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Fri Jan 23 2026
Shawn Raymundo | City Watchdog Reporter
Hey readers,
I’ve been covering local governments — from small towns to metropolitan areas like Phoenix — for the better part of a decade. Political dramas within city halls are nothing new to me. And while every community shared some similarities, each had their own quirks to make them unique.
Scottsdale, though, has been in a league of its own.
Since being assigned to the Scottsdale beat last spring, my reporting there has largely focused on hotly contentious developments, road and transportation concerns and allegations of wrongdoing. Separately, they might not mean much, but at the heart of each of those issues is a struggle for power that’s led to infighting and a deep mistrust amongst the city’s leaders.
The turmoil largely stems from the rift between Mayor Lisa Borowsky and the rest of the conservative caucus, which voters had hoped would effectively be a five-member supermajority that put residents’ issues first. For nearly a year, though, most of Borowsky’s council colleagues have sought to undermine and rein in her authority.
She and her office were again thrust into the spotlight last week, when her chief of staff was suspended over allegations of violating city policies. What those policies are, the city has yet to detail, which has raised alarm bells by both the press and the mayor, who believes this all about political gamesmanship.
While the investigation unfolds, Borowsky and the city have dueled over the narrative of the incident. That means my role in reporting the facts and peeling back the layers of the issue will be crucial to this ongoing development.
The matter, which comes at the top of an election year that’s sure to stir even more drama in the East Valley city, will be one to watch in the coming days and weeks. Sign up for azcentral’s East Valley newsletter to follow along with my coverage and 2026 election news.
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