Scottsdale Arizona

Mayor Mary Manross Files for Re-Election With Record Number of Signatures

Mayor Mary Manross filed 3291 nomination petition signatures with the Scottsdale City Clerk on June 4, 2008.  This is double the number of required signatures and the most ever for a Scottsdale Mayoral candidate.  Manross said:  “I want to thank each and every member of our large team of enthusiastic volunteers who made this possible.  We will build on this momentum and focus on bringing home another big victory in November.

The Mayor is running for her third term with an impressive record of revitalization, preservation, new job creation and quality of life improvements in Scottsdale.  She recently announced key endorsements from community leaders: Dr. Art DeCabooter, Jamie Drinkwater Buchanan, Ellen Andres-Schneider, Jim Bruner and Virginia Korte who represent a true cross section of Scottsdale residents, business leaders, educators, preservationists, and supporters of the arts.

In a written statement Manross said:

“It has been an honor to serve as your Mayor for 8 years, along with another 8 years on the Council.  The clouds of uncertainty which hung over our city when I took office have been lifted.  It really is a bright new day in Scottsdale!

Today there is an all-time record $3.3 billion dollars of new private and public investment in downtown and southern Scottsdale where much needed revitalization is in full swing.  Our budget is balanced and it is going to stay that way.  Scottsdale’s AAA bond rating was, once again, reaffirmed in spite of a national recession.  For 10 straight years I have voted to reduce our property tax rate which has dropped from $1.57 in 1998 to $.79 today.  Scottsdale’s rate is less than half of neighboring Phoenix.

We have increased the number of Police Officers by 33% since I took office in 2000 and we are better off for it.  Violent crime in Scottsdale is at a 23 year low!  The 101 is also safer due to the leadership demonstrated by implementing photo enforcement on the freeway.

SkySong, the ASU/Scottsdale Center for Innovation, is effectively putting Southern Scottsdale on the global map and bringing $750 million of new investment along the McDowell Corridor.  The Waterfront and South Bridge are bringing new vitality to downtown.  Throughout our community, we have created over 20,000 new high quality jobs.

Our commitment to completing the McDowell Sonoran Preserve has never been stronger and we will soon be constructing the all important Preserve Gateway.  I have been a strong advocate for open space and as a councilwoman, voted to put the “Save our McDowells” initiative on the ballot.  In 1996 I officially proposed expanding the Preserve to include our beautiful Sonoran Desert, preserving 1/3 of our city as natural open space!  It is also critically important to our tourism industry, which along with the arts, really defines Scottsdale and demands that we maintain a high level of services.

I will continue to champion the Arts, revitalization, tourism, attraction of high quality, high wage jobs to position us in the global economy, continued investment in vital infrastructure, and completion of our Preserve to ensure that Scottsdale remains a city we all are proud to call home.

Under my leadership Scottsdale is Stronger, More Confident, and one of the Most Desirable places to live in America.  Let’s keep it that way!  Join with me, as together, we continue to build Scottsdale’s sustainable future and wonderful quality of life for your family and mine.