The Scottsdale Mayoral run-off between Mayor David Ortega and Lisa Borowsky is entering its final stages, and there are a number of things we can glean from the final stretch. First, the last campaign finance reports of note have been released, and that offers crucial insight. Q3 was a very strong fundraising quarter for Mayor Ortega, raising $113K and leaving … Read More
The District 4 House Race: The Richest State House Race in Arizona History?
Regular readers of this blog (or other political nerds who simply haven’t come across the Arizona Progress & Gazette yet) understand that the race to control both the Arizona House of Representatives and the Arizona Senate is an incredibly tight and important one. With mere one seat advantages in both the House and Senate, Arizona Republicans’ control of both chambers … Read More
A Biannual Scourge: Political Sign Destroyers
Every two years, we all know what’s coming in Maricopa County; every single intersection with any traffic at all is inundated with street signs. All four corners sign six, eight, or ten signs put end-to-end, some towering over others, some with passive-aggressive mini-signs put next to them. It has turned into the lowest level of politicking, typified by boring designs … Read More
Guest Editorial: Prop 491 – A Straight Answer to Naysayers
By Councilwoman Betty Janik Prop 491 asks voters to approve a $22M adjustment to the base expenditure limit. This amount is calculated and regulated by the state. The ballot language (tagline text) with the $22M request is standard text used by Scottsdale in the past along with all other cities. Additionally, Arizona League of Cities and Towns provides this draft … Read More
Cost Overruns Becoming a Campaign Issue in Scottsdale: What’s the Deal?
In a city with generally very few significant issues, sometimes relatively banal topics can turn into small firestorms, flashpoints of controversy and argument. Terminally online Scottsdalians can likely attest that there are a few such cases that are blowing up now, and of course they involve traffic. One example is a revamp of Scottsdale Road near Jomax in North Scottsdale … Read More
BREAKING NEWS: They’re Back…
A movie phrase made famous by Poltergeist apparently is the long rumored reality as Axon is purportedly readying to return its immensely unpopular apartment plan to Scottsdale decision-making dais. And in the “you can’t make this up” category, they are apparently targeting Planning Commission and City Council hearings immediately after the election on November 13th and November 19th. Too cute by half, but more … Read More
Guest Editorial: Improved Parks and Better Public Safety with 100% Accountability are Good for Scottsdale and Our Economy.
By the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce urges you to please vote YES on Proposition 490, the “To Protect and To Preserve Scottsdale” ballot measure. This measure will take the place of an expiring city sales tax at a lower rate to fund improvements and increased maintenance for parks citywide, beginning in the aging … Read More
Guest Editorial: Time to Vote
By Councilwoman Betty Janik I urge you to re-elect Mayor Dave Ortega for a second term on Scottsdale City Council. Much has been accomplished in his first term. He was instrumental in passing the General Plan, he has been the regional leader in controlling short term rentals, he has kept city finances in the black while increasing reserves and reducing … Read More
Guest Editorial: Scottsdale Loses if Kwasman Wins
By Councilmember Tom Durham Does Adam Kwasman plan to slash your services from the City of Scottsdale by over 50%? Well, he says he does. He told AZCentral, “I know there are hundreds of millions of dollars in wasteful spending” in the General Fund. The General Fund is the primary operating fund of the City. It is used to pay for … Read More
Scottsdale’s Dirty Little Secret: “Conservatives” and “Tax Increases”
By Ronald Sampson We’ve all seen this movie before in Scottsdale: when any sort of tax is mentioned in any capacity, so-called conservatives come out of the woodwork and tell you about how the money will be wasted, how it’s unnecessary, etc. Time and time again, regardless of the merits of the tax, lobbyists set the messaging and political candidates, … Read More