Op-Ed: Michelle & Barry: You’ve Had Your Turn. You Didn’t Do Anything.

Barry Graham and Michelle Ugenti-Rita have discovered that Scottsdale residents hate disruptive short-term rentals.

Welcome to the conversation.The problem is that neither candidate is a political newcomer wondering what government might someday do about it. They have both held public office. They have both had opportunities to produce results. And Scottsdale still has thousands of short-term rentals operating under a state system that severely limits the city’s authority.

Ugenti-Rita spent years in the Arizona Legislature while cities pleaded with lawmakers for greater control over short-term rentals. She voted against the original SB 1350, but Scottsdale residents do not need another history lesson about who voted for what a decade ago.

They need to know what she accomplished while she actually had a seat in the Legislature. Now she wants a seat on the City Council and another opportunity to tell residents how serious the problem is.

Then there is Barry Graham. Graham has been sitting on the Scottsdale City Council since 2023. He talks frequently about the damage short-term rentals have caused neighborhoods.

Okay, Barry. You’re already there.

Where are the results?

Complaining about party houses is not a policy. Posting angry comments is not enforcement. And campaigning against short-term rentals after years in elected office does not magically turn an incumbent into an outsider.

The questions for both candidates are simple.

What additional authority should Scottsdale have? What changes to state law do they support? What specifically would they do next year that they have not already done?

Scottsdale residents are tired of politicians describing problems everyone already understands.

Ugenti-Rita had a seat in the Legislature.

Graham has a seat on the Council.

Neither should be asking voters to grade them on their outrage.Grade them on results.