By Vanessa Rogers Scottsdale voters got their first side-by-side look at the council race this week as three candidates are competing for two seats. Early voting begins next week. The first of two debates touched on water, tourism, short-term rentals and public safety. Water Takes Center Stage Raoul Zubia, a lifelong Scottsdale resident, called water the top issue he hears … Read More
Op-Ed: Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Barry Graham Are Right for Scottsdale’s Future
By Steve Colombo We long-time Scottsdale residents chose to make the city our home. Simply being born here fails to make a candidate qualified. Years of drought and Colorado River cuts have made water a pivotal election issue. Only Mr. Graham and Ms. Ugenti-Rita have proven results on this topic. Raoul Zubia can only be judged by his campaign promises … Read More
Op-Ed: Zubia Too Friendly with Developers
By Mark McCurdy A longtime concern in Scottsdale has been the tight grip special interests hold on City Hall. Think about what still frustrates you: unwanted high-density apartments, strain on water from overdevelopment, neglected street maintenance, short-term rentals, sweetheart contracts, and road diets. Those are the results of years of special-interest control. Things changed in 2024, when residents elected a … Read More
Op-Ed: Michelle Ugenti-Rita Is All About Control, For Herself
By Carol Burns Michelle Ugenti-Rita is running for Scottsdale City Council, which makes this a good time to revisit her stance on local control. As a state representative, Ugenti sponsored legislation forcing municipalities to consolidate their local elections with state and federal election dates. Cities and towns strongly objected, arguing that the mandate diminished local control and risked burying municipal … Read More
Scottsdale Taxpayers Deserve the Record, Not the Spin
By Tom Kube Councilwoman Solange Whitehead used a Scottsdale Independent column to claim Councilman Barry Graham “killed” a $250 million water-recycling program and would eventually send costs to complete the program soaring. She voted for the budget herself, then closed by urging a vote for Raoul Zubia. Anyone who watched the meeting knows the city is waiting on updated environmental … Read More
What Listening Looks Like — and What It Doesn’t
By Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas Your Council majority listens to you, and as a result Scottsdale is doing more with less. We are lowering tax rates, catching up on deferred maintenance, ending cost overruns, accelerating capital projects, and fully funding public safety. We are getting back to core services. Our majority also stopped asking residents to fund ideological pet programs, stopped … Read More
Guest Editorial: Where Council Candidates Stand on Short-Term Rentals Matters
By Kristian Vial, Scottsdale resident I have lived in South Scottsdale for many years. One issue that continues to concern me is what short-term rentals have done to our neighborhoods. Apparently, the city has roughly 4,000 of them, with many houses now are run like mini-motels, with noise, trash, and trouble, including underage drinking and violence reported in the news. … Read More
Scottsdale Voters Deserve Accountability, Not Special Interests
By Terry Babb Scottsdale voters want candidates who answer to them—not special interests. With three candidates remaining for two City Council seats, I am increasingly concerned that residents are not the top priority for one of them. At a June candidate forum, Raoul Zubia assured voters that his campaign finance reports would show “there’s nothing that says Axon on it.” … Read More