Scottsdale, Taser-maker OK headquarters deal after lengthy dispute

Article originally posted on AZ Central on November 19, 2025

Taser-maker Axon will build fewer apartments in north Scottsdale after reaching a deal with city leaders on Nov. 17, ending a monthslong dispute over its planned headquarters project.

Following an hours-long debate, the City Council narrowly approved the compromise that will keep Axon’s $1.3 billion corporate campus in Scottsdale and squash a local group’s referendum challenging the project.

“This creates finality on this issue,” Mayor Lisa Borowsky said of the new agreement with one of the city’s largest employers. “It moves the conversation to breaking ground and getting construction going.”

Instead of constructing roughly 1,900 multi-family units as initially planned, Axon will build an even mix of 1,200 apartments and condos as part of its new international headquarters near Loop 101 and Hayden Road.

In return, the Scottsdale council effectively voided the referendum by Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions. It also sidestepped threats to challenge the “Axon Law,” which protected the company’s project and invalidated the political action committee’s referendum.

TAAAZE is already suing the state, alleging that lawmakers violated Arizona’s constitution by giving Axon special treatment and restricting voters’ rights when they passed the spot law last spring.

The council’s decision follows weeks of debate over whether to join the group’s lawsuit. It also comes months after Axon initially offered to reduce the scope of the housing complex but backed away from negotiations because of what company officials called “political toxicity.”

Borowsky, along with Vice Mayor Adam Kwasman and Councilmembers Solange Whitehead and Maryann McAllen, approved the slate of agreements and proposals on Monday night to let the project proceed.

“We are very excited to move forward with our new headquarters,” Axon spokesperson David Leibowitz said in an emailed statement. “Our team will work harder than ever to deliver safe outcomes to public safety and communities alike.”

Councilmembers Jan Dubauskas, Barry Graham and Kathy Littlefield stood in opposition, as they’ve long supported the referendum and wanted to keep the city’s litigation options open.

Bob Littefield, a former council member and husband of Kathy Littlefield, is the founder of TAAAZE. After the council’s vote, he expressed disappointment with the decision but said he wasn’t surprised.

“I always said we need to let people vote on the issue. That didn’t happen,” he said, adding, “The council majority essentially gave away the farm on this one.”

What did Axon, Scottsdale agree to?

Axon is building a new corporate campus on 73 acres of land it owns in north Scottsdale.

The project includes the Taser manufacturer’s new headquarters, as well as a hotel, several restaurants, and now 1,200 apartments and condos — down from 1,882 multi-family units.

Under the new agreement, referred to as a memorandum of understanding, Axon will cap the number of apartments and condos at 600 each, and will designate 38 of the units as affordable.

The units will be built in two phases, starting with 500 apartments and 100 condos. The second phase will include the remaining 100 rentals and 500 condos.

Axon is also committed to building a real-time crime center for the police department, as well as a public dog park and a pedestrian and bike trail.

As for the city, the council agreed to repeal the original ordinance that approved the Axon project in late 2024. The move essentially negates TAAAZE’s referendum, as there’s now nothing for voters to challenge.

The council also agreed to pass a “third-party or self-certification” ordinance. Under that measure, the city will allow registered architects and professional engineers who don’t work with the city to issue Axon’s building permits and inspect its buildings.

The city and Axon, however, must both agree on those individuals.

“The benefit is that Axon has people it can rely upon and not be concerned with city delays or staff or concerns that the city might delay the project for some reason,” explained interim City Attorney Luis Santaella.

From a city standpoint, he added, it’ll relieve city staff, as “I understand we have heavy caseloads.”

What does this mean for TAAAZE’s lawsuit against ‘Axon Law’?

As part of the agreement, the city also said it won’t challenge Senate Bill 1543 — commonly referred to as the Axon Law.

That means Scottsdale leaders won’t join TAAAZE’s lawsuit by filing a cross-claim against the state.

The group, which is largely opposed to the recent slate of apartment developments around Scottsdale, objected to Axon’s project by collecting about 27,000 signatures to trigger a voter referendum.

Months after Gov. Katie Hobbs enacted the law, nullifying those signatures, Littlefield and TAAAZE sued the state.

In its complaint with the Maricopa County Superior Court, TAAAZE accused the state of violating Arizona’s constitution and restricting voters’ rights. It also named Scottsdale’s city manager and planning director as defendants.

Those officials are included, Littlefield explained, because TAAAZE is asking the court to block the city from issuing Axon’s construction permits.

For months, Scottsdale leaders also weighed whether to file a lawsuit against the state. They then debated whether to back TAAAZE’s case with a cross-claim or challenge the group with a cross-complaint.

Under the newly approved memorandum, however, the city can’t challenge the Axon Law as it could “materially impact” the agreement. The city can, however, defend itself against TAAAZE’s allegations.

How did we get here?

While negotiations between the city and Axon fell apart over the summer, Vice Mayor Kwasman was reportedly working behind the scenes to salvage a new deal.

Just before the weekend, the city scheduled a special meeting for Nov. 17 so the council could consider the proposed terms.

Coming into the meeting, however, Borowsky was ready to oppose the initial draft of the agreement, which set the total number of residential units at 1,500 — 750 apartments and 750 condos.

In a press release before the council met, Borowsky explained that Axon and TAAAZE’s financial backers, whom she didn’t name, reached a deal to lower the number of apartments to 500, so long as the group doesn’t seek another referendum.

“Unfortunately,” she stated, “the negotiations broke down, and no agreement has been reached.”

During the meeting, however, Axon President Josh Isner told the council that TAAAZE’s representatives reached back out earlier that morning to propose a new compromise: build 500 apartments now and 200 more in five years.

“They do not care about the election,” Isner said. “They are so panicked that we are going to beat them in court … they are willing to walk away from all of this over a 50-unit reduction. That’s what we proposed. We agree to do it.”

As that unfolded, Borowsky asked her colleagues to recess the meeting so they could discuss those new terms.

After a long delay, the council returned to the dais, where they debated over the agreement and eventually approved the 1,200-unit plan.

When asked about TAAAZE’s negotiations with Axon, Littlefield denied any involvement. While he didn’t know for certain, he said it was likely one of the group’s financial contributors who spoke with the company.

“I’ve always been under the idea that we don’t give them a single apartment until we address this referendum,” Littlefield said, adding, “they trashed the right of the referendum.”

As for the lawsuit, he said that’s TAAAZE’s only recourse now. Whether it proceeds, though, will be up to the rest of the group, he said.

“I’m going to have to talk to everybody tomorrow to see what the next step is,” he said the night of Nov 17. He added, “The only area in which we have an opportunity to do some good is reversing Senate Bill 1543. I have to see if there’s any appetite for moving on.”

The next court date set for the case is Jan. 16, when both sides are scheduled to give oral arguments.