It’s shocking and sad that Scottsdale voters have not backed a meaningful bond measure to fund community infrastructure in two decades, despite public opinion polls showing residents believing the city is headed in the “right direction” rather than the “wrong track” by substantial margins.
A key reason for failed bond programs past was a house divided. The City Council was never unanimously in support of a package and opposition resulted. It was as if nobody on the dais could learn the basics of democracy, compromise and cut deals.
But so much losing and pronounced community needs produced a different result last night as Mayor Jim Lane and the Scottsdale City Council came together to do right by Scottsdale. On November 5th Scottsdale voters will be given the chance to ratify a package of compromise and collaboration of some $319 million. Ironically, since Scottsdale has not passed a bond in so long property taxes will still be going down even if the measures pass because of the retiring bonds funding the projects ratified twenty years ago.
Scottsdale has some turbulent days and elections ahead. But on Monday night the City Council stood as exemplars, coming together to do what the people expect them to.
Linda Milhaven. Kathy Littlefield. Guy Phillips. Suzanne Klapp. Virginia Korte. Solange Whitehead. Jim Lane.
On this issue they truly were #ScottsdaleAtItsBest.