The best way for Americans to honor those lost on 9/11, is to get along. We need to stop quibbling, and start listening to Mom. "Be nice" even if someone else isn't because "two wrongs don't make a right."

There are no technological barriers to solving our water issues. The West is at a crossroads when it comes to water and with political will and public support we will ensure a healthier water future. Scottsdale has been investing in recycling and conservation for decades and we're delivering results.

Scottsdale's fiscal discipline and prudent investments enable the city to maintain low taxes while enjoying the highest quality of life.

Forget the recycling doom and gloom in the media. Recycling is going gangbusters in the Valley creating local jobs, conserving water and energy, extending the life of landfills, and generating revenue. Read more here.

You Did It! Hundreds of emails from Scottsdale voters helped defeat an apartment developer-backed bill to eliminate local zoning authority. The City also earned important grants to improve public safety for pedestrians and drivers alike.

When City Hall and community priorities align, a lot gets done. Such was the case with when voters ratified General Plan 2035 in November. This collaboration between Council and community will ensure Scottsdale continues to earn its place as an international luxury destination and uphold the highest standard of living in our beautiful desert environment.

This past week, Council initiated the process to create a City park on the last remaining public canal parcel and proceed with public outreach on the Downtown Character Area Plan. A downtown bicycle plan also moved forward.

A General Plan is a vision document and required by the State. Whether voters were YAY or NAY, all residents will influence the policies that follow. Passage of the General Plan strengthens development standards and saves tax dollars, too. The upsides for Scottsdale resulted in a well-funded, anonymous misinformation campaign to defeat the Plan. This Q&A sets the record straight.

I ran for City Council to stop development in our McDowell Sonoran Preserve for the benefit of private interests. Protecting public access to public assets remains a top priority. From parks to parking lots, when the public pays, the public must be served.

This Fall, Council will review and update the Downtown Character Area Plan in an effort to mitigate issues resulting from the 2018 Council vote that increased height allowances downtown.

As last year's somber Earth Day 2020 retreats further into the past, Scottsdale has many reasons to celebrate this week's 51st anniversary of Earth Day. Green initiatives continue to deliver impressive financial and environmental wins and many new proposals are taking shape. Photo Credit: Pam Sutton

A Happy New Year to All The City Council got right to work with the approval of a new park, a commitment to ensure General Plan 2035 reflects community values and priorities, and the reinstatement of the mask mandate. Photo Credit: Chris Loomis

A well run City government has the power to positively impact every resident and this inspires my work at City Hall. While big ticket items - developments that win or lose - get all the news, most of my time is spent working and winning for residents.

2020 was tough. COVID-19 took the lives of over 8,000 Arizonans and exposed imbalances that threaten our American Dream: the ideal by which equality of opportunity is available to any American, allowing the highest aspirations and goals to be achieved.

This Thanksgiving, I am very thankful to live and work in Scottsdale where democracy is alive and well. There is no shortage of activism and citizen input in this town.

Eliminating incentives to save energy is a costly mistake. Particularly now. Arizonans are suffering record temps, no rain, and thousands are looking for work. Efficiency helps alleviate all three. Yet, the Corporation Commission is poised to end incentives on 9/22. City staff caught the change and alerted City Council allowing the City an opportunity to weigh in.

High density development in Scottsdale's rural areas is costly to all residents which is why I strongly opposed Fiesta Ranch.

When over 100 local business owners join forces in support of a development that will protect their livelihoods and the vitality of Scottsdale’s downtown, City Council should pay attention. Scottsdale’s unique shops and restaurants are a vital component of our City’s international allure. Yet the heart of Scottsdale’s downtown is in decline. Buildings are vacant, homelessness up, crime up, and profits down. When businesses fail, landlords fail and this opens the door for developers to swoop in and buy up entire blocks in order to tear down and build back with height.

Routinely, residents come before Council and our commissions to request changes to development that will have outsized impact on their neighborhood's quality of life. Chairing the Design Review Board, I can ensure the applicant makes those changes.

This week, the City Council approved a tentative budget with requested changes. Far from boring, a City budget spells out its priorities in black and white. Budget priorities always matter but in this downturn, priorities carry greater consequences. Like triage in an emergency room, crisis budgets must prioritize the most vulnerable in order to save lives. More often than not, these priorities also make good financial sense.

Council's job is to avert a catastrophe, not delay it. That means knowing the gaps, changing parameters, negotiating and stretching every single CARES Act $ ...

This is one of the most difficult July 4th's in my lifetime. COVID-19, unemployment, the tragic murder of George Floyd, rioting, and looting have exposed economic and racial tensions that are undermining our democracy and the need to better prepare for national emergencies.

Reinvesting in scientific research, public education, and US-based manufacturing will create jobs, restore dignity and inspire unity, and save lives. That's the way to restore the American dream.

Investing in community outreach paid off big with the overwhelming passage of the 2019 bonds at the ballot box.

Understanding how Scottsdale works. The 2019 Bond projects were prioritized by residents and will be funded with bonds. The City Council opted to keep taxes neutral by phasing in new bond draws as past bonds were paid off. Government isn't boring!

ASU Football Coach Herm Edwards served as the inspiring keynote speaker at Scottsdale's 26th Annual MLK Jr. "Living the Dream" dinner. He shared a simple yet profound message: "A goal without a plan, is just a wish." This is a message that will serve me well personally and at City Hall.

As in 2018, former Mayor Mary Manross will serve as my Campaign Chair. We've come a long way since 2018 when the City faced $800M of unfunded infrastructure projects. Just three years late, City Council put community priorities in a bond package that was overwhelmingly approved by the voters.