After five-plus pages of rationale, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Adele Ponce came to her conclusion: “It is ordered dismissing the plaintiffs’ complaint.”

And City of Scottsdale leaders breathed a sigh of relief.

“That’s the ruling I expected,” said Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas, who is also an attorney. “It’s the correct legal interpretation.”

Though an appeal is pending, the Oct. 25 ruling ends five months of tension – with $1 billion-plus on the line.

The Goldwater Institute – a thorny “frequent suer” of Scottsdale – successfully required the city to change its ballot language on a sales tax question put to voters last year.

Backed by the Yes Yes Scottsdale political action committee and other supporters, the “To Protect and Preserve” sales tax sailed to victory in November.

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