Scottsdale residents file suit against state, city over 'Axon bill'

Scottsdale residents filed a lawsuit Friday to block Axon from building its new headquarters in the city. The suit is against both the state and the city to block a state law from going into effect.

Axon, which is best known for making tasers, wants to build a new headquarters in Scottsdale, complete with a hotel and hundreds of apartments.

But voters don’t want it. In fact, more than 25,000 Scottsdale residents signed on to a referendum to block the project. That’ll be on the ballot in 2026.

However, lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs disregarded that by passing a state law to allow the company to move forward with its project.

Now, a group of Scottsdale residents called Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions are taking the issue to court. TAAZE particularly opposes the residential building part of Axon’s plan.

Earlier this month, the Scottsdale City Council considered filing its own lawsuit against Axon, but didn’t go that far.

On Sep. 12, the council voted 6-1 to file a notice of claim, which is a step toward filing a lawsuit.

“Should we be the plaintiff? Should we wait and be the defendant? Should we wait and be a co-defendant?” Mayor Lisa Borowsky said at the time.

The way the Axon state law is written, it only really can apply to Scottsdale. TAAZE argues in the lawsuit that that language makes it clear that the bill isn’t meant to benefit the state, just about benefiting Axon.

TAAZE also pointed to the fact that Hobbs referred to the legislation as the “Axon bill” and held a signing ceremony for it at the company’s current headquarters.

TAAZE wants the Maricopa County Superior Court to issue an injunction stopping the law because they argue it’s written as a “special law,” which is prohibited under the state Constitution.