Paradise Valley’s New Budget Is Bigger. Here’s What You Should Know.

Paradise Valley’s Town Council has approved a tentative $69 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and the headline number tells only part of the story. The vote was 5-2, with council members Scott Moore and Anna Thomasson dissenting, and the final budget won’t be adopted until May 14. It’s a Significant Jump The proposed budget is 12.5% higher than … Read More

Scottsdale Budget Concerns: Political Theater or Fiscal Reality?

By Ronald Sampson It has been quite the turbulent first half of the first year for Scottsdale’s new mayor and newest iteration of city council, and somehow the hits keep coming for this crew, with the latest point of contention being fiscal. Scottsdale’s 2025-26 budget has sparked significant controversy despite its superficial appearance of fiscal responsibility. While city officials tout … Read More

Paradise Valley Approves New Budget: How are They Spending Your Money?

Paradise Valley might be a relatively small town with a fiscal conservative mindset, but it still has bills to pay. Although its services may be streamlined, its well-off citizenry expects them to be delivered in an effective and timely manner, and with a mindset that prioritizes safety, security, and well-being. That begins and ends with the city’s budget, and that … Read More

Scottsdale Unified Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) has had a long string of relatively comfortable times with few major issues, but those days may be coming to an end. Recently officials have been acknowledging the possibility of future school closures due to financial pressures and declining student enrollment.  While no immediate closures are planned, the district is proactively assessing its long-term sustainability, … Read More

Arizona DOGE? Not So Fast, as Kolodin’s Concept Goes Down in Flames

If you have not lived under a rock over the last two months, you are almost certainly aware of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk’s attempts to cut government spending at the federal level. And regular readers may have read our piece on Arizona’s version of DOGE, spearheaded by Scottsdale-based Representative Alex Kolodin. But only a couple weeks later, … Read More

Maricopa County Assessor Miscue Leading to a Scottsdale Schools Crisis

Mistakes from the past will sometimes come back and catch up to you; they do to all of us at some point. A lie in the past comes back to haunt you, credit card bills come due, poor lifestyle choices in the past turn into health problems today. But rarely is it a result of someone else’s mistakes, and rarely … Read More

Much Ado About Nothing: Misguiding Politicians Squawk About Fiscal Responsibility as City Reduces Its Budget and Taxes

Fiscal responsibility is something that all engaged citizens (except perhaps those to the extreme political left) want; government is funded by our money, and we all want to believe that those funds are being used appropriately. And it should come as no surprise to our readers that conservative politics often focuses on this, as do the conservative politicians that look … Read More

The Delicate Dance Continues: GOP Learning How to Work with Gov. Hobbs

Governor Katie Hobbs has had a relatively tumultuous short reign in the 9th floor; facing GOP majorities in both the state House and the state Senate, her powers have largely been limited to her veto pen, which she has used to an unprecedented degree so far. Recently there have been issues within her own caucus, i.e. “tamale-gate” (you can read … Read More