By Betty Janik At the last Scottsdale Council meeting of 2025, the Bloc majority consisting of Council Members Graham, Dubauskas, Kwasman, and Littlefield, voted to make significant changes to public comment guidelines. These changes include: Elimination of public comment at the beginning of Council Meetings. Reduction of public comment to one session at the END of the meeting. Increase the … Read More
Concerns About Transparency at SUSD with Latest Vote: Are They Warranted?
By Ronald Sampson The Scottsdale Unified School District’s 3-2 vote to close Pima Elementary and Echo Canyon School has left the community deeply divided, and the emotional public meeting that preceded it raised important questions about process and transparency. While the district faces legitimate fiscal pressures, the concerns voiced by board members Carine Werner and Amy Carney, both of whom voted against … Read More
Scottsdale’s Public Comment Changes: A Mixed Bag for Resident Engagement
By Alexander Lomax After a marathon five-hour meeting that ended at 10 p.m., the Scottsdale City Council voted 4-3 to implement significant changes to how residents can participate in council meetings. The decision has sparked debate about transparency and accessibility in local government. So what changed? In what supporters frame as an expansion of public access, the council increased the … Read More