Well, that didn’t last long …
An uneasy truce between Mayor Lisa Borowsky and the City Council majority – better known as “the bloc” – exploded in a string of insults, accusations and counter-accusations last week.
With the fiery multi-party exchange, hopes that the second half of 2025 will be different from the first seemed to go up in smoke.
City Council’s seven-week summer break ends Monday, Aug. 25. A few days before, Terrance Thornton – Borowksy’s chief of staff – sent out an email to dozens of media outlets about that meeting.
The missive began innocuously: “Scottsdale Fire Chief Tom Shannon will outline the department’s future wildfire mitigation strategies at the next City Council meeting set for Monday, Aug. 25.”
Two paragraphs later, Thornton and Borowsky lower the boom, accusing Barry Graham and Jan Dubauskas – key members of the bloc – of sabotaging Borowsky’s plan for a volunteer fire department.
The two “worked quickly to kill it behind the scenes,” according to the email, insisting proof was found in the mayor’s public records requests.
“In emails obtained via public records requests, Vice Mayor Jan Dubauskas dispatched a terse two-line statement to City Manager Greg Caton and Chief Shannon: ‘This is a terrible idea. Surprised you went along with it.’”
And, the Thornton/Borowksy email continued, “Barry Graham offered his own opinion: ‘I think there are plenty of other ways the city can raise awareness of fire prevention and education.’”
Hours later, Councilman Adam Kwasman – another bloc member – jumped on his X account to defend his team.
“It is regretful to see the mayor of Scottsdale use taxpayer funds and public time and resources to cast aspersions against her colleagues,” Kwasman posted.
He insisted the “official press release was simply inappropriate.”
On top of that, Kwasman railed, “The mayor is unnecessarily furthering a false narrative of discord among the council that, in truth, but-for a single, troubled individual, gets along quite genially and professionally, no matter each member’s political leanings.
“The mayor,” Kwasman concluded, “owes vice-mayor Dubauskas and Councilman Graham an apology.”
Not likely.
Borowsky quickly responded with an outraged comment.
“Mr. Kwasman’s hand-wringing hypocrisy is on full display in his nonsensical post, as he manages to perform the neat trick of being insulting and holier-than-thou in the same statement,” the mayor posted.
“Despite his sanctimony, Mr. Kwasman usually prefers to do his backstabbing and threatening out of public view, as repeatedly demonstrated by his emails and texts accessible through public records …”
She insisted “the people have not only a right but a need to know what their elected representatives are doing.”
The mayor concluded with what was about as far from an apology as possible:
“Let the chips fall where they may.”