By Alexander Lomax It’s been a rollercoaster past week or so for Proposition 490, the Protect and Preserve initiative that is designed to replace the 0.2% sales tax used for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve with a lower 0.15% sales tax with expanded park maintenance and upkeep services. The very popular initiative brought the ire of the Goldwater Institute, the lobbyist … Read More
Government Matchmakers: What if Scottsdale Followed Japan’s Lead?
For all the single people out there, would you like your government to help you find a mate? We’re going to garner a guess that nearly 100% of the responses would range from “No!” to “Hell no!”. But that is precisely what parts of Japan are doing to help stem their population decline due to low birth rates. Scottsdale has … Read More
Critical Conversation in Scottsdale City Council: the Future of the City is At Stake
Many city council meetings are full of boring minutiae: zoning issues, liquor licenses, talking through budgets and small changes, things of that nature. But every once in a while, a conversation happens that is truly critical to the future of a city, and this Tuesday represented one of them. The Protect and Preserve Scottsdale Task Force was assigned the job … Read More
Don’t Let the Door Hit You…
We have spoken at length about Axon’s unwanted attempts to shoehorn a staggering nearly 2,000 apartments into North Scottsdale; about the apparent bait-and-switch that it pulled with both the city and the Arizona State Land Department, and its aggressive dismissal of the concerns of the area (get up to date here). Well Axon recently announced its quarterly financial results, and … Read More
BOMBSHELL REPORT: What is the REAL Axon?
You are probably aware of the complete mess that Axon put itself in recently with its outrageous plan to dramatically alter zoning laws in order to put up some 2,000 apartments in an area that doesn’t want them and can’t support them (get up to date here). While on its face this attempt is bad enough, a recent bombshell report … Read More
Why is Banner Health Looking to Short-Change Arizona? A Story of Zoning Chicanery
The world of zoning rules and regulations can be arcane, byzantine, and frankly…boring. That said, there are times when it truly matters, as it can impact quality of life both locally and for the entire state. A couple of recent developments demonstrate exactly how, and how some of our potential business neighbors may not be the best of neighbors. A … Read More
Pushes and Pulls in Scottsdale City Council as Water Delivery is Resumed to the Rio Verde Foothills
The water crisis in the Rio Verde Foothills has been the political football that keeps getting punted back and forth.(get up to date here). Politicians at all levels of government have weighed in, and the result has been slow progress. It now appears as though the stand-off is in its final stages, as the city of Scottsdale has voted to … Read More
Battle Lines are Being Drawn Over Homelessness in Scottsdale
Recently the city of Scottsdale took a more open and assistive approach to homelessness, taking advantage of a grant offer by opening its doors and helping house a number of them (read the full story here). While it was a move that would clearly be seen as empathetic and compassionate, it is not one that comes without potential ramifications, both … Read More
Your Property Taxes are Going Up, Scottsdale. Is It Justified?
Uhh ohh Scottsdale homeowners…your taxes are about to go up. And it’s not just because your home values have risen quite a bit in value either. Indeed, your property tax rate will rise as a result of a 4-3 vote in city council, with Betty Janik against joining Barry Graham and Kathy Littlefield in forming what seems to be an … Read More
Guest Editorial: Your Bond Projects Should Be Prioritized
By Councilmember Barry Graham