Paradise Valley Town Council looks ahead to September

By Allison Kotzbauer
Mail

The Paradise Valley Town Council, made up of volunteer members, takes a summer break from its regular meeting schedule. The council held its final meeting before summer break on June 11 and will reconvene Sept. 11, besides a special meeting in the interim to canvass the primary election results.

The Independent asked council members how they spent the summer and what issues they are looking forward to tackling when the council returns in September.

Mayor Mark Stanton

The summer break has not slowed the town’s work, with council members continuing to meet with staff and residents and evaluate issues ahead of the council’s return in September, Mayor Mark Stanton said. The Town also completed its election for terms beginning in January, while Town Manager Ching continued providing weekly briefings.

What do you think is most pressing for Paradise Valley currently?

Our most pressing priorities include ensuring the highest levels of public safety and managing responsible community development. We remain committed to continue delivering exceptional customer service to our residents in every area of Town operations.

What are you excited to work on when the council is back in session?

I’m looking forward to a productive return to our Town Council session. Key initiatives include updating our Town Code Ordinances, preparing our legislative agenda to safeguard the Town from State Government overreach, and addressing broader issues such as Short‑Term Rentals and capital improvement planning.

Vice Mayor Christine Labelle

Over the summer, Vice Mayor Christine Labelle highlighted the momentum behind the Save the Spire project, along with work by the Youth Group, Public Works and Police Department. She also congratulated the newly elected and returning council members. Labelle, who did not seek another term, said she looks forward to remaining involved in the community in new ways after the council’s 2026 year ends.

What do you think is the most pressing issue facing Paradise Valley?

As Paradise Valley continues to attract significant investment and thoughtful reinvestment, one of our greatest challenges is maintaining the delicate balance between embracing high-quality redevelopment and preserving the qualities that make our town so special.
That means continuing to improve our permitting, code enforcement, and inspection processes so they are efficient, predictable and supportive of property owners, builders and contractors who want to do things the right way. While enforcement has an important role, education, communication and voluntary compliance are equally important.

What are you excited to work on when the council is back in session?

One of the biggest priorities this fall is modernizing and clarifying our town code. Staff has spent the summer laying the groundwork, and Council has already devoted considerable time to improving many sections. I’m also excited about implementing our flood mitigation study in coordination with our Capital Improvement Program so we can address flood-prone areas while making the most of planned infrastructure improvements. It’s a thoughtful, long-term approach that protects property and makes the best use of taxpayer dollars.
I’m also looking forward to the continued growth of the Paradise Valley Youth Group and expanding volunteer opportunities for our residents.

Councilmember Karen Liepmann

Councilmember Karen Liepmann, who was elected to the Town Council in 2025, previously served nearly four years on the Planning Commission, including two years as chair.

What do you think is most pressing for Paradise Valley currently?

As a council member, I believe our responsibility is not only to address today’s issues but also to think strategically about the future. This means maintaining our financial strength, investing wisely in infrastructure, and embracing responsible fiscal and environmental stewardship.
This November, Paradise Valley residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on three important ballot measures that will affect the town’s ability to plan responsibly for the future. Voting yes on the expenditure limitation measure would increase the state-imposed cap on town spending and provide additional flexibility as Paradise Valley continues to manage the increasing cost of maintaining high-quality municipal services and infrastructure. Voting yes on the Capital Projects Accumulation Fund measure would allow the town to establish a dedicated mechanism for planning and saving for future capital investments. Voting yes on the photo radar question would allow Paradise Valley to continue our photo radar program, which has been instrumental in reducing speeding and accidents in a cost effective manner.

What are you excited to work on when the council is back in session?

This fall, I’m looking forward to working with my fellow council members on several important initiatives. One project I’m especially excited about is finalizing the plans for the restoration and installation of the historic Ascension Lutheran Church spire on the town hall campus. I’m also looking forward to continuing to improve quality-of-life issues that matter to our residents; specifically, noise and health concerns. One example is minimizing the use of unhealthy and loud gas-powered leaf blowers. Over the past few months, the town’s maintenance staff has been testing electric leaf blowers. I look forward to hearing the results of this experiment.

Council Member Scott Moore

Council Member Scott Moore said he enjoyed taking a break from the summer heat to visit family and friends. He also noted the importance of staying engaged during the election cycle and said he was pleased with the results in Paradise Valley.

What do you think is most pressing for Paradise Valley currently? 

