Overview

• The council voted 4–3 to table a decision on suing the state, with Barry Graham, Kathy Littlefield and Vice Mayor Jan Dubauskas favoring moving forward.
• SB 1543, signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs, prevents a Scottsdale voter referendum on Axon’s planned headquarters expansion and allowed the project to bypass the ballot.
• Mayor Lisa Borowsky said the issue will likely return after further legal briefings, though Graham warned there is no guarantee it will come back for a vote.
• Referendum organizer Bob Littlefield said his citizen group will sue the state if the city does not, arguing the municipality would have stronger legal standing.
• Axon spokesperson David Leibowitz lauded the cautious approach, touting 5,500 jobs and millions in annual tax revenue and estimating a city lawsuit could cost about $3 million and likely fail.