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Maxwell: I intend to throw my hat into the ring for Scottsdale City Council candidacy

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Hello. My name is Kevin Maxwell and it is my intention to run for Scottsdale City Council.

Some see Scottsdale as two distinctive cities. The north and south Scottsdale.

To me, it’s one big beautiful city with lots of variety and something for everyone.

Yet as I look to the future, I also look to the past. Both are equally special to me.

I have been part of the Scottsdale community for nearly 30 years. I have fond memories of Scottsdale in the past. In the 1980s when I arrived here I remember going to spring training games at Scottsdale Stadium and paying $4 to sit in the bleachers along third base.

I remember driving way, way out in the desert to go to Rawhide. I remember eating at Trader Vic’s in Old Town with my friends. I love the memories I have of past Scottsdale.

The future Scottsdale is not unlike the past Scottsdale. It’s full of opportunities, it’s full of promise and it’s full of character and history. The challenges of balancing our economic prosperity with growth is the same today as it was yesterday.

Our children are our future. Our programs for our citizens are our future. The future will be our legacy. I am considering running for City Council to ensure that the future remains bright.

I have a long history of service to Scottsdale. I serve on the Airport Advisory Commission and understand the importance of being responsive to citizen issues.

I have served on the board of Scottsdale Leadership where we collaborated to build future community leaders. And on the Board of Family Promise where community comes together to help those who need a hand up. I have worked with the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce and understand business issues.

I helped start FUEL Scottsdale so that we can engage younger residents who are migrating to live in Old Town and I have worked with the Scottsdale Coalition of Today and Tomorrow, a group of business leaders advocating for economic prosperity.

Also, I have helped with the SUSD override initiative and I helped chair the 2013 Bond Campaign that saw two important funding issues pass. I volunteer at our annual Parada Del Sol parade as well as the Scottsdale Public Library.

By training, I am a technology analyst. I take lots of data, crunch the numbers, look for trends and come up with a practical, logical solution to difficult problems. That is exactly what we need on City Council. Someone who can look at difficult situations, sometimes with multiple solutions and use a data-driven approach to arrive at the best solution.

Development, height, and density are some of our problems but it is not the only problem. Each of us may have an issue that is really important to us, but there are many issues confronting us. Now and into the future.

We need someone representing us who is not only capable of solving today’s issues but also capable of adapting and understanding new issues into the future. I want to run to serve our city for four years because my experience and knowledge will make me uniquely qualified to tackle difficult decisions we will face moving forward.

Our small business community and our tourism sectors face multiple threats to their future. These two workhorses of our economy need our protection. They provide jobs, enormous tax revenue, and stability to our economy. They must be insulated from economic downturns at all costs. I will offer leadership to ensure the cornerstones of our city remain vibrant.

In addition to the on-going discussions of development and transparency, I have very detailed and specific plans for the future that I will be discussing during the campaign. I will be introducing ideas that will help alleviate airport noise.

I have a new plan to help reduce pedestrian traffic fatalities. And I have a plan to help the growing segment of our population of children and adults who suffer with special needs.

If given a chance to run for City Council I will offer our citizens a choice.

A choice for a candidate with past leadership experience who is equipped to consider multiple points of view with disparate outcomes.

A choice for a candidate who has worked hard for the betterment of Scottsdale and will pledge to do so into the future.

I am Kevin Maxwell, a candidate who offers new ideas that are innovative, actionable and accountable and I am asking for your support. Thank you.

Editor’s Note: Kevin Maxwell is a Scottsdale resident. He has filed his statement of organization paperwork to run for Scottsdale City Council.