By Steve Segner
Sedona, AZ –The word around City Hall is that the city funding for the uptown visitor center is in jeopardy and the ramifications of the Chamber ending its contract with the City Hall, with no set plans for the future, are now being felt.
Here’s a bit of a history on the topic: The city of Sedona has funded the Visitor Center to the tune of $300,000 to 500,000+ for the last 9 years primarily using funds created by the .5% increase in bed tax in 2014. The .5% tax was created to enhance the marketing efforts of Sedona to attract high-value visitors and at the same time pay for needed visitor services and management like the Visitor Center.
Before 2014, for a decade or more, the city was funding the Visitor Center out of the city’s General tax funds in a partnership with the Chamber of Commerce. Here is the language used in many of the annual budgets of the city to explain the funding issue up to 2014: “The City collects a 3 percent bed tax in addition to the City sales tax. The bed tax supports the General Fund. A portion of the bed tax is used to fund the Chamber Visitor Center.”
Actual funding (from city budgets online) for the Visitor Center from ’05 to ’14 was: $563,515 – 2005, $602,732 – 2008, $837,111 – 2009, $498,113 – 2010, $478,207 – 2011, $274,500 – 2012
The first visitor center opened in 1956 in Uptown to serve as the headquarters of the fledgling tourism economy of the Sedona area.
Before the pandemic, it was common for the city the evaluate the Visitor Center as follows: “Assisted more than 280,000 visitors in-person at the Visitor Center, and 7,500 served via email, and via telephone. Managed 80 local volunteers, and held four training sessions and 12 FAM tours. Volunteers donated 11,076 hours with a value of $273,000”
Why might the city council consider withdrawing funding despite the apparent benefits?
- Sedona is Arizona’s second most visited attraction, with some estimates as high as 3,000,000 visitors annually. Sedona is important to the overall Arizona economy. Only the Grand Canyon attracts more to Arizona.
- In Arizona, 65 other destinations have personal visitor information centers mostly funded by a city, county, chamber, or tourism group.
- What makes Sedona so smart it can be rogue and not support a Visitor Center which is embraced and encouraged by the Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT).
- And this cannot be about being careful about spending city monies. Not now when the .5% bed tax created in 2014 is almost $1.5 Million which more than covers the cost of the center and leaves plenty of money for “marketing” and “management”. And now the city is the DMMO, it has taken over the function and expense of these types of visitor management responsibilities.
- In late 2019/early 2020, there were even discussions about adding another visitor “welcome” center to West Sedona. Before the Ranger Station opened in the village, there was another Visitor Center in the village operated in partnership with the chamber and the Forest Service.
So, what happened? Here are some facts that must be considered:
- Over 138,000 people used the Uptown Information Center last year to ask for help as well as gather information on events and places to visit. Most assuredly these visitors generated sales tax revenue for the city. The visitor center had twice this number of walk-ins before the pandemic. It is expected to gradually return to these levels over time.
- The 138,000+ visitors asking for help out of the millions that drive through and visit Sedona may seem like a small percentage, but the Visitor Center is a must for people visiting the first or second time to the area. And if there were additional Visitor Centers perhaps in West Sedona, even more, would use the services of an official Visitor Center.
- Even in the age of cell phones and social media, many visitors still need personal help, a person to answer questions, and maps and browse through literature for things to do and places to see.
- Have you ever visited Sedona’s mystical landscapes and needed guidance? Sedona, more than any other city in Arizona, should respect the needs of our guests and help guide their travels.
- Haven’t we as travelers ourselves taken advantage of “visitor centers” in other destinations around America and the world?
- If we lose the Uptown Visitor Center, it will not only be a slap in the face to local businesses but will send a message the Sedona city government is not working in the best interest of the local business community and, in particular, the uptown merchants.
- Finally, the public image of Sedona as a caring community that honestly wants our “guests” to have a great visit will have been thrown under the bus by the outward sign that we don’t want or care about the quality of their visit. Like it or not, this visitor center is the physical manifestation of Sedona as a tourist destination. It’s our “Welcome to Sedona” sign!
- In all fairness to the city, a breakdown in communication between the city and the chamber and the chamber’s decision last year not to renew the city contract left the question and operation of the visitor center unsettled. It was undetermined if the chamber had plans to maintain the operation on its own.
