By Tommy Acosta
A case in point: in 2008, Sedona City Councilman Rob Adams defeated Mayor Pud Colquitt by a mere two votes to clinch the mayoral seat.
Imagine that. Two votes. A razor-thin victory.
One can ask, where did those votes come from?
Did they come from pamphlets that were mailed to houses? Or large street signs plastered all over Sedona?
Did those two votes come from ads or editorials in local newspapers? Did those two votes come from people knocking on doors and engaging the public in conversation?
Did those two votes come from an advertorial in a local newspaper? Did those two votes emanate from the candidates speaking on stage, going to meetings, or participating in debates? Could they have been one of these? Or all of these?
Regardless, it was won by two votes. And that is that.
Now we have our council election coming up in July. What will decide the winners?
Will those who have been serving in elected capacity for the past years win the election by leaning on their accomplishments and how well they served Sedona?
Or will it be new people, the fresh faces that have come into town and are challenging the old guard, so to speak?
The old guard will most likely harp upon the fact that the newcomers have absolutely no political experience or have not lived in Sedona long enough.
That they have come from other places and, without working their way through the political ranks, so to speak, through public service, etcetera, that they have no experience, no background in governmental affairs, so therefore how could they become effective leaders?
The newcomers will say, well, look at the wasted money on projects that do not benefit the community. They will say that it’s time for a change, that new people with fresh ideas need to come in and prepare Sedona for a future Sedona—not with ideas of the past, but with vision for what’s coming and the challenges that Sedona will continue to face.
The question arises: who will get their message out best to the public, and how interested is the public in the election itself?
There will be two factions: those who believe Sedona is on the right path and the current elected officials should remain in office, and those who believe the city has been on the wrong path and needs change at the top.
But circling back to the power of one or two votes and how one could win or lose an election means that each of the candidates needs to be out there giving 120% of themselves through their quest for a seat on the council.
They can leave no stone unturned.
They must utilize every single outlet or vehicle to get their word out to the public.
That is why Sedona.biz has offered each-and-every candidate an opportunity to announce their candidacy and platform, to speak about themselves, without charge.
We urge all the candidates to utilize this offer and get their word out to the community.
And lastly, they must have a coherent message that inspires Sedona to come out and vote.
Each of the candidates needs to be commended for taking this action and putting themselves out there to serve their community.
To each of them, we wish you luck.
3 Comments
Do you remember who was the last person to cast their vote in that election in 2008. The discussion at los Abrigados just before the polls closed ?
Most definitely yes. Your’s was the defining vote.
Hi Tommy and Jeremiah. The 2008 mayoral election was the closest in the city of Sedona history! But I hate to burst your bubble because there was a recount done on June 5, 2008 which showed that Rob Adams actually won by four votes over Pud Colquitt, not by two votes.