Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions, or TAAAZE, is praising the Scottsdale City Council’s decision to join its fight against a billion dollar company and its CEO who lobbied lawmakers and Governor Hobbs to pass legislation that would nullify an upcoming Scottsdale election on a 1,900-unit apartment complex and cancel the voting rights of Arizonans across the state.
On May 6th, the Scottsdale City Council voted to spend up to $100,000 to challenge the new state law.
TAAAZE Chairman and former Scottsdale City Councilman Bob Littlefield said, “Thankfully some but not all of the Scottsdale City Council has decided to stand up to Axon and stand with the people. Welcome to the fight. CEO Rick Smith is willing to upend voting rights in Scottsdale and around the state to get what he wants. So much for his hometown hero façade. And now his hometown has had enough.”
In December 2024 TAAAZE handed in more than 27,000 signatures to call for an election on Axon’s plan to build 1,900 apartments at Hayden and the 101. Axon and CEO Rick Smith lobbied lawmakers and the Governor to pass special legislation that nullifies the election scheduled for November 2026.