What is Solange Whitehead Doing??

By Ronald Sampson When following elected leaders, you have to be used to disappointment. They need to make myriad decisions on votes and even the best of them have to make difficult and sometimes bad decisions. It’s a part of life…you can never expect perfection. But what this lame-duck iteration of the Scottsdale City Council has done has been beyond … Read More

Tearing Apart the Data of the Scottsdale Elections: City Council

In our series where we break down the election results from Scottsdale, we have already looked at the mayoral race as well as the ballot propositions. For our third of three pieces, we will take a look at the Scottsdale City Council races, typified by major upheaval as both incumbents on the November ballot were ousted (after newcomer Jan Dubauskas … Read More

Tearing Apart the Data of the Scottsdale Elections: Propositions 490 and 491

Scottsdale’s recent elections were interesting ones, with an incumbent mayor losing and two incumbent councilmembers losing their bids for re-election. And there was one (well, two) very clear winners in this election: Propositions 490 and 491. As a reminder, Proposition 490 served as an extension of the existing 0.2% sales tax which was expiring this year, reducing it to 0.15% … Read More

Guest Editorial: An Open Letter to Axon CEO Rick Smith from Former Scottsdale City Councilman and Chairman of Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions (TAAAZE), Bob Littlefield

Dear Mr. Smith: As you are no doubt aware thousands of Scottsdale residents from conservatives to liberals have come together to put the recent Scottsdale City Council approval, awarding Axon the largest apartment complex in Scottsdale history, to a public vote.  What you may not be aware is that as of today, the halfway point of the 30 day period the … Read More

Tearing Apart the Data of the Scottsdale Elections: the Mayoral Race

It was a truly interesting election season in Scottsdale this year, as incumbent Mayor Dave Ortega was ousted by a significant margin, the city council will welcome three new members, and two propositions won by wide margins. Some of these items are related and some are indicative of wider trends within the city’s electorate. In this three-part series we get … Read More

Local Democrats Pivot Towards Awful Policy, Demonstrating Why They Lose

By Alexander Lomax It was a tough year for Democrats all around this year, and Arizona was yet another example of this. They lost ground in the state legislature and have made Governor Hobbs’s intention to get a majority in at least either the State House or Senate a pipe dream. Perhaps the biggest issue nationally was a question as … Read More

Guest Editorial: Scottsdale’s Green New Deal & Axon Referendum

By Councilwoman-Elect Jan Dubauskas Dear Friends – It’s time to count our blessings, express our gratitude, and spend time with dear family and friends. Please know that I am extremely grateful for YOU. Your activism, enthusiasm, and grassroots work secured a historic victory for the city of Scottsdale and for our future – THANK YOU! As you could probably guess, we … Read More

Guest Editorial: In Appreciation

By Councilwoman Betty Janik As we begin the Holiday Season, I want to offer thanks for your support for Proposition 490.  It will provide a dedicated source of funding for Scottsdale Open Space, a most valuable asset that is enjoyed by both residents and visitors. We will be able to maintain our Parks and Preserve for the next 30 years … Read More

Guest Editorial: Post-Election Results

By Mayor-Elect Mark Stanton With the official results of the 2024 election confirmed, I humbly thank the residents of Paradise Valley for their vote of confidence in electing me to be the next Mayor of our Town. I appreciate former Councilmember Mary Hamway and current Councilmember Anna Thomasson for our mutually respectful campaigns.  Both Mary and Anna are extremely dedicated … Read More