By Betty Janik At the June 23 Council meeting, Scottsdale is poised to purchase 15,000 acre-feet of long-term water storage credits for $8.25 M ($550/acre-ft) from the Vidler Water Company. This equates to approximately 1 year’s worth of water for about 45,000 families (less than half our population) at a cost of $182 per family. The Harquahala Basin is the … Read More
Do They Know We Have an Impending Water Crisis?
By Alexander Lomax The Numbers Are Not Subtle Scottsdale gets roughly 70 to 75 percent of its tap water from the Colorado River via the Central Arizona Project canal. The current agreement governing CAP allocations expires at the end of 2026. Negotiations among the seven Colorado River Basin states have stalled. The federal government may impose cuts when that agreement … Read More
Your Property Taxes, Explained: What Scottsdale Homeowners Need to Know Before June 23
Scottsdale City Council is set to vote on next year’s property tax rates at its June 23 meeting. If you own a home here, now is a good time to understand what that means for your bill. How Scottsdale’s Property Tax Works Your annual property tax bill doesn’t come from one place. Scottsdale homeowners pay property tax to multiple overlapping … Read More
Guest Editorial: Resident-Friendly Policies for Scottsdale
By Bob Littlefield Dear Friends, For 25 years, overdevelopment has been the dominant issue in Scottsdale elections — and the biggest threat to our city’s character and quality of life. Clogged roads, blocked views, higher taxes, and strained infrastructure are its lasting legacy. In 2024, voters delivered a clear message by rejecting every pro-overdevelopment candidate: Ortega, Durham, and Caputi were … Read More
Guest Editorial: Campaign Update
By Councilmember Barry Graham
Maricopa County’s Election Office, Now Starring in Its Own Chaos
Justin Heap campaigned for Maricopa County Recorder on a simple promise: he would restore trust in elections that he and his allies claimed had been mishandled. It was a message built on suspicion of process, chain of custody, and procedural integrity. Eighteen months into the job, those very concerns are now being raised about his own office. A Scanner, a … Read More
Guest Editorial: When Leaders Listen, Communities Thrive
By Mike Vreeland I’m grateful that in Scottsdale the distance between you and your elected leaders is small. You can ask — and expect — an answer from the City Council to your questions. Most Councilmembers can address the issues and opportunities we face, but the sign of a strong leader is someone willing to ask back, “What do you … Read More
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