In this episode of the Better Together Arizona podcast, ONE Community President and Co-Founder, Angela Hughey is joined by Scottsdale Councilwoman Solange Whitehead. Ms. Whitehead began her journey on the Scottsdale City Council in January 2023. 

On February 11, 2025, the Scottsdale City Council voted to end the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and “require” merit-based hiring practices. 

Angela and Solange come together to talk about the repercussions of removing this important office and opportunities to find solutions moving forward. 

The City of Scottsdale  Office of Diversity had been in place since 1998 with a mission of bringing people together and reducing bias from both sides of the aisle. The Office was also responsible for managing complaints from City residents and visitors regarding the Scottsdale nondiscrimination ordinance.  

Requiring “merit-based” hiring practices was arguably the primary justification for the Council’s vote. According to Whitehead: “The City of Scottsdale does and always has made hiring decisions based on merit and anyone currently living in Scottsdale can see the benefits of merit-based hiring.”  The ordinance, which “was concocted behind closed doors,” changes nothing regarding actual hiring practices in the City of Scottsdale.