Axon Attempts an End-Run Around Scottsdale Voters (Opinion)
Axon Enterprises, Inc.
Axon, a prominent technology company, was founded by Rick Smith in 1993 in Scottsdale as Taser International and subsequently became Axon Enterprises, Inc.
They produce equipment for Law Enforcement, Corrections, Federal Agencies, and the US Military — including tasers, body-worn cameras, cloud-based software, drones, and virtual reality (VR) training.
2024 Total Revenue = $2.1 Billion
March 2025 Market Capitalization = $40 Billion
Axon’s Proposed Apartment Complex
In August 2023, Axon proposed a new headquarters for its company and a 2,500-unit apartment complex—primarily for Axon employees but not exclusively.
The proposed apartment complex was revised to 1,975 units during a planning commission meeting on January 24th, 2024, and amended the following month to 1,900 units.
And finally, the lame-duck Scottsdale City Council members approved the 1,900-unit project on November 19th, 2024, a mere 57 days before the new councilmembers and mayor started their terms, creating a new conservative supermajority within the Scottsdale City Council.
In response to the apartment complex being rushed through, a community action group called Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions (TAAAZE) was formed to fight against Axon’s apartment complex.
More than required, they gathered over 26,000 Scottsdale signatures in December 2024 for a Referendum allowing voters to decide whether to approve the 1,900-unit apartment complex, which was certified for the November 2026 ballot.
Source: TAAAZE Scottsdale
Josh Isner Appears on Fox Business
Axon President Josh Isner appeared on Fox Business on March 3, 2025, to discuss his company’s challenges regarding its proposed apartment complex and headquarters expansion in Scottsdale, Arizona. During the segment on Varney & Co., Mr. Isner described what he called a “crazy situation” preventing Axon from moving forward with the project
Mr. Isner stated, “There is a representative in Arizona named Joseph Chaplik. He represents Scottsdale, Axon is based in Scottsdale. This representative is dead set against our campus because it has apartments for employee housing. Now Stuart, do you want to take one guess as to what Joseph Chaplik does in his full time outside of politics? He is an apartment broker, Stuart. You can’t make this stuff up. But uh, it’s a really sad situation and we want to be in Arizona, that is where the company was built, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem that Arizona doesn’t want us anymore.”
Instead of attempting to resolve the issues facing Scottsdale and Axon, Josh Isner, Axon’s President, appeared on Varney & Co. on Fox Business to badmouth Rep. Joseph Chaplik for agreeing with his LD-3 constituents—who spoke out against the apartment complex and wished to vote on it with the Referendum.
AZ Legislature Route
In early 2025, Arizona politicians submitted proposed legislation (SB 1352 & HB 2925) that would retroactively eliminate Scottsdale’s Referendum, allowing only legislative bodies like city councils, not voters, to decide on rezoning applications.
State Representative Michael Carbone (R) sponsored HB 2925, and State Senator David Gowan (R) sponsored SB 1352.
Essentially, if a new water tower were being built behind your home in the greenbelt—you could be powerless to stop construction.
These bills have been stalled in the Arizona Legislature for the past month due to considerable pushback.
Town Hall
In response to a community town hall on March 12th, 2025, set by former State Senator Michele Ugenti-Rita and community activist Susan Wood, Axon sent two lower-level employees unfamiliar with the situation who provided no further insights or clarifications.
During the meeting, the first Axon employee informed the crowd that Scottsdale is not a tech city and that moving to Scottsdale is scary.
The residents attending the meeting were not impressed.
Water Supply
Another issue to consider is that new apartment complexes in Arizona do not require a 100-year water supply—new single-family (SFR) homes and multi-family residential (MFR) condominiums do.
Arizona is experiencing an exceptional 100-year drought and building residential properties without a guaranteed water supply is dangerous and irresponsible.
Food for Thought
🚫Axon worked with the Lame-Duck Scottsdale City Council to sneak in the apartment complex.
🚫Axon sent lobbyists to advocate for Arizona Senate Bill 1352 (SB 1352) and House Bill 2925 (HB 2925), these bills remove Arizona residents’ ability to vote on rezoning issues with a Referendum.
🚫Axon sent low-level employees ill-informed of the situation to a community town hall event, proving upper management is too busy to speak with Scottsdale residents.
🚫Axon’s President insulted Rep. Joseph Chaplik and Scottsdale voters on Fox Business during an episode of Varney & Co.
🚫Axon’s proposed 1,900-unit apartment complex does not have a 100-year water supply guarantee in a desert during an exceptional, historic 100-year drought.
Lingering Questions and the Community
Do Scottsdale residents want corporations to determine zoning laws, height requirements, and density?
Do Scottsdale residents desire more traffic and congestion on Loop 101?
Do Scottsdale residents want more properties without a 100-year water supply?
To reach a middle-ground, Axon needs to seriously engage with the residents of Scottsdale and work directly with the community; ultimatums and bully tactics never work.
Version: 1.1
Thoughts? Errors or omissions? K. Brett Boswell can be reached by email at [email protected]
K. Brett Boswell, MBA
K. Brett Boswell is an investigative journalist & C.E.O. for Page 38 News
Email: [email protected]
X: @theBoz46