<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2yqIJF_1H0QCGZW00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2yqIJF_1H0QCGZW00" width="1262" height="947" ><figcaption>Unofficial results show Cave Creek voters approving a proposition to preserve thousands of acres.&nbsp; (File photo)</figcaption></figure>On Nov. 3, while much of the state and country experienced a Democratic “blue wave,” Cave Creek was surfing what can be called a “green wave.”Proposition 440 asked Cave Creek voters if they want to preserve thousands of acres of pristine Foothills land.The unofficial decision:“Keep it green.”Though the vote has not been finalized, ballot releases from Maricopa County Elections Department showed nearly two-thirds approval for the Cave Creek measure.Proposition 440 is a proposed sales tax increase that would fund the purchase of more than 4,000 acres of state trust land.This proposal covers a dozen lots ranging from 20 to 660 acres staggered throughout the Foothills, stretching far east of the town through Desert Hills toward New River.Lobbying for the measure, Terry Moseley Webb of the Facebook page Cave Creek Society called Proposition 440 “a win/win in protecting land located within our town.”She reckons the 0.025% tax for “Open Space Land Acquisition”“equals 1 cent on every $4 spent … used exclusively towards acquiring State Trust Land for Open Space …”If approved, the tax increase would go into effect Jan. 1 – and remain for 25 years, or until “sufficient funds have been collected to provide for the obligations” of the state land purchase.Meanwhile, in the Cave Creek Unified School District Governing Board race, Scott Brown was leading the way, with 40%, followed by Marla Riney, 37.5%. Sucheta Shah was a distant third, 22.4%.With two seats open, Brown and Riney look like they are in; Shah would be out.CCUSD voters also were overwhelmingly approving a request by the district to “sell, lease or exchange real property.” Nearly three-fourths of voters gave CCUSD the thumbs up.CarefreeIn the July primary, Carefree voters reelected Mayor John Crane with a whopping 70% of the votes over challenger D. Melissa Price.Carefree also had three town council seats on the primary ballot. Incumbent Sheila Amoroso (25%) and Les Hardie (23%) had enough votes for an “outright win.”As Carefree’s election site notes, “Because only two candidates received the statutory majority required for election to the three available Town Council seats, one council seat remains to be filled.”Carefree voters’ Nov. 3 ballots featured a runoff between Sharon P. Smith and Ted Taylor.Unofficial results showed Smith comfortably ahead with 52% of the votes.DVUSDThe Deer Valley Unified School District Governing Board has five seats, with two up for election on Nov. 3 ballots.Karen Pack, Kimberly Fisher and Steve Bottfeld were elected in 2024, with terms expiring at the end of 2028.Stephanie Simacek and Paul Carver Jr. were elected in 2022, began serving in 2023 and have terms expiring at the end of this year.Simacek is not on the Nov. 3 ballot.Carver, David Alvarado, Kristi Cooper and Julie Stockwell were battling for the two DVUSD board seats.Early voting showed Cooper ahead, with 29.4%, followed closely by Carver, 28.46%, and Stockwell, 27.36%. Alvarado was a distant fourth, 14.78%.SUSDUnofficial election results show former teacher/administrator Jennifer Johnson and incumbent Amy Carney had strong leads in the race for two Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board seats.The Nov. 3 ballot also featured a big bond request by SUSD – as well as races for Scottsdale residents’ state representative.On the SUSD board, Carney and Carine Werner have terms expiring at the end of this year; over four years, the two have often been on the losing end of 3-2 votes.Werner did not run for school board reelection; she focused on defending her state senator of District 4 position.Carney did run and appears to be heading to reelection.As of mid-day Nov. 5, the Maricopa County Elections Department reported Johnson in first place, with 43,315 votes (37.51%).Carney was second with 37,745 votes (32.69%).Jeanne Beasley, the third candidate, was trailing with 34,402 votes (29.8%). This looks to be a repeat of 2024, when Beasley, a paralegal, also failed in her bid for the board.SUSD’s $375 million bond request looked to be passing after several ballot-count releases.On Nov. 5, 49,230 votes (54.35%) in favor of the bond had been counted, what looked to be a comfortable lead over the 41,343 votes (45.65%) against it.According to SUSD, “The proposed bond program includes investments in:• Learning environment improvements;• Technology enhancements;• Site lifecycle renovations;• School safety and security;• Transportation;• Administrative capital improvements.Also on May 12, the board approved asking voters to “authorize the Scottsdale Unified School District No. 48 Governing Board to sell, lease or exchange all or part of the described parcels of realproperty and use all or a portion of any such proceeds forany permitted capital expenditure.”That request appeared to be sailing to victory, with Nov. 5 results showing 69% in favor.State battlesAnthem, Cave Creek, Carefree, Scottsdale and other voters helped decide on various state battles.In the secretary of state race, incumbent Adrian Fontes was far ahead of Scottsdale Republican Alexander Kolodin, who represents Legislative District 3.Arizona District 3 includes Anthem, Cave Creek, Carefree and North Scottsdale.In the battle for two Arizona House of Representatives District 3 seats, early results showed Democrats Julie Gable and Richard Spargo trailing two Republicans with strong Scottsdale ties, George Khalaf and Cody Reim.Khalaf is a Scottsdale resident who runs First Day Public Relations. He ran on an unofficial ticket with Reim, who battled then-Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega over water for Reim’s Rio Verde Foothills. Reim was appointed when Chaplik resigned from LD3 to run for a U.S. House of Representatives seat in Arizona's 1st Congressional District.In the race for Arizona State Senate District 3, incumbent Republican John Kavanagh had a huge early lead over Jeff Fortney, a Democrat; both live in Fountain Hills.Arizona District 4 includes much of Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.LD4’s senator since 2024 is Werner – the aforementioned member of the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board.Early results showed Werner far behind Aaron Lieberman, a Paradise Valley Democrat. Lieberman is a former state representative who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2022.Tammy Caputi, who failed in a Scottsdale City Council reelection bid in 2024, is running again – for an Arizona House of Representatives Legislative District 4 seat. Early returns showed Caputi and fellow Democrat Karen Gresham ahead in their bid to unseat Republican incumbents Matt Gress and Pamela Carter.Carter was trounced by Barry Graham in a Scottsdale City Council in 2022 before landing a state seat two years later.</div></body>

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On Nov. 3, while much of the state and country experienced a Democratic “blue wave,” Cave Creek was surfing what can be called a “green wave.”. Proposition 440 asked Cave Creek voters if they want to preserve thousands of acres of pristine Foothills land. The unofficial decision:

‘Green wave’ in Cave Creek election

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On Nov. 3, while much of the state and country experienced a Democratic “blue wave,” Cave Creek was surfing what can be called a “green wave.”. Proposition

‘Green wave’ in Cave Creek election

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