Many in the Scottsdale business community are highly disappointed by the November 3rd election results. They are joined by a near uniform dismay from many leaders across the Valley. “What happened in Scottsdale?” has become a familiar refrain.
Such observations suggest a reversion to less than a municipal mean is inevitable. 
We are hopeful when we say that we disagree.
All of us need to give Mayor-Elect David Ortega and the new Scottsdale City Council come January a chance.
If they are as stridently anti-business as the concerned express, Scottsdale is not only in for some rough years, especially as it tries to recover from the pandemic, but voters will ultimately punish electeds for it. Because that’s not the Scottsdale electorate.
But we think the new City Council may have a few, pleasant surprises in store. And they are almost necessitated by no longer being minority political voices on council. They are now the governing majority. That involves realism not just idealism.
There are two campaign items forged by Mayor-Elect Ortega we hope proceed with dispatch.
The first is a non-discrimination ordinance that has languished for years. But the election results suggest a new majority now exists to right this policy wrong. We hope so. It’s not enough to say Scottsdale is a wonderful and tolerant community, which it is. It’s time to put those words into action. And even though she will no longer be on the City Council if and when a new ordinance is passed, Virginia Korte will know that in fighting her good fight for it she paved the way.
We also support Ortega in his call to reform the city’s governing system by asking voters to consider a district system, primarily to improve representation from the community’s southern reaches.
Were the recent election results different from what many anticipated earlier this year? Yes. But that doesn’t mean a new City Council can’t continue to surprise its doubters back, in very positive ways that will make a great city that much better.