Tom Giller, the leader of a referendum effort that suffered a fatal court blow last week, formed a committee Monday to run for City Council.
Court shoots down Scottsdale height referendum
Giller said he is running as a result of a Maricopa County Superior Court judge's decision on Friday to throw out the signatures that had forced a vote on the downtown Hanover apartment and retail building because of an improperly formed political committee.
Giller becomes the ninth City Council candidate to form a political committee, which allows for the gathering of signatures and fundraising leading up to the Sept. 2 election.
That includes newcomer Oren Davis, who filed his committee on Thursday. Davis, unlike Giller, supports development in downtown Scottsdale and has praised projects such as Scottsdale Waterfront and Camelview.
Giller said as a candidate he will learn about different areas of concern beyond fighting increased height and density downtown.
"I have a background in real estate, which is helpful because a lot of the issues in Scottsdale today are related to development and growth," Giller said.
Giller, 54, has lived in Scottsdale for 25 years. He owns Alamos Management Resources, a property management company.
Davis, 54, said he was encouraged by Councilman Jim Lane - who is challenging Mayor Mary Manross in September for the city's top post - and Paul Messinger to run for council.
"I am pro-growth but would also like to maintain the character of Scottsdale," Davis said.
Davis also said he'd like to see more transparency in government and more communication between developers and residents with hopes of avoiding another issue like Hanover.
In the Sept. 2 election, council members Betty Drake and Ron McCullagh are seeking re-election. Challengers who have formed a political committee in addition to Davis and Giller include Lisa Borowsky, Joel Bramoweth, Suzanne Klapp, Richard Mueller and Nan Nesvig.
Candidates must turn in at least 1,652 signatures by June 4 to qualify for the Sept. 2 ballot.
