Arizona mayor holds back restoring water to residents

PHOENIX, Ariz. (CNN, KYMA/KECY) - Hundreds of people in the Phoenix area have been without water service for six months.

A new bill aims to fix that, but the mayor of Scottsdale, nearby Phoenix, could be an obstacle.

Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega likes to say that water isn't a compassion game.

"Oh my gosh, cliche, the house is on fire," Ortega said.

So Ortega isn't swayed by the urgent needs of a neighboring desert community whose water service he cut off six months ago.

"We cannot afford the luxury of treating water as an emotional issue," Ortega spoke.

Margin of error

Ortega has demonstrated repeatedly that Rio Verde Foothills' lack of water isn't the City of Scottsdale's problem.

"The margin for error in this drought stricken state is very slim," Ortega detailed.

Ortega confirmed he blocked a city water manager's plan last fall that would have allowed a private water supplier, EPCOR, to provide water to the Foothills through Scottsdale's pipes at no cost to Scottsdale.

That plan likely would have averted a cutoff.

Letter to executives

In a May 16 letter to EPCOR's executives, Ortega said he wanted nothing to do with Rio Verde Foothills.

In the letter, obtained by 12 News through a public records request, Ortega said: "The purpose of this letter is to affirm that the City of Scottsdale has no authority, no responsibility, no interest whatsoever, in the unincorporated county areas abutting Scottsdale."

"Ultimately, our water system is not at the disposal of entities, dummy corporations," Ortega remarked.

And Ortega has opposed legislation at the capitol to restore service.

That includes a bill just one vote away from passage.

"So there's all sorts of flaws and complications for this," Ortega stated.

Koldodin's response

The mayor has accused the bill's sponsor, Republican lawmaker Alex Koldodin, of betraying Scottsdale residents.

"He is the mayor, of course. He's entitled to speak. But if I had my preference, he'd let us solve the problem," Koldodin commented.

Kolodin's a Scottsdale resident himself, who's been working on complex bill to restore water service.

Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs has endorsed it.

"I have a duty and obligation to the voters of my district and what I'm trying to do for the voters of my district is get them water," Koldodin declared.

Final vote

But like any Rio Verde solution, the bill isn't a sure thing.

Kolodin wouldn't speculate on how soon the bill could come to a final vote.

"I would say that's a question I'm not going to answer right now," Koldodin added.