Ugenti-Rita Slams Senator Carroll’s ‘Axon Rezoning Bill’

Former State Legislator and realtor Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R) delivered a blistering critique of the strike-everything (striker) amendment Senate Bill 1543 during testimony this week, accusing lawmakers of helping Axon Enterprise sidestep Scottsdale voters and override local control.

“This is a bill designed to obliterate the right of Scottsdale residents to weigh in on their government,” Ugenti-Rita said, arguing the legislation has nothing to do with economic development or job creation and everything to do with one person’s ambition.

Axon Enterprise is known for building tasers and other weapons systems and for providing training to the military and law enforcement. After purchasing land in north Scottsdale in 2020, the company proposed a sprawling 70-acre campus with a global headquarters, manufacturing facilities, retail space, a hotel, and nearly 1,900 apartment units. While the lame-duck City Council initially approved the rezoning, Scottsdale residents gathered over 26,000 signatures, successfully meeting the threshold to place the matter on the November 2026 ballot.

However, instead of allowing the voters to have their say, Axon’s leadership went directly to the Arizona Legislature. SB1543 would bypass that referendum by allowing cities of a specific size to approve housing in light industrial zones—no public hearing required.

“This isn’t about jobs. It’s about a CEO who doesn’t want to face the voters. He bought land, ran a plan through a lame-duck council, and now that the citizens pushed back, he’s taking his ball to the state Capitol,” Ugenti-Rita said.

She emphasized that they wouldn’t need a backdoor legislative bill if the project were truly popular and beneficial: “If what he was selling was so great, he wouldn’t need to rig the rules. This bill doesn’t just greenlight apartments—it redefines what a ‘no’ vote even means in a referendum.”

Ugenti-Rita called the legislative maneuver a direct attack on Scottsdale’s sovereignty. “This fight belongs within the boundaries of Scottsdale, not in a statewide power grab. It’s beneath this chamber.”

She expressed sympathy for Axon employees caught in the political crossfire but was clear: “This is not about you. This is about political gamesmanship and a dangerous precedent.”

When asked whether any compromise—such as a higher percentage of employee housing—could salvage the bill, Ugenti-Rita said stakeholders would have to come to the table in good faith. “We’re always willing to negotiate,” she said, adding that the mayor has tried unsuccessfully to engage Axon directly.

Ugenti-Rita also pointed out that several large apartment complexes are already in the vicinity of the proposed site, calling into question the necessity of more units.

As the bill quickly advances in the Legislature, Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky didn’t hold back at her recent press conference. She called on residents to speak up and contact every state lawmaker about Senate Bill SB1543. She said, “let them know, you do not appreciate the legislator trying to undermine and circumvent the rights of your city council to zone and plan our community.”

Watch Mayor Borowsky’s press conference here: