For more than a year, north Scottsdale residents have tried to block Axon, a law enforcement company best known for making Tasers and body cameras, from opening its headquarters near Loop 101 and Hayden Road. The company says the $1.3 billion campus would bring jobs and economic growth, while residents have raised concerns about local traffic, congestion, and state interference in local zoning.
In December 2024, opponents with Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions (TAAAZE), led by former City Councilmember Bob Littlefield, said they submitted more than 27,000 signatures to put the zoning change on the ballot.
Shortly after, Axon announced it would halt construction and look for a new location elsewhere in the country — but that search didn’t last long. Axon lobbyists persuaded Arizona state lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 1543 — also known as ‘Axon Law’ — which let the company override municipal zoning processes and move forward with construction.
The legislation passed both chambers and was later signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs, canceling a scheduled ballot vote and blocking residents from challenging the zoning decision.
TAAAZE filed a lawsuit in September 2025 against the state of Arizona and city of Scottsdale, alleging the law violates the Arizona Constitution, which allows residents to challenge the government via ballot resolutions. The 20-page-complaint alleged the state gave Axon special treatment at the expense of voters’ rights.
After months of negotiations and controversy, the Scottsdale City Council voted in November 2025 to move forward with the headquarters expansion project, permitting Axon to build a 74-acre international headquarters near Loop 101. Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky cast the tiebreaking vote, after a 40-minute recess in which Axon agreed to cut the residential units from 1,900 to 600 apartment units and 600 condos. It passed 4-3.
The fight continues
Critics called it a “betrayal” to Scottsdale voters, and TAAAZE vowed to keep up the pressure against the company, moving forward with the lawsuit. But in May, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Herrod ruled against TAAAZE, finding the law was constitutional. Herrod paused his own ruling, however, blocking Scottsdale from issuing building permits to Axon while TAAAZE decides whether to appeal.
The group announced June 1 it will appeal. TAAAZE also has a second, separate lawsuit — challenging the memorandum of understanding the city struck with Axon — with a hearing scheduled for June 5.
“While this result is disappointing, we are considering our options for appealing this bad decision,” Littlefield said in a post on X.
Axon did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. The City of Scottsdale had no comment.
In a statement released June 1, Littlefield said: “If the Axon Bill can trample on the rights of Scottsdale voters, then no city is safe from bad zoning decisions. There is nothing appealing about the way Axon has bullied this community to get what it wants. That’s why we will file this appeal to protect the rights of ALL Arizona voters.”
