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Eaneman: Virginia Korte has my vote this August for Scottsdale mayor

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The tenor of the times has put Leadership in the spotlight of public opinion. Using Tip O’Neill’s axiom that “all politics is local,” my comments focus on the City of Scottsdale’s race for mayor.

Scottsdale’s rebound from the 2008 Great Recession, though slow, was generally satisfactory: jobs returned and new jobs were created.

The building sector bounced back to brisk construction levels. Indicators across the full spectrum of economic activity were favorable. As a result, citizens were generally, but not unanimously satisfied.

Beginning in 2016, there were signs that a growing number of citizens and groups were not entirely pleased with Scottsdale’s governance and direction.

This led to questions and ultimately a ballot initiative concerning the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, the simultaneous City Council election, which saw a rare incumbent defeat and, later, a contentious struggle over current and future downtown development.

These stresses, strains, and tensions have now been exacerbated by questions about public health, equality and civil rights, and dramatic hits to the city’s economic structure. Citizens are understandably afraid and, to date, have looked to the mayor for leadership and action which have not been forthcoming.

These issues and the perceived Leadership vacuum in the mayor’s office will all be in play during the forthcoming City of Scottsdale election.

Against this background, it’s long been my belief that an organization --- which the city government is --- reflects the length and breadth of the person who Leads it. And, that’s why Virginia Korte is my preferred choice for Mayor.

--- James Eaneman

In the interest of full disclosure, Virginia and I are friends, we have jointly worked together in the past, and she has my admiration. Thus, my confidence is absolute that she has “the Right Stuff” to lead Scottsdale through a future that will be characterized by challenge and change.

My opinion about Virginia Korte is not subjective. Indeed, she proved her ability to bring people together and achieve superb results in the private, public, education and philanthropic sectors of contemporary life. Her knowledge and experience are unmatched against the records of her opponents.

She is a world-class listener, thinker, communicator, and doer. Her intellectual curiosity is ceaseless, her energy and tenacity are boundless, and, perhaps most important of all, she is unwavering in doing the right things right.

Scottsdale is at a crossroads: will it be a relic of the past or will it move forward to a vibrant future marked by shared consensus, full public participation, and quality of life which benefits the many, not the few? Virginia Korte will move us forward to this latter destination and that’s why I urge you to join me in voting for her as Scottsdale’s next mayor.

Editor’s note: Mr. Eaneman is a Scottsdale resident, a member of the city’s Human Relations Commission, and the retired Human Resources Manager for a “Fortune 500” company