What a difference a year makes.

After a rocky 2025 and explosive first beginning of 2026, Mayor Lisa Borowsky led off a glamorous event with praise for the city – quickly followed by harsh criticism of “efforts that undermine the authority” of the mayor’s office.

The scene Thursday morning was the same as last January: A ballroom at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess packed with business leaders. Mixed in were members of the Scottsdale City Council the mayor has frequently battled, as well as Borowsky’s likely current Public Enemy No. 1: City Manager Greg Caton.

At her first “State of the City” event this time last year, the newly-elected mayor was as bubbly as champagne – gushing “I love the job so much. 

“It’s been really fantastic, getting together with so many residents, so many business leaders.”

Borowsky concluded the 2025 event by eagerly announcing she would be launching a volunteer fire brigade.

But it wasn’t that simple.

The volunteer firefighters idea failed to fly, after members of City Council challenged the notion – one of the first of many times a majority dubbed “the bloc” rejected Borowsky’s ideas.

Thursday morning, Borowsky delivered her second “State of the City” – this time against the backdrop of the suspension the week before of R. Lamar Whitmer, her chief of staff.

On Jan. 21, less than 24 hours before her State of the City event, Borowsky lambasted Caton for the “unjust” suspension.

She said she was “considering” demanding Caton’s resignation.

But at the ritzy Fairmont Princess Scottsdale event, Borowsky returned to the upbeat persona of her first State of the City speech.

“Hardly a week goes by without Scottsdale being recognized as best in the class for quality of life, economic vitality, tourism, public safety and innovation,” Borowsky said.

“If I went over every award that we’ve received since I was sworn in last January, we would be here until happy hour.

“I’m game – anyone?” she joked.

After more optimistic words, Borowsky took on the topic that is echoed at cocktail events around the city.

“Over the past year, Scottsdale has experienced more internal turmoil and public controversy than any of us should consider acceptable,” she proclaimed.

“Headlines (with) accusations, investigations and internal conflict have become far too frequent. 

“This is not healthy governance, and it is not who we are during Scottsdale,” Borowsky said.

She added that “disagreement is not the problem. Debate is not the problem. Oversight is not the problem. 

“A city council is designed and is supposed to question, challenge and debate,” the mayor noted.

Borowsky then reloaded and fired:

“What we are seeing now is something entirely different. There is a clear difference between accountability and ambush, between raising concerns in good faith and manufacturing controversy for political advantage.”

Without naming offenders, she called out “political tools, anonymous complaints, selective leaks, allegations untethered to facts but amplified dramatically through repetition.”

The bottom line?

“The result is erosion, an erosion of trust, of morale, and, unfortunately, of confidence inside City Hall and far beyond it. I hear this concern – and that’s why I’m raising it today – not just from residents, but from business leaders, investors and long term partners of our city who ask the same question, maybe in a different way:

“ ‘What is going on at City Hall?’

“If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that in the past year,” Borowsky added with a chuckle, “I definitely would be able to buy dinner for everybody here.”

The mayor repeated a recent claim that top-tier staff members are leaving the city in droves. “I’ve spoken with employees who told me they left the city they love, they love their work and believe deeply in public service – but somehow got caught in a political crossfire they didn’t create and couldn’t control.”

The Progress later asked Caton’s office to respond to Borowsky’s charges.

“We have longtime public servants reaching retirement eligibility after decades of service,” Holly Peralta, a city spokeswoman, responded.

Back at the “State of the City” event, without using Whitmer’s name or mentioning his situation, Borowsky added, “A city cannot function well when its professionals feel expendable or unprotected …

“And,” she promised, “we will get to the bottom of that.”

Her solution:

“Good government does not fear scrutiny, but it does require clarity about who’s responsible and who can be held accountable.

“That is why I will be calling for the establishment of a Charter Review Committee, an independent, citizen-driven and transparent committee whose purpose will not be to relitigate personalities or recent disputes. 

“It will ask a far more fundamental question: are our governing structures in Scottsdale still doing what they would decide to do, protect accountability, preserve balance and honor the authority of the voter?”

She pledged “to act, not for applause, but for impact.”

Borowsky added she will “continue to push for solutions” during Scottsdale’s 75th anniversary.

“I’m looking forward to a phenomenal 2026,” the mayor promised.

“In spite of anything you read in the press,” Borowsky concluded, to applause, “Scottsdale is knocking it out of the park.”