Staff Writer | Mayor of Scottsdale
Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky, a practicing attorney, was honored to be a presenter at the Scottsdale Bar Association on March 10. Her CLE presentation was called “A Year in Review: Legal Updates from the City of Scottsdale,” however, it didn’t just recap another year of city government.
Instead, Mayor Borowsky delivered a crash course in how a modern city — facing rapid growth, statewide political pressures, and constantly shifting public‑safety demand — keeps its legal footing firm.
Her message was simple: Scottsdale succeeds because it stays alert.
“We don’t wait for problems to grow, or for gaps to widen,” Mayor Borowsky told the room of fellow attorneys. “Our vigilance is part of what keeps Scottsdale strong, safe, and resilient.”
From e‑bike rules to median safety and youth‑driven vaping reform, Mayor Borowsky walked through a year defined by big legal questions, bigger public expectations, and the increasingly complicated relationship between City Hall and the Arizona Legislature.
Click HERE to view the CLE materials presented to the Scottsdale Bar Association.
For many residents, the journey from idea to city ordinance is a black box. Mayor Borowsky pulled back the curtain to reveal the process.
“If it makes the agenda, it earned its way there,” Mayor Borowsky emphasized. “Someone championed it. Staff vetted it. Legal cleared it. The public saw it.”
In other words: Scottsdale’s laws aren’t rushed. They’re built.
Over the past year, Scottsdale passed three significant ordinances — each unanimously approved by the City Council and each illustrating how the municipality blends public input, legal rigor and on‑the‑ground solutions.
A look at keynote legal remedies at the city of Scottsdale
With high‑powered e‑bikes becoming the trend of choice for teenagers, Scottsdale saw a problem hurtling toward it — both figuratively and literally.
Ordinance 4680:
- Prohibits anyone under 16 from operating Class 3 e‑bikes on city property
- Requires electric motorcycles to follow state registration rules
- Forces retailers to give buyers clear safety information
- Requires permanent labels so officers can easily identify high‑speed bikes
Instead of waiting for injuries to rise, Scottsdale moved early, Mayor Borowsky points out.
“This ordinance focuses squarely on preventing youth injuries and promoting safe operation,” she said.
Scottsdale’s second legal update — Ordinance 4684 — looks simple on its face: it restricts standing on medians where traffic moves 30 mph or faster. But the story behind it is more nuanced.
Across Arizona, cities are grappling with both safety concerns and the wider issue of homelessness. The mayor made it clear: Scottsdale wants a balanced, humane response.
“We will help those in need,” she said, “but we will also protect the integrity of our neighborhoods and public spaces.”
The ordinance:
- Prohibits lingering on medians in higher‑speed areas
- Allows temporary use only while crossing legally
- Applies to all medians—paved, unpaved, landscaped
- Exempts police, emergency crews, and authorized workers
The result is a rule that targets dangerous behavior, not people. It’s safety‑first—without losing sight of compassion.
Perhaps the most striking of the year’s new ordinances is Ordinance 4689, a modern overhaul of Scottsdale’s 1990s‑era smoking rules. And its origins tell a story about youth engagement.
At City Hall, Scottsdale runs a Mayor’s Youth Council made up of high school students. One of those students, Sid Gupta from Desert Mountain High School, raised alarms about the explosive rise in teen vaping.
What started as a youth comment turned into a year‑long citywide policy update.
The ordinance:
- Redefines smoking to include all vaping and e‑devices
- Bans smoking and vaping in public places, workplaces, playgrounds, stadiums, pools, bus stops, and more
- Requires signage and the removal of ashtrays
- Establishes penalties for violations
Mayor Borowsky says this is municipal government at its best: a real community concern, raised by the generation most affected, becoming a modernized law that protects everyone’s health.
“This work came directly from our Youth Council,” she said. “And I could not be prouder of their efforts.”
When the Arizona Legislature takes the wheel: The Axon Compromise
Not every issue Scottsdale faced this year was within its control.
Mayor Borowsky devoted part of her presentation to explaining the now‑famous Axon compromise, a land‑use outcome shaped heavily by state legislation.
When the Arizona Legislature passed Senate Bill 1543 — nicknamed the “Axon Bill” — cities lost certain regulatory powers over large‑scale developments like the one Axon planned.
Litigation was possible, but risky and unlikely to reverse the growing legislative trend.
Rather than gamble taxpayer money on litigation with the potential for a costly and drawn-out process, Mayor Borowsky dealt directly with the company advocating for the best interests of Scottsdale residents to develop an outcome far better than previously offered.
Without her intervention, Axon could have built 1,900 or more apartments. The resulting deal capped the number at 600 apartments and 600 condos, with strong protection against converting those condos into apartments.
“Given the circumstances and the very possible risks of litigation, this compromise is the best deal available for Scottsdale and its citizens,” Mayor Borowsky said.
It’s a real‑world example of how state preemption affects local planning, forcing cities to get creative when traditional tools disappear and the need for local leadership to have foresight and focus.
“Scottsdale is recognized as one of the safest and best-managed communities in the country,” Mayor Borowsky said. “That’s no accident.”
