A Scottsdale City Council candidate is running on rhetoric about putting "residents and families first" by preserving Scottdale's "charm" and stopping "reckless overdevelopment.”
He hasn't taken into account why some folks can't afford to live where they work. Also, "charm" can be racially-motivated code like "character and culture.”
He’s supported by a Political Action Committee that ignores Scottsdale’s 2023 Community Survey which states that "more than half of residents gave high marks to residential and commercial developments ... most residents appreciate their local government and leadership (but) fewer than 2 in 10 residents offered a positive rating of the availability of affordable quality housing."
This PAC might as well call itself "Not In My Backyard" because it vilifies incumbents who approved up to 3,500 apartments (446 fewer than proposed) over the course of their four-year terms. None of these proverbial pipeline apartments are available to move into and some may never be built!
Thirty-five hundred may sound like a lot, but it averages less than 900 apartments per term year. That's a drop in the bucket considering Arizona's net inbound migration was 77,759 last year. With roughly 3.4% of the state's population living in Scottsdale, we could have welcomed 2,644 new taxpayers but the last census shows slower year-over-year growth of 1,867.
Divide 3,500 apartments by 1,867 residents and we have less than two years' worth of housing for a growing population. This doesn't take into account our previous shortfall of 16,321 units that was independently reported in 2022. That's why incumbent candidates voted the way they did.
So, the next time a candidate tells you he’s putting residents first by preserving Scottsdale's charm and stopping reckless overdevelopment, don't fall for it.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
