Staff Report –  Candidates for Scottsdale Mayor and City Council have started filing campaign finance reports for the third quarter. The reports outline candidate fundraising from July 19th through September 30th. Mayoral candidates David Ortega and Lisa Borowsky are looking to succeed term-limited Mayor Jim Lane. There are three City Council seats up for grabs with Tammy Caputi, John Little … Read More

Editor’s note: Few, if any, in recent memory have had a greater impact on the City of Glendale than Elaine Scruggs who served as Mayor from 1993 to 2013. During her tenure, Glendale attracted University of Phoenix Stadium. The city built the Gila River Arena to host the Arizona Coyotes and the Camelback Ranch spring training home for the Los … Read More

By Scottsdale Cosmopolite Last month, mayoral candidates Lisa Borowsky and Dave Ortega debated at the Scottsdale Performing Arts Center in the first and only in-person debate of the political cycle. With limited in-person attendance, topics varied from political divides, attainable housing, remote work environments, small businesses, economic upgrades, transportation and the pandemic. Moderator for the debate was lawyer Kurt Brueckner. … Read More

Staff Report  – A recap of the top three stories on Arizona Progress & Gazette from the past week. Disqualifying David Ortega For Mayor Now a candidate for Mayor in 2020, former Councilman and current landlord lobbyist David Ortega proclaims his regard for the Preserve, clearly one of Scottsdale’s greatest achievements. Yet, who led the opposition to the Preserve in … Read More

By David N. Smith and Diana M. Smith It’s decision time!  Besides choosing among the national and state candidates for office, it is time for Scottsdale citizens to elect a new Mayor and three Councilmembers. As thirty-five-year residents of Scottsdale, Diana and I know all the candidates for Mayor and Council.  When friends ask us, “Who should we vote for?”, … Read More

Dave Ortega has run a surprising and effective campaign to be Scottsdale’s next Mayor.  He’s also been very lucky.  But everyone needs some of that to win. This morning we saw this Ortega ad on . . . The Drudge Report.  Notwithstanding the popular website’s move away from Trump, it’s long been a clearinghouse for conservative eyeballs. Whether Ortega is … Read More

The resilience of the backers behind the emerging Ritz-Carlton and associated Palmeraie projects that astride Paradise Valley and Scottsdale is a story for all-time. Enduring both the Great Recession and now a pandemic to still forge ahead with a beautiful, landmark project is business bravery few of us know, but all can appreciate. Both in reputation and tax revenue, it … Read More

Few were more disappointed by the Scottsdale Police Department’s handling of the Scottsdale Fashion Square rioting and looting than we. However it happened, whoever made the call, the buck ultimately stops at the Chief. And in Scottsdale, that’s Alan Rodbell. It was an unfortunate decision and an unfortunate mark on Rodbell’s record.  The consequence of playing patty cake with the … Read More