“Scottsdale City Council candidates are citing their personal catalysts for seeking and elected position and outlining their goals to achieve at City Hall.” — Melissa Rosequist, Scottsdale Independent
• Why you are running for Scottsdale City Council?
I’m running for the City Council to be a positive, forward thinking voice for Scottsdale. I want Scottsdale to be even better for my kids than it’s been for me. My top issue is the future; our livability and quality of place. To me that means economic vitality, a diverse, resilient economy, quality development with public benefits, and collaboration with our education system, so residents can find good jobs from hire to retire.
We need councilmembers who will govern with facts and integrity, who will create consensus and promote collaboration, who will have the training, business skills and creativity to help rebuild our local economy. Scottsdale’s winning economic formula is high amenities, strong property values and schools, and low property taxes. In order to maintain this, we must balance our green areas and open space while maximizing our economic drivers. We have an amazing city, and we want to evolve to maintain our excellence for future generations.
I believe I have the talent, experience, and vision needed to lead the city. I’m a longtime Scottsdale homeowner, business owner, mother of three children in our public schools, and served three years on the Development Review Board. I have a BA in Economics from Wellesley College and a Master’s in Business Administration.
I built my own successful business in the construction industry dealing with projects of the size and scope that come before City Council, keeping them on time and in budget. I work in an industry that experiences regular downturns and understand the need to pivot to new opportunities. I am willing to work as hard as it takes to earn your vote and do the best possible job representing Scottsdale voters.
• What do you want to accomplish?
I want to revive and diversify our economy. 42% of our revenue comes from sales tax; 30% of our 260,000 workforce is in entertainment, tourism and similar “high-risk” jobs. We must look to new revenue sources and pivot to new opportunities. Only 23% of our labor force is low-risk for job loss. Attracting technology companies and developing medical, biotech and higher ed industries is a priority. We have almost 200 technology companies in Scottsdale, and 30,000 jobs in the Cure Corridor and health services. It’s a great start. Let’s make Scottsdale where these companies choose to locate; we need to be open for business!
I want to re-create the education subcommittee between the council and the school districts. A thriving city needs strong schools. Good schools raise our property values and attract residents and businesses. The city and school leaders should share information on economic development, land use, and demographics. This way we can deliver better services that allow for the high quality of life that we enjoy. The only barrier to better school-city teamwork is our own limited imagination.
I also want to complete the General Plan, so we can define a clear vision for the future of our city. The General Plan must clearly reflect the needs, desires, and aspirations of our current population. We must focus on our livability and quality of place, balancing respect for neighborhoods and open spaces while developing our economic drivers. Our model is high amenities, strong property values, and low property taxes. This equation requires a robust, diversified economy balanced with livable, attractive neighborhoods.
• What do you want to change at City Hall?
I want to eliminate all anonymous cash to council and commission members. All gifts in excess of $25 should be disclosed, as required by the Scottsdale Ethics Code. Designating gifts as “personal” cannot be a reason for nondisclosure. Citizens need to know that their Council Members and public servants are above reproach. Public service is a trust and should not be abused.
I would like to have more communication between boards, commissions and the City Council. Council and city board and commission-members should see how their decisions impact the city at a more granular level. This will help our efforts for the General Plan. I would also like to have more communication and collaboration among the different parts of the city, with diverse representation from each neighborhood and industry on city commissions. More communication is always better.
I also want to talk about attainable housing. It’s an increasing problem across the city and the nation. Workforce housing is a question of political will. The citizens of Scottsdale have to say “yes in my backyard”. There are tasteful, beautiful affordable examples all over the country. The taxpayers and the city need to partner with developers to locate these projects appropriately in our community. The benefit is our teachers, medical services personnel, and first responders can live in the community they serve. Offering balanced mixed use housing options to people of all income groups leads to a more diverse, vibrant, economically robust community.
