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Scottsdale council denies Old Town marketing contract after debate over budget split and redactions
Summary
After hours of public comment and council questioning about redactions, media‑buy allocations, and procurement oversight, Scottsdale council voted to deny the resolution awarding the Old Town marketing contract to The James Agency, citing concerns about transparency and the share of funds going to agency fees versus advertising.
ScottsdaleCity Council on Dec. 2 denied a resolution to award a $1.3 million Old Town advertising, marketing and public relations contract to The James Agency after extended public comment and a contentious council debate.
City economic development staff presented the selection process and explained that the James Agency won an RFP informed by a KEANE engagement study of Old Town merchants. Rachel Smetana, economic development, said the contract would start with an audit, stakeholder meetings and a public dashboard of performance metrics. "We folded [the KEANE] recommendations into the RFP," she said, describing an emphasis on local business engagement and measurable KPIs.
Merchants and residents who testified at the meeting praised the idea of a new vendor but raised sharp concerns about the contract packet. French…
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