Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas cruised to victory two years ago – as the only City Council representative winning enough votes in the primary to take office.
Now, she faces a potential recall.
“Jan poses a clear threat to Scottsdale’s future and therefore must be recalled,” the Dan Ishac-authored petition demands.
The first-term councilwoman said the recall effort was launched “by a failed, former Democratic council candidate, Dan Ishac.
“It’s pretty obvious that this is a partisan ploy by a failed Democratic council candidate who was in the pocket of bars and developers and who wants to kick a reliable conservative vote off the Council,” Dubauskas countered.
She added she is “proud of my record of effective leadership – from reducing residents’ property taxes, eliminating DEI and reversing Scottsdale’s Green New Deal to investing in road improvements, ending road diets, and investing in Old Town.”
Ishac called the response “more lies” from Dubauskas.
“I have never been a registered Democratic,” he added. “I was a GOP state and precinct committeeman (LD 23) for several years and left the party given the fighting within it. I have been registered independent for four years.”
According to his recall petition:
“Jan Dubauskas engaged in conduct unbecoming a Scottsdale City Council Member, the most egregious was colluding with Councilmembers Graham and Kwasman to file a bogus criminal complaint to remove the mayor.”
Ishac continued that the trio “ hired an unqualified city manager for their bidding to purge the long-time city staff with institutional knowledge and creating needless bureaucratic barriers for small businesses.”
He also insisted Dubauskas is guilty of “disregarding merchant concerns, resident voices and citizen petitions, voted to waste $30 million-plus of our property taxes for an unneeded Old Town parking garage that threatens the tourist appeal of Scottsdale’s Historic District and disrespects our historic Old Adobe Mission.”
Not so, Dubauskas countered.
“Scottsdale is an incredible city and from day one, I’ve been a proud residents-first conservative,” the councilwoman stated, via email.
“To continue keeping residents first and protecting what makes Scottsdale unique, I encourage Scottsdale voters to decline to sign any recall petitions …”