Guest Editorial: Keep Scottsdale on the Resident-Friendly Path

By Councilman Barry Graham Today, Scottsdale residents choose whether we keep heading in a resident-friendly direction or get dragged backward to the days when ideology ran rampant, roads stagnated, and developers called the shots at the expense of your water security and quality of life. I’ve kept my word: High-density projects that change the character of Scottsdale got a firm … Read More

Arizona Takes Washington to Court Over the Colorado River

For a century, the Colorado River has been governed by a fragile set of deals among seven states. This month, Arizona decided those deals were no longer enough. On October 16, Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Arizona Department of Water Resources moved to join Nevada’s lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior. Then, on October 27, the Central Arizona … Read More

Guest Editorial: Tomorrow Scottsdale Has An Opportunity to Move Forward

By Raoul Zubia Scottsdale has an extraordinary opportunity to build on what makes our city special. And with the right leadership, we can finally move forward on priorities residents have demanded for years. Last week, Proposition 490, which I helped develop, was upheld in court. Voters overwhelmingly supported protecting our Preserve, improving neighborhood parks, and investing in public safety. Despite … Read More

‘Poop Water’ Churns a Local Election in Parched Arizona

City Council candidates in ritzy Scottsdale disagree on whether recycling wastewater into drinking water is smart policy or a dangerous remedy. A ritzy Arizona enclave is facing water cuts, and the most divisive idea to offset them begins with millions of gallons of sewage. Call it affluent effluent. The plan — which involves rigorously treating and purifying wastewater, then routing … Read More

Guest Editorial: Zubia Stays Silent as Outside Interests Try to Rescue His Campaign

By Barry Graham With Election Day just days away, an unprecedented last-minute surge of outside special interests is rushing to prop up Raoul Zubia. Why? They know Zubia is their guy. He’s lobbied for thousands of high-density apartments, pushed for tax hikes and ideological bureaucracies, and taken money from the Bar District, the short-term rental lobby, and Axon’s apartment developers. … Read More

Guest Editorial: A Brief History of the Bloc Majority Actions

By Betty Janik In January, 2024, the Bloc (Dubaskas, Graham, Kwasman and Littlefield) became the dominant force on Scottsdale City Council with Barry Graham as their spokesperson.   Below is a brief summary of a few of their more notable actions: They voted the voluntary Sustainability plan down allowing no discussion. The plan included a chapter on water conservation which would … Read More