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

Guest Editorial: Barry and Michelle Offer A Reality TV Show. I Offer Solutions.

By Raoul Zubia Residents are tired of the antics. They just want leaders who will solve problems.  Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Barry Graham have spent this election telling Scottsdale residents who to fear. Their latest attack on me is long on accusations, short on facts, and completely devoid of the leadership our city deserves. These are accusations that were dismantled and … Read More

Guest Editorial: We Choose Residents. Zubia Chooses Special Interests.

By Barry Graham and Michelle Ugenti-Rita A simple theme has emerged in this City Council election: We choose Scottsdale residents, while Raoul Zubia consistently chooses special interests. That difference is obvious on the water security issue. The city’s water experts say our supply is secure. We believe it must still be conserved, recycled, banked, and — most importantly — not … Read More

Scottsdale’s Balancing Act Is Starting to Tip

By Ronald Sampson Scottsdale has always sold itself as two cities in one. By day, it’s a quiet, well-kept place to raise a family or retire within sight of the McDowells. By night, however, Old Town becomes one of the Southwest’s busiest party districts, complete with bachelorette crawls and valet lines around the block. For years, city leaders have promised … Read More

Op-Ed: Graham Can’t Pick A Narrative On Water

By John Ainley At a recent City Council candidate forum, Barry Graham sat next to running mate Michelle Ugenti-Rita nodding his head in approval while she criticized Raoul Zubia for trusting experts. Michelle’s message: She doesn’t need experts or science when it comes to deciding water policy, just her own brain. But now Graham is out campaigning on what the … Read More

Facts Over Fiction on Scottsdale’s Water

By Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas Councilwoman Solange Whitehead’s recent column claims city water professionals and her colleagues misled residents at our latest work-study session. The record says otherwise. For months, Whitehead and her political ally Raoul Zubia have warned that Scottsdale’s water security is in crisis and that Advanced Water Purification (AWP) is the only fix. The city’s own experts presented … Read More

The Truth About Scottsdale’s Water “Surplus”: Debunking Tall Tales

By Councilwoman Solange Whitehead Scottsdale Councilmembers Barry Graham and Jan Dubauskas’ comments at this week’s Council meeting on water made one thing clear: they either do not understand – or they do not want the public to understand – the truth about Scottsdale’s water challenges.   After nearly two years of their blocking public meetings on water, we finally held a … Read More

Op-Ed: Scottsdale Can’t Afford to Wait and See on Water. Vote for Zubia

By Former SRP Executive Tony Moya I spent decades at SRP working alongside colleagues to deliver water and power to the people of Arizona. The lesson from that work is simple: you plan for shortages before they arrive. Scottsdale is now bracing for a 17% cut to its Colorado River supply as soon as January. City officials say residents won’t … Read More