Tempe businessman Brett Scott is the latest person to throw his hat into the political ring, announcing candidacy for one of the three Tempe City Council seats up for grabs in the March 12 primary.
Scott, the owner of a fastener supply service, is the fourth person to officially announce his intention to run for one of the three open seats. Vice Mayor Ben Arredondo, Councilman Len Copple and former mayoral candidate Gene Ganssle have also announced their intentions to run.
Scott’s campaign will focus on financial issues affecting Tempe, specifically the vulnerability of the city’s revenue base in the midst of a recession and tax waivers given to large corporations as incentives to locate in Tempe.
“The two major sources of funding for the city are sales tax and water bills. As an economic mix, any city that counts so heavily on consumptive taxes is placing itself at the direct whim of the economy,” Scott said.
Scott, 31, a Republican, is originally from Tucson and moved to Tempe in 1997. He and his wife Jennifer have been married for two years and have a 1-year-old son, Andrew.
His mother, Shirley Scott, is active in Tucson politics and has been a city councilwoman
Scott’s Supply Service is based in Tucson and has operated for 27 years. Scott owns the family business, heading the research and development department.
He also designs and builds software programs on the Internet for other companies based on technology exclusive to his company.
Scott is currently a board member of his homeowner’s association, the Camelot Village Neighborhood Association. He served as president of the association from 1997 to 2000.
Scott is a member of the “Wildest Club in Town,” a funding organization for the Phoenix Zoo. He is also a board member of East Valley Habitat for Humanity.
Reach Victor Allen at victordallen@cs.com.
