By Ronald Sampson A Gracious Note in a Rough Week Scottsdale just finished one of the more contentious council cycles in recent memory. There were attack ads, super PAC spending, a viral toilet-to-tap video and a debate where candidates traded barbs on stage. So when Councilwoman Solange Whitehead took to Facebook after Election Day, one could have reasonably expected more … Read More
Guest Editorial: Keep Scottsdale on the Resident-Friendly Path
By Councilman Barry Graham Today, Scottsdale residents choose whether we keep heading in a resident-friendly direction or get dragged backward to the days when ideology ran rampant, roads stagnated, and developers called the shots at the expense of your water security and quality of life. I’ve kept my word: High-density projects that change the character of Scottsdale got a firm … Read More
Guest Editorial: Tomorrow Scottsdale Has An Opportunity to Move Forward
By Raoul Zubia Scottsdale has an extraordinary opportunity to build on what makes our city special. And with the right leadership, we can finally move forward on priorities residents have demanded for years. Last week, Proposition 490, which I helped develop, was upheld in court. Voters overwhelmingly supported protecting our Preserve, improving neighborhood parks, and investing in public safety. Despite … Read More
Guest Editorial: Zubia Stays Silent as Outside Interests Try to Rescue His Campaign
By Barry Graham With Election Day just days away, an unprecedented last-minute surge of outside special interests is rushing to prop up Raoul Zubia. Why? They know Zubia is their guy. He’s lobbied for thousands of high-density apartments, pushed for tax hikes and ideological bureaucracies, and taken money from the Bar District, the short-term rental lobby, and Axon’s apartment developers. … Read More
Op-Ed: Barry Graham Is Getting Desperate. And It Shows.
By Raoul Zubia Barry Graham is getting desperate. And with Election Day approaching, his campaign’s increasingly bizarre tactics are raising serious questions about just how far he’s willing to go to hold onto power. Consider recent developments. First, the Arizona Court of Appeals upheld Proposition 490, the voter-approved measure I helped develop to protect Scottsdale’s parks, preserve, and public safety. … Read More
What Happens With Scottsdale Water Impacts Greater Phoenix
By Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego Scottsdale is at an important crossroads for its water future, and the decisions its leaders make today will impact the entire Valley for years to come. The federal government has cut Arizona’s allocation of Colorado River water by 30 percent, with even greater cuts possible within the decade. In Scottsdale, that matters a lot: 70 … Read More
Op-Ed: Whitehead and Zubia Want Toilet-to-Tap. Our Golf Courses Stand in the Way
By Terry Babb This week, Attorney General Kris Mayes said Arizona “probably has too many golf courses.” That comment landed hard in Scottsdale, where golf courses support our tourism economy, preserve open space, and protect residents’ quality of life. Golf courses may also be a problem for Councilmember Solange Whitehead and her political apprentice Raoul Zubia. Both push Advanced Water … Read More
Op-Ed: Scottsdale Voters Spoke. The Courts Agreed. Barry Graham Was Wrong.
By Raoul Zubia Scottsdale has always been a community that thinks ahead. We protect our open spaces, invest in our neighborhoods, and understand that preserving what makes our city special requires more than promises. It requires planning and action. That’s why I’m especially proud of last week’s Arizona Court of Appeals decision upholding Proposition 490. As Vice Chair of Scottsdale’s … Read More
Op-Ed: Scottsdale has benefited from decades of responsible water planning
By Raoul Zubia Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas is right about one thing: Scottsdale has benefited from decades of responsible water planning. But that success should not become an excuse for complacency. Dubauskas cites Scottsdale’s legal entitlement to 141,000 acre-feet of water annually. What she overlooks is the difference between water rights and water availability. The Colorado River is over-allocated, and legal … Read More