- But now, shouldn’t the city and chamber come up with a long-term management plan to operate the Visitor Center since its location, design, function, and purpose if ideal where it is now
Keeping a service that helps visitors and draws customers to Uptown seems reasonable, productive, and supports business.
- If 138,000 people use the Uptown Visitor Center, why is the city considering stopping the funding?
- If 65 other cities throughout Arizona manage visitor centers, why does the city think we don’t need one? These cities/tourist destinations don’t believe travel planning is all done on cell phones or home computers.
- Has the city probed local businesses to determine that they receive real value from having their products, restaurants, hotels, and events presented in the center? Without this valuable feedback, the city could be making the decision in a vacuum.
- Has the city considered who will answer the thousands of emails and phone calls every year placed by individuals seeking help and information about Sedona? This has always been the role of the Visitor Center volunteers and staff.
These are excellent questions businesses and residents should ask their city council representatives. https://www.sedonaaz.gov/your-government/departments/city-clerk/council-commissions-committees-boards/city-council/contact-the-entire-city-council
Editor’s Note : Steve Segner is a Sedona resident and owner of El Portal, a 12-room boutique hotel in Sedona
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20 Comments
An excellent editorial Mr. Segner. Sedona cannot afford to lose the Visitor Center. The City must continue its funding. On my first visit to Sedona before I moved here, I remember visiting the center and I was amazed with all the resources available and the kindness of the staff. I was immediately made to feel at home and I knew then I would one day move here. Let’s not lose such a valuable asset to our town. Thank you again Mr. Segner for caring and fighting to keep Sedona one of the best places in the world to visit or live here.
As an Uptown resident since Jan. 2006, I love being surrounded by so much energy. Watching our visitors come to see the beauty and experience the Sedona I love makes me smile every day. I welcome them. I see them at the visitor center. I see them smile when they play the hanging musical art. I would prefer the City of Sedona financially support the Visitor Center than the laundry list of things the City is currently surveying.
Unfortunately many visitors would never even consider the visitors center. They use Apps like All Trails to determine their destinations and they seek the hidden gems that locals have rightly kept a secret from them for decades. Unfortunately again they end up graffitiing, littering and physically destroying things as they go as a sort of conquest.
Sedona needs to incorporate and advertise rules of respect for visitors and residents alike. This needs to be done with the Forest Service and BLM representatives so that they are congruent of one another. Federal lands require Federal oversight and enforcement but some Orange jackass took most of their funding away so he and his cronies could mine, drill and frack on protected lands in order to line their own pockets. He did allegedly (Seriously doubtful) donate a single Presidential paycheck of $250,000 to the 528 National Parks for them to split in lieu of their regular annual budget funding.
The majority of visitors do come here to see and enjoy the natural beauty of our area. But a good amount of them come here to “shred” “graffiti” and physically destroy it and we are not unique. National Parks and surrounding communities around the world have the same problem and have experienced it since the 70’s. It is only getting worse.
We have volunteers that do routine cleanup of numerous locations that get hit by this destruction over and over again. The fines for being caught are far too low considering the extent of damages being done and repetitive cleanup does not deter the problem. There needs to be expanded trail camera surveillance and fines need to go out. But short of hiring numerous new law enforcement rangers for them the problem will persist.
I personally enjoy the visitors center and some of the unique things they carry such as Peruvian Corn Nuts that don’t break your teeth like the American ones. I also enjoy interacting with visitors from other countries especially those I have spent some time in.
Not sure how to bring this all into balance so the visitors center can continue operating as they have been all these years. If the city doesn’t fund it one of the resorts will open one and give out local information if you are willing to listen to a time share spiel to get it like they do at Lake Tahoe for example. I don’t care to see that happen but it’s definitely not my decision to make.
So you want Sedona to sell its land to the federal Bureau of Land Management now?
BLM owns exactly zero acres anywhere near Sedona.
You know as little about tourists, visitors or residents as you do about land management.
Stay in your box at home and leave Sedona to people who know the basics about living here or visiting, responsibly.
Michael S.-Absolutely zero idea where you came up with that ridiculous conclusion? I said the effort needed to be made in conjunction with the Forest Service and BLM authorities not have the city purchase their land.
You just fear truth so I’d say that puts you in a box not me!
The .5% tax that is used to promote tourism is already being spent. We have a VERY expensive shuttle system that generates zero revenue, which is really unbelievable. Try to get free transport in other tourist cities. Try a free ride on Hop On Hop Off buses.
