Hades on an Ice Rink: Is the Council of No Learning to Say Yes?

I know that on occasion that I can be a broken record about the need for more development, that building more will alleviate our pressing housing crisis and benefit so many. We have also been somewhat dismayed at the Scottsdale City Council’s recent inclination to get in the way of good developments moving forward; we coined the term “the Council … Read More

Scottsdale, You Can Make Your Voice Heard: The 0.2% Sales Tax

We believe that an engaged and informed citizenry leads to significantly better outcomes for all of us.Regular readers know that we informed you about the public input conversations about our tourism plan. Well now you may have another chance, and this time it has to do with taxation. You may be aware of a 0.2% sales tax that was enacted … Read More

And Then There Were Two: How is the Scottsdale City Council Run-Off Looking?

Back in August, the majority of the contested Scottsdale City Council seats were sealed up then and there, as both Kathy Littlefield and Solange Whitehead secured enough votes to earn re-election and not need to head to November’s run-off. One seat remains however: Barry Graham and Pamela Carter will square off to replace Linda Milhaven. So how did we get … Read More

Guest Editorial: Why is Joseph Chaplik Insistent on Embarrassing Himself?

By Alexander Lomax I certainly understand the strategy; be as loud as you can, take risks with specious allegations, and attempt to become a darling of your political party. Joseph Chaplik has gone all in on this approach during his young political career as a two-term state Representative, and could prove to be even more successful if his ambition to … Read More

Guest Editorial: The Political Earthquake In Scottsdale No One Is Talking About . . .And Ramifications For The City’s Future

By Jason Rose I ran my first successful campaign in Scottsdale in 1994. Two years later I consulted on the campaign that elected the city’s first female mayor, Sam Campana. Ever since I have been heavily involved in the Scottsdale political scene leading elections for other mayors, hockey arenas and bonds to fund new infrastructure. I offer these credentials not … Read More

Apartments, Development, Homelessness, Crime. Scottsdale Forum Defines Issues And Council Candidates

By Lincoln Shea Issues such as attainable housing, building density, and crime not only divide Scottsdale residents, they also divide the candidates for Scottsdale City Council.  Growth and related topics dominated a Scottsdale candidates forum held June 14th at United Methodist Church. Seven candidates are running for three seats on the seven-member council. Incumbents Kathy Littlefield and Solange Whitehead and … Read More

The NIMBY’s Actually Lost a Battle in Scottsdale: How Positive of a Sign Is This?

We have griped quite a bit about the Council of No in Scottsdale and the sacrifice of reasonable growth for the holy grail of perfect developments; letting perfect be the enemy of good, in essence. So imagine our very deep surprise when a mixed-use development passed through the Council recently! What looks to be an intriguing mixed-use project near Marshall … Read More

Homelessness in Scottsdale: How Bad Is It and What Can We Do?

Homelessness is an issue that has been evergreen around the country, in some areas worse than others. The pandemic has made this issue explode in various areas and has been felt rather acutely in Maricopa County, with an eye-popping 35% increase in people on the streets over the last two years. We would like to think that our beautiful city … Read More