Coverage spread: 2 sources — 2 unrated
Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.
Where they agree
- Borowsky’s vehicle was caught by a speed camera exceeding the limit near Scottsdale and Thomas roads.
- A process server tried three times to deliver the citation to her home and failed each time.
- The citation was ultimately dismissed by the court due to the failed service attempts.
- Scottsdale police said the case was handled following standard procedure, not special treatment.
Where they differ
- 12 News gives the fine amount as $334, while ABC15 reports it as $344.
- ABC15 provides far more detail, including the exact date, time, and speed of the violation (58 mph in a 40 zone on October 14), plus the specific service attempt dates.
- ABC15 includes police’s explanation for why the workplace wasn’t used for service, and an outside attorney’s context on service-of-process law, details 12 News omits entirely.
- ABC15 reports the mayor’s own comments — that she didn’t know about the ticket and declined to say if she’d pay it — while 12 News offers no direct response from Borowsky.
Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky was caught by a speed camera going 58 mph in a 40-mph zone near Scottsdale and Thomas roads on October 14 at 3:06 p.m., resulting in a citation reported as either $334 or $344. The ticket was dismissed in February after a process server made three unsuccessful attempts to serve her at her home, and Borowsky says she had no idea the citation existed until reporters asked her about it.
What exactly happened with the ticket?
According to court records cited by ABC15, Scottsdale police first mailed Borowsky a citation after the October speed-camera photo, but she never responded. Because there was no response, a process server was sent to her listed residence three separate times — between December 30, 2025 and January 21, 2026 — to hand-deliver the citation in person. Each attempt failed; nobody at the home could be reached. With service never completed, the citation and its fine were dismissed in court in February.
Why wasn’t she served at City Hall instead?
ABC15 asked Scottsdale police directly why a process server didn’t simply try to reach the mayor at her workplace, given she’s a public official with a well-known office. Police responded that process servers generally don’t attempt service at a person’s workplace except in “very rare” cases involving repeat offenders, where officers themselves — not outside process servers — handle delivery. Police said Borowsky’s citation was handled the same way any other resident’s would be, following standard Arizona procedure, and confirmed that no “alternative service” methods, such as court-approved mail, certified mail, or posting notice on doors, were used in this case.
Is this kind of dismissal unusual?
David Enevoldsen, a Scottsdale traffic attorney unaffiliated with the case, told ABC15 this outcome isn’t especially rare. He explained that service of process isn’t just a bureaucratic formality — it stems from a constitutional requirement that people receive actual notice before facing a legal citation. He noted that some jurisdictions turn to “alternative service” when a person can’t be reached through normal means, which can include getting a judge’s permission to mail the summons, send it certified, or physically post it on a home’s door or garage. Those steps weren’t taken here, and without them, the case couldn’t proceed.
What has the mayor said?
Borowsky told ABC15 she was unaware of the citation until contacted by the media. When asked whether she intended to pay the fine despite the dismissal, she declined to comment.
Why this is getting attention
The case draws scrutiny mainly because of who’s involved: an elected official whose citation slipped through the same procedural cracks that occasionally let ordinary citizens’ tickets lapse, but with obvious optics given her public role and office address. Police maintain the process was handled by the book and without special treatment. Critics or skeptical residents may see it differently, given that a public figure with a known city office was, according to police, treated no differently than a private resident whose home address simply couldn’t be confirmed by a knock on the door.
What’s still unclear
Neither source clarifies whether Scottsdale police or the mayor’s office made any effort beyond the three home visits to notify her more directly, such as a phone call or email through her official city contacts. It also isn’t clear whether Borowsky will voluntarily pay the fine now that she says she’s aware of it, since she declined to answer that question directly.
Sources
Featured photo: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)