Guest Editorial: Saying Goodbye and Thank You & Happy New Year!

By Councilwoman Solange Whitehead

Councilmember Solange Whitehead

As we wrap up our four years together, I am writing to thank my outgoing colleagues Mayor David Ortega and Councilmembers Betty Janik, Tammy Caputi, and Tom Durham.

Together we set Scottsdale on a winning trajectory that will deliver results for decades to come. I am so honored to have worked with all of you and wanted to highlight some of our many accomplishments.

Protected Your Tax Dollars and Delivered World Class Services

      • Lowered tax rates, reduced the budget, expanded amenities & services
      • Paid down ballooning police & fire pension liabilities
      • Doubled financial reserves
      • Maintained a AAA-bond rating, reducing tax dollars spent on interest.
      • Delivered on voter-approved bond projects despite historic inflation and without added taxes as other Valley cities have done.
      • Passed Prop 491, increasing an expenditure limit that had not been updated in18 years which threatened vital services.
      • Adopted financial policies that will protect our city’s financial security for decades to come.

    Public Safety: Top 10 Safest City in the Nation

      • Restored competitive pay for police and fire and filled vacancies.
      • Started a new ambulance service
      • Opened a Fire & Police training center and a crime lab.
      • Welcomed 11 million visitors without any significant safety issues.
      • Improved street safety by successfully advocating for stricter DUI laws for ride share drivers.
      • Protected the Preserve and homes against a record number of wildfires
      • Passed Prop 490 securing wildfire mitigation funding for 30 years; the urgency ever more evident with LA’s tragic fires.
      • Earned recognition as a Top 10 Safest City in the Nation

    Protecting Scottsdale’s Character and Our Residents

          • Ratified the voter-approved General Plan 2035, a first in almost 2 decades, increasing protections for neighborhoods and open space.
          • Stopped legislative bills to end single family zoning from becoming law.
          • Updated the Old Town Character Area Plan lowering heights and requiring open space.
          • Limited multifamily development to commercial areas, with setbacks, robust landscaping plans, and meaningful community investments such as a 2-acre public park.
          • Eliminated the Infill Incentive District which allowed more height and lower building design standards.
          • Adopted a non-discrimination ordinance.
          • Implemented the toughest Short Term Rental ordinances in Arizona and successfully advocated for more local control.
          • Adopted parking codes that protect neighborhoods and small businesses.
          • Adopted a suite of new building codes to improve safety and efficiency.
          • Launched a community college scholarship program.
          • Increased tourism and expanded the number of free and ticketed events at every venue including WestWorld, Civic Center Plaza, Museum of the West, and Scottsdale Stadium.
          • Earned national and international accolades including “Healthiest City”, “Best Place to Retire”, and Conde Nast’s “one of the best travel destinations in the world”Water for our Future
          • Ended the export of Scottsdale water to the unincorporated Rio Verde Foothills region
          • Protected residents by keeping Tier 1&2 water rates flat despite the City paying steeper costs.
          • Adopted new building codes that are projected to significantly reduce water usage in new construction.
          • Became the first city in Arizona to prohibit winter overseed requirements by HOAs saving one HOA 1,200,000 gallons in its first year.
          • Began operation of a 5.4-billion gallon/yr water treatment plant bringing contaminated water up to drinking water standards.
          • Recharged 225,000 AF* of recycled & Colorado river water into aquifers.
          • Increased turf removal rebates by 450%.
          • Installing citywide meters that detect leaks and notify homeowners in order to save water and reduce bills.
          • *1 acre ft = 325,851 gallons
          • Parks, Preservation, and Environmental Wins
          • Voter approved Prop 490 will provide 30 years of funding to protect, maintain and invest in the City parks and Preserve
          • Adopted the 2021 International Green Construction building codes, one of the first cities in the nation, in order to reduce urban heat and pollution, increase shade, conserve water, and lower utility bills.
          • Dedicated new parks, completed the construction of two sports complexes and an ADA-accessible playground, and authorized two additional parks currently under construction.
          • Planted many hundreds of trees and began work on a Tree Canopy Plan.
          • Approved the city’s 1st Sustainability Plan
          • Completed a parks master plan engaging many hundreds of residents.
          •  Added public open space as a requirement for larger developments.
          • Expanded pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
          • Stopped a road from being built within the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
          • Reduced the hefty costs of sending food waste to the landfill by composting food waste at city facilities. The July 4th WestWorld event composted 3,640 pounds of food waste this year.

        Yep!  It has been an amazing and exhausting four years.  We worked side-by-side through a global pandemic, record setting inflation, and tackled an increasingly hotter and drier climate. We debated, collaborated, and sometimes passionately clashed in order to deliver the best for today’s residents and those that live here in the future.With deepest appreciation, thank you for your service and friendship!