What a difference a year makes.<\/p>\n
After a rocky 2025 and explosive first beginning of 2026, Mayor Lisa Borowsky led off a glamorous event with praise for the city \u2013 quickly followed by harsh criticism of \u201cefforts that undermine the authority\u201d of the mayor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s likely current Public Enemy No. 1: City Manager Greg Caton.<\/p>\n
At her first \u201cState of the City\u201d event this time last year, the newly-elected mayor was as bubbly as champagne \u2013 gushing \u201cI love the job so much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really fantastic, getting together with so many residents, so many business leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n
Borowsky concluded the 2025 event by eagerly announcing she would be launching a volunteer fire brigade.<\/p>\n
But it wasn\u2019t that simple.<\/p>\n
The volunteer firefighters idea failed to fly, after members of City Council challenged the notion \u2013 one of the first of many times a majority dubbed \u201cthe bloc\u201d rejected Borowsky\u2019s ideas.<\/p>\n
Thursday morning, Borowsky delivered her second \u201cState of the City\u201d \u2013 this time against the backdrop of the suspension the week before of R. Lamar Whitmer, her chief of staff.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 21, less than 24 hours before her State of the City event, Borowsky lambasted Caton for the \u201cunjust\u201d suspension.<\/p>\n
She said she was \u201cconsidering\u201d demanding Caton\u2019s resignation.<\/p>\n
But at the ritzy Fairmont Princess Scottsdale event, Borowsky returned to the upbeat persona of her first State of the City speech.<\/p>\n
\u201cHardly a week goes by without Scottsdale being recognized as best in the class for quality of life, economic vitality, tourism, public safety and innovation,\u201d Borowsky said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I went over every award that we’ve received since I was sworn in last January, we would be here until happy hour.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m game \u2013 anyone?\u201d she joked.<\/p>\n
After more optimistic words, Borowsky took on the topic that is echoed at cocktail events around the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the past year, Scottsdale has experienced more internal turmoil and public controversy than any of us should consider acceptable,\u201d she proclaimed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeadlines (with) accusations, investigations and internal conflict have become far too frequent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not healthy governance, and it is not who we are during Scottsdale,\u201d Borowsky said.<\/p>\n
She added that \u201cdisagreement is not the problem. Debate is not the problem. Oversight is not the problem.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA city council is designed and is supposed to question, challenge and debate,\u201d the mayor noted.<\/p>\n
Borowsky then reloaded and fired:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Without naming offenders, she called out \u201cpolitical tools, anonymous complaints, selective leaks, allegations untethered to facts but amplified dramatically through repetition.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bottom line?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe result is erosion, an erosion of trust, of morale, and, unfortunately, of confidence inside City Hall and far beyond it. I hear this concern \u2013 and that’s why I’m raising it today \u2013 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:<\/p>\n
\u201c \u2018What is going on at City Hall?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that in the past year,\u201d Borowsky added with a chuckle, \u201cI definitely would be able to buy dinner for everybody here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mayor repeated a recent claim that top-tier staff members are leaving the city in droves. \u201cI\u2019ve spoken with employees who told me they left the city they love, they love their work and believe deeply in public service \u2013 but somehow got caught in a political crossfire they didn’t create and couldn’t control.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Progress later asked Caton\u2019s office to respond to Borowsky\u2019s charges.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have longtime public servants reaching retirement eligibility after decades of service,\u201d Holly Peralta, a city spokeswoman, responded.<\/p>\n
Back at the “State of the City” event, without using Whitmer\u2019s name or mentioning his situation, Borowsky added, \u201cA city cannot function well when its professionals feel expendable or unprotected …<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd,\u201d she promised, \u201cwe will get to the bottom of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her solution:<\/p>\n
\u201cGood government does not fear scrutiny, but it does require clarity about who’s responsible and who can be held accountable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt 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?\u201d<\/p>\n
She pledged \u201cto act, not for applause, but for impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
Borowsky added she will \u201ccontinue to push for solutions\u201d during Scottsdale\u2019s 75th anniversary.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to a phenomenal 2026,\u201d the mayor promised.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn spite of anything you read in the press,\u201d Borowsky concluded, to applause, \u201cScottsdale is knocking it out of the park.\u201d<\/p>\n
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