As others have observed, not all residential project proposals are made equal. Year after year, overly ambitious developers attempt to cajole planning commissions and city councils all over the country, including in Scottsdale, trying to convince them of the sometimes dubious merits of the projects they’re championing. On the flip side of that, many developers do the right thing. And … Read More
Guest Editorial: General Plan 2035 Primer: Part 1 “Origins”
By Scottsdale Vice Mayor Betty Janik The citizens of Scottsdale will be asked to vote on a new General Plan this November. It is a mail-in only vote. Ballots will be sent out in early October to registered voters. The goal of the General Plan (GP) is to guide the development of Scottsdale over the next decade to realize the … Read More
Guest Editorial: We shouldn’t give credence to anti-tech rhetoric carried by Republican conspiracy theorists
By Representative Lorenzo Sierra Today’s political landscape is filled with partisan opportunists, if not outright conspiracy theorists, and they have unfortunately gained traction in our daily dialogue. From the likes of Arizona’s own Congressman Paul Gosar to Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, extremists continue to push unfounded claims about the results of our election and promote dangerous rhetoric. More recently, we’ve … Read More
The Value of Working Together – Scottsdale and PV Come Together for Law Enforcement Agreement
Coordinations between city governments can be rare and difficult to come by. Politics are fraught with fragile egos and the desire to go for wins instead of true collaboration. For our local communities, we should consider ourselves lucky that we have mature adults at the helm. Recently Scottsdale and Paradise Valley came together to forge an agreement, dictating that Scottsdale … Read More
It’s Getting Feisty – The Gloves are Coming Off in AZ Governor, Secretary of State Primaries
By Alexander Lomax It was only a matter of time, but that time has finally come: the primary fights have finally begun in earnest. Matt Salmon must have read our previous op-ed about the probable fruitlessness of his campaign and has reacted in-kind. A PAC supporting him recently launched a 6-figure ad buy going after Kari Lake for previous support … Read More
Guest Editorial: Solving the Housing Crisis By Stopping NIMBYs
By Ronald Sampson Economics is a complex subject, but some aspects of it are incredibly simple. For instance, supply and demand; when supply is low and demand is high, prices will move higher. Alternatively, when you increase supply, prices drop. And with housing prices surging to incredible highs in the Valley, it seems fairly common-sense that one good way to … Read More
Misplaced Rage in Scottsdale – Recall Petition Paperwork Filed Against 4 out of 5 SUSD Board Members
Widespread yet misplaced conservative backlash has again reached Scottsdale schools, as public records show that recall paperwork has been filed against 4 out of the 5 current Scottsdale Unified School Board members. The only member to be spared is Zach Lindsay, who was also the only member of the SUSD board to vote against the recent mask mandate for schools, … Read More
Attorney Allister Adel Taking Leave to Deal with Issues – Perhaps It Should be Permanent?
In the latest iteration of difficulties that have beset Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel since she was appointed to her current role in 2019, she announced last week that she would be entering treatment for personal issues, including an eating disorder and alcohol usage. Details are scarce, but statements from her Twitter account imply in-patient treatment, as she states that … Read More
Scottsdale’s Impact Of Activism
While Scottsdale has always had an engaged electorate, what happened in 2018 supercharged it. The ramifications are now becoming clearer, importantly and insightfully. Three years ago about this time the “Desert Discovery Center” proposed for the Gateway in the city’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve was on its way to a landslide defeat at the ballot box. Years of wrangling … Read More
Guest Editorial: Old Town Becomes a Battle Zone
By Alexander Lomax One of the first real battles of David Ortega’s time as Mayor has now come, and to the surprise of few, it comes in the form of development disagreements. Ortega campaigned strongly on the message of quality growth, a message that numerous city council candidates also pursued in their successful campaigns. Recently … Read More