Amish Shah is a slight favorite to win Arizona’s 1st Congressional District on Nov. 3, with analysts saying Democrats hold the edge. If he does, Republicans will start hunting for a 2028 challenger almost immediately. Nobody has declared anything. Still, Jay Feely’s primary win and a deep bench of local officeholders make for an interesting shortlist. As far as public … Read More
Former Scottsdale Planning Commissioner Christian Serena Weighing in on the Scottsdale City Council Race
I served on Scottsdale’s Planning Commission when Axon asked us to approve roughly 1,900 apartments at Hayden and the Loop 101. I read every page of the plans. I listened to the residents who filled our hearings. And I voted no. What followed was documented in a letter from the city attorney: pressure aimed at my private employer over that … Read More
Guest Editorial: The Truth About Axon
By Christian Serena Axon Enterprise, the Scottsdale maker of Tasers and body cameras, wanted one of the largest apartment developments in Arizona history — roughly 1,900 units beside its own campus near Loop 101 and Hayden Road. As a member of the city’s Planning Commission, I studied the proposal, listened to residents, and voted no. When I refused to knuckle … Read More
Guest Editorial: Scottsdale deserves leaders we can trust
By Christian Serena Politics and passion often go hand in hand. But when passion replaces accuracy — especially by an elected official — our entire community suffers. Residents deserve clarity from leaders we can trust. In her recent Scottsdale Independent opinion, Councilwoman Solange Whitehead claims the council “silenced” the public by adjusting when citizens can speak during meetings. That’s not … Read More
How Creepy is Cringy Josh Isner?
By Ronald Sampson When it comes to public faces of corporations, many of us know of Rick Smith, CEO of Axon. You have probably read many pieces about his unwanted apartment megacomplex in Scottsdale and his push to circumvent the will of the people to get his wish (you can read our coverage here). But there has been a significantly … Read More
The Scottsdale City Council 2022 Race is Now Set: How Does It Look?
As with every campaign, it’s easy to say that you’re running for office; you can even file some paperwork to make it official. However actually getting on the ballot is a very different matter, involving the collection of a significant number of signatures from voters. Since the signature deadline has now passed, unless a candidate’s signatures are challenged we have … Read More