Op-Ed: Hate Overdevelopment? Then Don’t Vote for Zubia!

By Bob Littlefield

Dear Friends,

As it has been for the last 25 years the main issue in this election is stopping overdevelopment. Overdevelopment has taken a heavy toll on Scottsdale’s special character and high quality of life. Clogged roads, blocked views, higher taxes, overburdened infrastructure and now threats to our water supply have been the legacy of the overdevelopment previous City Council majorities have approved.

There is plenty of evidence residents want overdevelopment stopped. Almost 27,000 Scottsdale citizens signed our petition to refer the awful Axon apartment project to the ballot. Reliable polls show 70% of Scottsdale citizens want overdevelopment halted. Most telling, in the latest city elections candidates who supported overdevelopment were thrown out of office.

So why has overdevelopment persisted? Because many candidates were elected to Council on a platform of opposing overdevelopment, but when they got into office, they stabbed voters in the back by voting to approve thousands of water-guzzling, traffic-clogging view-blocking apartments!

That is exactly what will happen if Zubia is elected to Council.  He has previously been a proponent of massive overdevelopment but has realized that position will not get him elected in 2026. So, he now claims to oppose more development in Scottsdale.

Don’t believe it, because if you look at what Zubia does as opposed to what he says you see his sudden conversion to opposing overdevelopment is not real:

• He took a $5,000 campaign contribution from an Axon executive just days after he proclaimed there was no money from Axon in his campaign war chest. He also took an $8,000 contribution from the REALTORS of Arizona PAC.
• He continues to not only support but to applaud the Axon apartment approval which, among other outrages, waived Axon’s water requirements—enough for 12,000 single family homes—which will leave less water for every other Scottsdale resident.
• He literally blames Scottsdale citizens for, in his words, forcing Axon to go to the legislature to negate citizens’ legal petition to put this development on the ballot! Clearly, he thinks Axon’s interests are more important than the interests of Scottsdale residents! 
• His major supporters consist mostly of former Councilmembers who between them have approved literally thousands of new apartments!

Bottom line, if you elect Zubia to the City Council he will support the interests of developers over the interests of you, the citizens of Scottsdale.

Zubia also claims that electing him will protect Scottsdale’s water future. Again, don’t believe him. His claims regarding our water supply are nothing more than election-season fearmongering and spin! The truth is Zubia and his development-loving buddies are the real threat to Scottsdale’s water security. Our water department – the best in AZ – does a fine job of providing water for current businesses and residents. But even they cannot magically find enough new water sources to support unlimited future development, which is what we will get if Zubia is elected to the City Council.

But the biggest threat to Scottsdale’s special character and high quality of life is low voter turnout! Right now, voter turnout in this election is looking to be low. Please don’t let your voice on the future of Scottsdale be silent – make sure you turn in your ballot in time for it to be counted. If your vote isn’t counted the bad actors will win by default, and our beautiful city and our residents will suffer for it. 

You can find a list of early vote center locations and hours at https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/where-to-vote.html.

Former Councilman Bob Littlefield