You know that us here at APG are no glowing fans of Paradise Valley Councilman Paul Dembow; ohh no, we have made our views known. That said, it is not always enough to simply want someone you find disagreeable gone from power…you need to have faith in the competence, intelligence and values of the person who is replacing them. Piggybacking … Read More
PV Responds to AG Statement on Short-Term Rentals: Will the Powers That Be Listen?
Frequent readers of APG will remember how often we have talked about the problem of short-term rentals (STRs), how prevalent they have been in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley (as well as the rest of the state), and the challenges municipalities have had in trying to reign them in due to state law. There has been forward motion recently in PV’s … Read More
A Paradise Valley Town Leadership Program? Councilmember Pace Brings Up an Interesting Idea
Our more politically ambitious or aware readers probably know of various civic and public affairs leadership groups in the Valley; Valley Leadership is perhaps the most prominent one, Greater Phoenix Leadership is another. These are groups dedicated to showing our region’s most bright and ambitious future leaders the ropes of what leadership actually looks like within the machinations of local … Read More
In Women’s History Month, Women Lead the Scottsdale City Council – How Arizona is Ahead of the Curve
March is Women’s History Month, and while there are plenty more publications and writers who can give a better homage to it and do it more justice, we at the Arizona Progress Gazette see a proper opportunity to highlight women leading here in our neck of the woods: in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and in Arizona. In Scottsdale, this is highlighted … Read More
The High Cost of Doing the Right Thing – PV’s Fight Against STRs Could Cost It $1.6 Million
Short-Term Rentals (STRs) and the problems that they have introduced into neighborhoods have been a red-hot subject recently, and one that we’ve talked about frequently. We have also spoken about Paradise Valley’s attempts to reign them in after myriad complaints from citizens. Unfortunately, sometimes the best decisions have unfortunate potential consequences, and now we are learning more about those. According … Read More
Phoenix Lets Dembow Off the Hook – Now It’s Up to Voters to Push Him Into Retirement
We have not been shy about our disdain for Paradise Valley Town Councilman Paul Dembow. After his infamous cross-stealing incident, we had hopes that the judicial system would deal a significant blow to his re-election campaign. We recently spoke about how his case had been bouncing around the area’s legal jurisdictions. Unfortunately, it seems as though our hopes are dashed. … Read More
Dembow Theft Case Stuck in Limbo – Will the Courts Hurry Up Already??
It shouldn’t come as a big surprise to regular readers that we are not particularly big fans of Paradise Valley Councilman Paul Dembow. From the unconscionable action of stealing a cross from a grieving family, to his entirely unnecessary decision to run for a 4th term, to general issues with demeanor and charges of improper dealings, we believe that he … Read More
Former Paradise Valley Mayors LeMarr and Parker: Mayor Bien-Willner Deserves Our Thanks — and Another Term
By Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner Dear Friends, I wanted to share with you this guest column in the Town of Paradise Valley Independent written by former mayors Scott LeMarr and Vernon Parker. I’m proud to have their support and appreciate their kind words. By Scott LeMarr and Vernon Parker, former Mayors of Paradise Valley As former mayors of the Town of Paradise Valley, we … Read More
Guest Editorial: Update on Proposal to Reduce Setbacks Is Tabled For Now; 20 New Code Changes on Horizon
By Councilmember Julie Pace Thanks to residents for voicing your opposition to the Mayor and Councilmember Dembow’s aggressive campaign to reduce the setback requirement for view and combination fence locations from 20 feet to 10 feet in front yards along 15 miles of streets in Paradise Valley. Our Town’s Planning Commission unanimously (7 to 0) opposed the setback reduction proposal. … Read More
FIGHTING BACK: New Steps Taken to Stop Negative Impacts of Short-Term Rentals
Dear Friends, Last week, the Paradise Valley Town Council took a key step in the fight against the negative impacts of short-term rentals. I wanted to share with you the Town’s press release regarding these important new measures. ———— The Paradise Valley Town Council has unanimously passed a series of amendments to the Town’s code to better protect the health … Read More