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GOLDWATER INSTITUTE FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY OF SCOTTSDALE OVER UPCOMING SALES TAX MEASURE
On Tuesday, June 18th, the Goldwater Institute (GI) filed a lawsuit against the City of Scottsdale (COS), contesting the validity of the upcoming sales tax measure that voters will decide in November.

Background: In 1995, Scottsdale voters approved a 30-year 0.2% sales tax to fund the purchase of Preserve land, set to expire in 2025. In April 2024, the City Council voted 5-2 to place a new 30-year sales tax of 0.15% on the ballot, intended for “parks, facilities, and the Preserve.” Councilwoman Littlefield and another member voted ‘no.’ This new tax is projected to raise up to $1.5 billion over the next three decades. The City of Scottsdale, through various official correspondences and ballot language, describes this new sales tax as an extension and reduction of the original tax.

Allegations: The Goldwater Institute alleges that the City of Scottsdale is disseminating “objectively false or misleading information.” GI argues that because the new sales tax serves a different purpose than the expiring tax, it cannot be labeled as an extension or reduction of the existing tax. Furthermore, GI claims that the City is utilizing public resources to sway the election outcome, pointing out that the City’s election FAQs “omit key information and use rhetorical strategies designed to influence the election outcome.”

Requested Relief: The Goldwater Institute is seeking to prevent the ballot measure from being included in the November election, arguing that the misleading information and use of public resources compromise the integrity of the electoral process.

Stay tuned for updates as this legal challenge progresses and its implications for Scottsdale residents and the November ballot unfold.