By Miller Shea
Moderated by Taylor Seely of The Arizona Republic, the June 19th candidate’s forum at the Kiva brought together seven candidates competing for seats on the council: Bob Littlefield, Michelle Ugenti-Rita, Barry Graham, Solange Whitehead, Crystal Carroll, Ethan Knowlden, and Raoul Zubia. Eric Sloan did not attend.
Littlefield, Ugenti-Rita, and Graham made it clear they will oppose Axon’s attempts to dominate the Scottsdale City Council and any expansion of the taser manufacturer’s council approved plans for 1,200 multi-family units at Hayden and the 101. They also oppose efforts to put reclaimed wastewater into Scottsdale’s drinking water supply. The three label the idea “Toilet to tap.”
Whitehead, Carroll, Knowlden, and Zubia insist the Axon matter is settled, with Whitehead defending her vote in favor of the 1,200-unit plan. It was originally 1,900 units. The four are also good with the city pursuing wastewater recycling technology.
In opening statements former councilmember and current candidate Littlefield defined himself as resident friendly with a record of standing up to massive developments such as Axon.
Michelle Ugenti-Rita says it’s time to have an honest conversation on candidate rhetoric and voting records. She said some candidates have sold Scottsdale out to the highest bidder and that woke liberal ideology is destroying Scottsdale.
Incumbent Barry Graham says he has a record of exposing wasteful spending and voting against harmful overdevelopment. He said he listened to the 27,000 residents who wanted to put the Axon issue on the ballot.
A political action committee run by pollical operatives with ties to Axon is spending massive sums opposing Littlefield, Ugenti-Rita and Graham.
Incumbent Solange Whitehead touted her efforts to protect the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and fund important infrastructure.
Crystal Carroll leans into her business credentials and says she is tired of the disfunction in the city council and career politicians and lobbyists running the city.
Ethan Knowlden touted his business skills as a transactional lawyer. He claims That’s a skill set missing on the current council when it comes to budgets and contracts.
Raoul Zubia, a former banker, stressed his volunteer efforts including serving on a taskforce to protect the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and on the Charros Foundation.
In many ways the forum was an opportunity for the candidates to push back on claims made on social media and paid attack ads.
Water policy and the loss of some Central Arizona Project water took up much of the debate, including the use of reclaimed water as drinking water. Opponents call it “toilet to tap” and Ugenti-Rita even recruited Saturday Night Live alum and Scottsdale resident Rob Schneider to bash the concept on social media. It must haveworked as it put Whitehead on the defensive.
Graham argued that “toilet to tap” should be an absolute last resort, warning that rushing toward it removes natural restraints on high-density development. He advocated for conservation and acquiring more water rights. Littlefield echoed this, asserting that Scottsdale’s water department is the best in the state and has plenty of water for current residents, but lacks the resources to support “another 10,000 apartments.” He accused pro-density forces of using water purification technologies strictly to justify overdevelopment. Ugenti-Rita launched a direct attack on Whitehead, accusing her of dishonesty and claiming she voted to defund critical water infrastructure.
Moderating the exchange, Seely stepped in to explain the budget process, noting that Whitehead had voted for the overall budget. Whitehead countered that Scottsdale faces real risks of not being able to deliver water to northern parts of the city if it doesn’t utilize all options, adding that 70% of residents support recycled water.
Knowlden pointed out that numerous cities safely utilize recycled water and that the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) strictly prohibits unsafe water from entering the supply. Zubia urged the city to do a better job explaining the science of water purification to the public and advocated for expanding the Bartlett Dam. Carroll said water shouldn’t be used for electoral fearmongering and that the city must refer to experts to keep the portfolio open and affordable over the next 15 years.
Speaking of water, the forum gave Littlefield, Graham., and Ugenti-Rita the chance to fight back against a tidal wave of negative ads funded by a PAC led by political operatives with ties to Axon.
That’s why the exchange got personal when the topic shifted back to corporate influence and Axon. Littlefield accused Whitehead of protecting corporate interests over residents, alleging she accepted a $5,000 campaign contribution from Axon and championed their project under the guise of saving 1,000 corporate jobs. Ugenti-Rita joined the offensive, stating that “apartments aren’t jobs” and accusing Whitehead of silencing voters by moving to repeal a citizen referendum.
Whitehead fired back, labeling the opposition group TAAAZE (Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions) as a “dark money” outfit. She asserted that nobody matches her track record for blocking bad developments and turning urbanized projects into lower-density condominiums. Graham disavowed any connection to TAAAZE and challenged Whitehead’s job-saving claims. Zubia closed by clarifying that he has never been contacted by, nor reached out to, anyone representing Axon.
The personal exchanges flared up repeatedly as Seely tried to provide time for rebuttals. She eventually had to scale that back as the candidates started seeking rebuttals for rebuttals.
Some takeaways. Whitehead can handle herself in a forum, but it remains to be seen if branding herself as a diehard Axon supporter is a good idea. Anyone who follows Scottsdale politics, and many who don’t, know that Bob Littlefield is a developer’s worst nightmare. Perhaps Bob should diversify and include other issues. Crystal Carroll is a successful businesswoman. Just ask her. She needs to broaden her personal narrative. Barry Graham could argue with a ham sandwich, a sometimes but not always helpful skill set. Ugenti-Rita is an effective debater, but she is veering to the right of Atilla the Hun at a time when the electorate may be veering left. Knowlden and Zubia share the Mr. Congeniality award for this forum. But will these nice guys finish last?
As some candidates decried the contentious nature of the Scottsdale City Council, as well as the forum, Graham had a pretty good comeback, “Residents don’t elect us to get along. They vote for us to vote for them.”
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