Goldwater Institute sues Scottsdale again over parks funding

For a second time, the Goldwater Institute is suing the City of Scottsdale over a ballot proposition designed to pay for maintenance, personnel and capital improvements at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, the city’s 44 parks and WestWorld.

The institute has filed a suit in Maricopa County Superior Court on behalf of its clients Robert Stamper and Gretchen Jacobs against the city for trying to enact ballot Proposition 490 without a 60% approval rating at the polls.

The proposition created a new 0.15% sales tax which is expected to raise $1.2 billion over its 30 year life span. It replaces a 0.2 % sales tax scheduled to expire on the last day of this month.

The proposition was passed by Scottsdale voters in November 2024 with a 58.25% approval rating. In raw numbers, that was 82,032 voters