Guest Editoral: A Budget That Cuts Future Prosperity

From Councilmember Solange Whitehead The City Manager’s new budget reverses Scottsdale’s tradition of conservative financial stewardship: planning ahead, investing in infrastructure, and maintaining strong reserves. Operating spending is up. The budget also reflects the consequences of four Councilmembers forfeiting $31 million in federal transportation grants, resulting in higher project costs, traffic congestion, and the diversion of local road funds away … Read More

Tempe City Council Results: Who Rose, Who Fell, and What It Means for the City

By Vanessa Rogers Tempe voters delivered a clear verdict on May 19. The runoff election reshaped the city council in ways that will echo for years. For a full breakdown of the unofficial results, Maricopa County Elections has the numbers. Here is a look at who came out ahead and who didn’t survive the night. Rising: Arlene Chin Chin never … Read More

Guest Editorial: Preparing for what we can’t predict

By Thyra Ryden-Diaz, PE, MPA Interim Senior Director – Scottsdale Water Good water management is not about predicting the future. It is about preparing for it. The future of water in the Southwest will be influenced by many factors. Some are within our control. Others are not. Scottsdale cannot determine how much snow falls in the Rocky Mountains. We cannot … Read More

Guest Editorial: The Truth Is…

By Raoul Zubia You deserve better. Too many residents feel like Scottsdale City Hall is no longer listening to them. Restoring trust starts with electing adults in the room who understand the importance of long-term planning, transparency, and respect for constituents. Scottsdale is one of the best cities in America to live, work, and raise a family. But the jewel … Read More

Guest Editorial: Help Me Protect Scottsdale! Say NO to Councilwoman Whitehead’s “Toilet to Tap” Water Agenda

By Michelle Ugenti-Rita Dear Scottsdale Neighbors, Councilwoman Solange Whitehead wants to pump recycled toilet water directly into your tap. While Scottsdale’s billion dollar tourism industry thrives on our image as a clean, luxurious desert paradise, Councilwoman Solange Whitehead is aggressively pushing one of the most controversial and risky water experiments in Arizona history: “Toilet to Tap.” This isn’t science fiction folks. Solange has been … Read More

Digesting the New Paradise Valley Budget: What You Should Know

Paradise Valley’s Town Council has unanimously approved a final $68.7 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a notable turnaround from April’s contentious 5-2 tentative vote. The final budget was adopted at the May 14 meeting. It covers a fiscal year that begins in July. It’s a Significant Jump The approved budget is 12.1% higher than the current fiscal year’s … Read More

Councilwoman Whitehead Deserves Kudos for Standing Up for All of Scottsdale

By Alexander Lomax Some stereotypes are true as are some reputations. For instance, Scottsdale has a reputation of having an outsized number of retirees and has leaned conservative. Unfortunately in the mind of some those bring with it a reputation as an inhospitable place for people who don’t fit a narrow demographic mold. Councilwoman Solange Whitehead has spent her tenure … Read More

Scottsdale Community College Just Did Something Worth Celebrating: Tackling the Affordability Crisis

In a higher education landscape defined by soaring tuition bills and graduates drowning in debt, Scottsdale Community College made history this month. On May 14, SCC held its first-ever commencement ceremony conferring Bachelor of Business Administration degrees, graduating a pioneering cohort from a program that launched just one year ago. The ceremony took place at Salt River Fields at Talking … Read More