Bob Littlefield

Robert W. "Bob" Littlefield was a Scottsdale, Arizona city councilman. Littlefield served out the three-term city charter-mandated[1] limit at the beginning of 2015.[2]

Personal life

Littlefield's wife Kathy ran for and won a seat on the Scottsdale city council in 2014.[3][4]

Business and community involvement

Bob Littlefield is the founder and president of NetXpert Systems, Inc.,[5] a Scottsdale-based computer company. He also is a commercial pilot and flight instructor, specializing in "glass cockpit" (electronic flight instrument system) transition training. His book Glass Cockpit Flying[6] is aimed at enhancing safety and proficiency for what the FAA calls "Technically Advanced Airplanes" (TAAs).[7][8][9]

Littlefield's corporate career spanned 17 years as an engineer, sales executive, sales manager, and general manager for Prime Computer, DataPhaz, Apollo, and Hewlett-Packard. He was a director of the Arizona Software & Internet Association (now part of the Arizona Technology Council).[10]

Littlefield is a member of the American Legion, the Kiwanis, the Arizona Pilot's Association, the Arizona Business Aviation Association, and Civitan International.[11] Still an active youth soccer referee, Littlefield served 11 years on the board of the Arcadia Scottsdale United Soccer Club "Blackhawks" (now Scottsdale Soccer). He spent 20 years as a youth soccer and baseball coach.[12]

Political career

Running on a platform of protecting suburban neighborhoods and rural areas from gentrification, Littlefield won his seat on the Scottsdale City Council in November 2002, and was reelected to his second term in 2006.[13] Littlefield was reelected again to his third term in 2010. He was in a virtual tie for the most votes in that election.[14]

In 2010, the Arizona Republic reported that in his eight years on the City Council, Littlefield had "challenged popular development projects, stood behind a city-run fire department and supported the Foothills Overlay and scenic corridors."[15] In 2014, Littlefield was strongly opposed to a nine-point economic-development action plan for the City of Scottsdale. Among other objections, Littlefield said the plan was "drowning in buzzwords" and opposed a proposal to add marketing to the list of duties of the city economic development department.[16] Littlefield was firmly opposed to the city's hospitality trolley, "which carries riders to some of the city's most popular destinations during tourist season," saying in 2014: "It didn't work, it cost a ton of money and it's time to put a stake through the heart and end it."[17]

Littlefield and council allies Tony Nelssen and Guy Phillips frequently sparred with Lane and the council majority over budget deficits, municipal debt, and inadequate funding for the city's capital projects and maintenance.[18][19][20]

During his time on the city council, Littlefield served as:[21]

  • Chairman of Scottsdale's Council Subcommittee on Water Issues
  • Member of Scottsdale's Audit Committee
  • Member of Scottsdale's WestWorld Council Subcommittee
  • Chairman of Scottsdale's City Council Budget Subcommittee, 2004 and 2006
  • Chairman of Scottsdale's Council Subcommittee on Regional Aviation Issues, 2005
  • Scottsdale's representative to the Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA, aka Valley Metro)
  • Member of the Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA) Board of Directors' Budget and Finance Subcommittee
  • Scottsdale's representative to the Papago Park Executive Committee
  • Member of the Arizona Governor's Advisory Council on Aviation
  • Scottsdale's representative to the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Regional Aviation System Plan Policy Committee

The influx of significant dark money-funded attack ads resulting from the US Supreme Court's Citizens United decision thwarted Littlefield's 2014 bid for a Legislative District 23 seat in the Arizona House of Representatives.[22][23]

In 2016, Littlefield ran for Mayor against incumbent Jim Lane, who was running for a third term. Littlefield lost the election decisively, losing to Lane 35 - 65 percent, and winning in only 1 of Scottsdale's 53 precincts. [24]

References

  1. ^ "Scottsdale City Charter". City of Scottsdale Arizona. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Scottsdale Councilman Littlefield to run for state House". The Arizona Republic. January 24, 2014.
  3. ^ "Littlefields: It is possible for Scottsdale to live within means". The Arizona Republic. May 30, 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  4. ^ "Milhaven, Smith, Littlefield win Scottsdale council seats". The Arizona Republic. November 12, 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  5. ^ "NetExperts". Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  6. ^ Littlefield, Robert (23 March 2010). Glass Cockpit Flying. ISBN 978-1451594614.
  7. ^ "General aviation technically advanced aircraft" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  8. ^ Goyer, Robert (December 1, 2003). "Are Technically Advanced Airplanes a Handful?". Flying Magazine. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  9. ^ Sheridan, John (October 12, 2006). "FAA and industry create training program for technically advanced, owner-flown aircraft". AIN Online. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  10. ^ "City of Scottsdale FY 2012/13 Adopted Budget, Operating Budget, Volume One" (PDF). City of Scottsdale Arizona. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  11. ^ "City of Scottsdale FY 2012/13 Adopted Budget, Operating Budget, Volume One" (PDF). City of Scottsdale Arizona. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 16, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  12. ^ "City of Scottsdale FY 2012/13 Adopted Budget, Operating Budget, Volume One" (PDF). City of Scottsdale Arizona. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 16, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  13. ^ "Councilman Bob Littlefield". City of Scottsdale Arizona. Archived from the original on December 1, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  14. ^ "Resolution No. 8517" (PDF). City of Scottsdale Arizona. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  15. ^ Duckett, Beth (October 12, 2010). "Scottsdale city council candidate Bob Littlefield". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  16. ^ Gately, Edward (June 13, 2013). "Littlefield decries Scottsdale's economic-action plan". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  17. ^ Gately, Edward (October 9, 2014). "Scottsdale gives trolley 1 more year to prove its worth". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  18. ^ "Message to Scottsdale councilman: 'No' isn't a platform". The Arizona Republic. June 19, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  19. ^ Duckett, Beth (April 3, 2012). "Littlefield says he won't run for Scottsdale mayor". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  20. ^ "Littlefield isn't a rubber stamp". The Arizona Republic. April 12, 2005. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  21. ^ "Robert Littlefield's biography". VoteSmart.org. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  22. ^ Roberts, Laurie (July 31, 2014). "Tea party and business leaders duking it out in Scottsdale". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  23. ^ Schwarz, Hunter (August 22, 2014). "Tying your Republican primary opponent to Obama is all the rage in Arizona". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  24. ^ "A deeper look into Scottsdale election results and what they mean for residents".