Leading up to the December 2 Scottsdale City Council meeting, Mayor Lisa Borowsky’s office received a large number of emails from residents concerned about possible changes to public comment at council meetings.
Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas responded to one resident, stating, “Like you, I value public comment and won’t vote to reduce it.” Along with Councilmembers Barry Graham and Kathy Littlefield, Dubauskas had previously assured constituents that they would not support reducing public comment opportunities. However, these members later supported a measure that moved the public comment period to the end of council meetings.
Mayor Borowsky pointed out that under this new arrangement, speakers could have been required to wait until as late as 10 p.m. to address the council. She criticized what she described as a tactic of increasing the number of speakers while making it more difficult for all participants to speak in a timely manner.
Councilman Barry Graham explained the change in an email: “Just to clarify: we expanded total speakers from 10 to 15. There is no attempt to ‘control’ anything — we fully respect the presiding officer’s authority and remain committed to robust public input.”
Mayor Borowsky expressed concern over these developments and referenced a recent survey indicating that 79% of Scottsdale voters feel the council does not listen to residents. She noted her own efforts during her first year as mayor, including holding two Town Halls aimed at engaging with residents on issues important to them.
Looking ahead, Mayor Borowsky announced plans for 2026: she intends to use her authority under the City Charter to hold special council meetings where residents can interact directly with their elected officials in a format similar to question time in the British House of Commons. She emphasized that this process cannot be altered by the City Council majority.
