What Powers Do Scottsdale Mayor And City Council Have To Remove A Sitting Council Member?

Press release from the City of Scottsdale:

June 28, 2020

The City Council does not have the authority to remove a council member from office unless that person is convicted of a crime involving "moral turpitude” (Scottsdale City Charter Article 2, Section 4). “Moral turpitude” is a term applied generally to felonies like murder, child abuse, fraud and theft.

The power to select, retain or remove City Council members lies with the voters of Scottsdale through the election and recall process.

Each City Council member must be elected (or re-elected) during the primary and general election process that occurs in even numbered years.

The process to recall an elected member outside of the regular election process is governed by Arizona State Statute Title 19, Chapter 2.

This press release was produced by the City of Scottsdale. The views expressed here are the author’s own.