent headache for Borowsky. This pattern continued at the June 24 council meeting when they blocked her motion to schedule a future hearing on the garage location. Despite support from Whitehead and new Councilwoman Maryann McAllen, Borowsky’s motion failed. The First and Brown garage project will proceed as planned, marking another victory for the council majority and a fourth consecutive defeat for the mayor’s parking agenda.
Mind you, this is just another instance of the conservative majority voting against the Mayor and stifling her agenda…or worse. In a shocking move, three councilmembers called for a legal investigation into the mayor. They also voted against funding staffers that Borowksy had requested. One would assume they’d be on the same side, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is very clearly a deep dislike between Mayor Borowsky and the conservative majority, to a degree that it seems personal.
So where do they go from here? Simply put, they’ve got to find a way to move past those personal grievances, to put them in the rear view and focus on the issues that impact our city. They campaigned on similar issues, and the voters expect them to deliver on those. They are leaving a lot on the table; they could get done pretty much anything they’d like to if they can find a way to get along together.
So when will this happen? Your guess is as good as mine, but every day that passes by is a day lost towards implementing their vision for the city, and that’s unfortunate.