I fundamentally disagree with most of Dubauskas’ assertions and conclusions, but she’s right about one thing.
It makes no sense to split Scottsdale into three different legislative districts which is what the Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) has drafted to this point.
What we really need to do is keep greater Scottsdale together.
Doing so meets all six of Arizona’s constitutionally mandated criteria for creating districts, putting the recommendation in the sweet spot for IRC approval.
Keeping greater Scottsdale together promotes a community of interest that acknowledges Scottsdale as a “special and distinct community,” she observes.
Keeping greater Scottsdale together also solidifies our city’s economic community of interest. Tourism is an integral part of Scottsdale’s identity and economy, and serves as one of the greater community’s leading economic engines.
“We need to be together so that we can keep Scottsdale special,” she continues.
It’s Scottsdale’s people that make this a special place. Together we believe in protecting desert and mountain lands, respecting our diverse and distinct neighborhoods and having a culture of citizen involvement. These are powerful shared values that define our sense of place.
For the IRC, keeping greater Scottsdale together would, by definition, require some choices at the margins because Scottsdale is a bit too big to meet the IRC’s total population criteria. Once those decisions are made, though, we’re there.
The IRC’s draft maps need to be fixed and this is how we fix them — by keeping greater Scottsdale together.
Editor’s Note: Victoria Kauzlarich is a Scottsdale resident and chairwoman of LD23 Democrats.
