By Parker Leavitt | The Republic
Scottsdale’s controversial plan to build a multimillion-dollar desert attraction in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve weighed on the minds — and ballots — of many voters who live closest to the site, but it did not have the same effect citywide, final election tallies show.
Official results released by the city provide a deeper look at neighborhood-level data from the Nov. 8 City Council election, which featured two candidates for mayor and four candidates for three at-large Council seats.
The Desert Discovery Center, planned next to the Gateway Trailhead near the McDowell Mountains, was among the most-debated issues during the campaign, and many saw the election partially as a referendum on the project.
Election Day brought mixed results for DDC foes. Outspoken critic Bob Littlefield lost his bid for mayor in all but one of Scottsdale’s 53 precincts, according to final results. But voters re-elected incumbent Councilman Guy Phillips, another DDC opponent.
Related: Scottsdale enhances McDowell Sonoran Preserve Master Resource Management Plan
Numbers show public safety costs exceed value of Scottsdale entertainment district