Each year our state legislators seek to take away local control through housing bills that would impact or eliminate our local 1-acre zoning. It is imperative to have elected leaders that see low density residential as a property right that local voters should decide. Another issue that continues to come under fire is local control of law enforcement. As an example, photo radar is not only effective in our town, but it has also statistically been proven to reduce accidents and injury. Local sales tax revenue is another issue that continues to see potentially adverse legislation that could impact on our local general fund’s revenue. Keeping this in mind, a conservative approach is a constant priority for me as we review and vote for our annual budget. Slow creep of our annual expenditures is a constant reminder that our limited government model is the right direction for us and should be managed conservatively. Increased spending policies in the good times put us at risk during the bad times for a property tax, which I absolutely oppose.

What are you excited to work on when the council is back in session? 

I have served on the Board of Adjustment, the Planning Commission and now in my third term on the Town Council. After over a decade of service, I’m always excited to serve as a volunteer for the town and look forward to working with our residents, my newly elected colleagues and our town professionals. The work we do is always exciting and important for our future. With my background in zoning and development I will continue to work on preserving our low-density residential character and responsible resort development that’s consistent with our voter approved General Plan. And I look forward to working with our state legislators on regional and local issues that priorities the unique character of Paradise Valley.

Council Member Julie Pace

Council Member Julie Pace said the summer has been busy, citing concerns over EPCOR’s proposed rate increase, squatters, unpermitted construction, short-term rentals and dark-sky violations. She also pointed to issues involving Mummy Mountain, e-bikes and skateboarders, as well as storm-related flooding and property damage.

“Never a dull moment to try and keep a high quality of life and preserve Paradise Valley,” she said.

What do you think is most pressing for Paradise Valley currently?

Residents voting yes to increase the expenditure limitation for the town and the good news is that our town has no property tax so voting yes results in no tax to any resident, but allows the Council to authorize expenditures to keep a strong police department, meet budget needs to operate the town and support storm water drainage projects to increase safety for residents from monsoons and rain events. In addition, we need to work on preserving Paradise Valley from the intrusion of bright lights violating the town’s dark sky rules and general plan, as well as dealing with short term rental violators and other bad actors, working on security for the town and remodeling Paradise Valley Police Department to include a police physical training area with mats to use for regular police physical combat training exercises and a shooting range along with other town office organizing needs. The town is addressing replacement of the town alarm system that is losing more than $50,000 per year and there are plenty of private sector options so the town can get out of the business of the time-consuming and expensive alarm business.

What are you excited to work on when the council is back in session?

I am excited to work on the inaugural Paradise Valley Food and Wine Festival that will occur in spring and fall. I am also glad to see so many public works construction projects occurring to improve the quality of life in our roads and infrastructure throughout the town.

Council Member Anna Thomasson

Councilmember Anna Thomasson, who was reelected this summer, said campaigning gave her a chance to listen to residents and connect with them on town business and individual issues. She highlighted progress on the Mockingbird Lane improvement project and Doubletree Road entryway improvements and said she looks forward to the projects being completed to create safer roads.

What do you think is most pressing for Paradise Valley currently?

As always we need to stay vigilant with state legislative activities to make sure we retain our 1-acre zoning and quality of life. Also, this November, all Arizona voters will have a chance to approve Proposition 319 allowing cities and towns to choose for themselves if they want to use photo enforcement as a public safety tool. If the referendum passes, in 2028, Paradise Valley voters can then choose to retain photo enforcement for our community.

What are you excited to work on when the council is back in session?

I’m excited to see one of my passions come to life: significant usability enhancements to our town website. You told us our site is hard to navigate, and we listened! Full credit to our IT staff who took the initiative and has been working on world class improvements to our site. I’m very excited about the launch this fall.

Additionally we heard your concerns about some quality of life issues in town. Council will be addressing these key issues including leaf blower dust and noise issues, use of private lots for construction staging and code enforcement strategies, approaches and remedies. I’m sure we will have robust discussions and know we will work hard to find the best solutions for our residents. I applaud staff for their work over the summer researching and preparing for council study sessions.

Council Member Ellen Andeen-Keller

Councilmember Ellen Andeen-Keller did not respond to the Independent’s request for comment.

Allison Kotzbauer can be reached at akotzbauer@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines

Allison Kotzbauer
Reporter | Paradise Valley

akotzbauer@iniusa.org

Community: I live in central Phoenix and my writing  focuses on Fountain Hills education, and the Paradise Valley and Scottsdale communities. 

Education: I graduated from Arizona State University in May 2026 with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. My studies focused on writing and visual story-telling.  

Random Fact: Growing up I had over 10 pets including 6 cats, 1 dog, 2 hermits crabs, and too many fish to count! 

Hobbies: I like to spend my free time hiking, crafting, cooking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.