Then we pay for our labor to control pedestrian traffic at Tlaquepaque, shuttle drop off zones and Back O Beyond road. That’s all tourist expense to make the experience better. That’s also what the .5% is for.
Then the city dropped $849,000 on an unneeded culvert system on Back O Beyond road that did not help the local residents one bit – ZERO. Another tourist expense I guess for the Shuttle bus. The water in that low water crossing in the worse rain never exceeded 12″.
Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat and all the other special apps and services on cell phone drives the tourists. Going back in time telling us how much money USED to be spent prior to the technology revolution is really pointless and out of date.
The .5% is being spent ON the tourists, to enhance their experience. If the city wants to throw a few bucks at a building for volunteers, so be it, but the kind of money that was spent for marketing is now being spent to support the experience, mainly because the city refuses to ask tourists to pay for the experience.
And saying that politicians are lining their pockets with energy production? How ridiculous is that statement as we pay 1.5 times for gas than we did 3 years ago. Another comment from someone called JB who is to afraid to tell us who he really is.
When it comes to being lost in space- you are truly Will Robinson! Contrary to Dump News Channel reporting gas prices are lower than they were 3 years ago when employment was at an ALL Time low and unemployment at ALL Time highs due to his ineptness at leadership. But you conveniently leave that out because you’re a brainwashed MAGA shill.
I’ve told you numerous times, you are definitely not my type so quit asking me for my name cause it ain’t gonna happen little man.
Oh and btw- the facility is for paid working employees of Sedona not volunteers so maybe read things prior to commenting nonsensically about them.
You know as little about the law as you do what federal government agency owns land around Sedona.
“You don’t get to track down people to confront them on their opinions” then don’t post lies online. Your opinions are fair game to be criticized and fact checked for their lies and misrepresentations.
“which is something I strongly recommend you not do for your own sake. Namely because that is stalking and is illegal.”
Posting that you’re lying about the BLM owning land is 100% anyone’s right. It’s also easy to completely debunk as a lie from a damn map https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-in-development/arizona
We’ve never met because if we did I’d call you a liar to your face.
Stay in your box where your lies can’t damage Sedona and hide behind your initials.
Ok then. I never ever said Sedona owns BLM land nor have I insinuated as you’ve stated I did that Sedona should purchase BLM or National Park Lands because they cannot! That land put on Bill Gray road. all the way east to the Honanki dwellings are BLM lands. Call the police or sheriff from any surrounding jurisdiction while you are out there and see who they tell you to call to take care of whatever you call them for.
Sedona is surrounded by both and State owned lands to boot and exactly what I said is the Sedona city government needed to expand its cooperative initiatives that keep those lands clean and in damaged unlike your brain apparently. I can take any bullshit you’ve got in your tiny little head! But apparently your skin is quite thin!
Good lord, this is dumb.
The Bureau of Land Management owns ZERO ACRES near Sedona and ZERO ACRES in the Verde Valley.
NONE, ZERO, ZILCH.
Look at a land use map.
Use the Yavapai County parcel viewer and search “Bureau of Land Management” as the owner. The only BLM lands are near Prescott Bumble Bee and Black Canyon City. This is like arguing with a retarded grandchild.
The land near Cottonwood is owned by the Arizona State Trust. The lands around Palatki / Honanki are US Forest Service.
USFS is a part Department of Agriculture. BLM is Department of the Interior. Not even the same cabinet secretary.
And if you call 911, the responding agency is the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office. Id like to call 911 for you, but the Idiot Police are busy with Congress .
Sedona.biz Editor, either fact check her comments or pull her microphone.
@jackass
All Department of Interior Lands are managed and regulated by BLM and the Forest Service as part of the Department of Agriculture oversight just as Customs and Border Patrol all fall under DHS doing the same mission. But guess you can’t follow a flow chart or something else has your cop hating brain cross wired. The Sheriff only has Search and Rescue jurisdiction on these lands unless a mutual aid response is requested.
Do you understand Michael Schroeder how this works now?
My original point wasn’t who owned or even regulated what lands it was about our City government working in conjunction with those agencies to mitigate the damages which ARE occurring on all of the lands in and around Sedona.
But you’re slow so I’ve made that clear again for you.
Please fact check me and my masculine self ya ASSumtion boy!
Sorry JB, but @JB is right:
“The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation’s 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering 193 million acres (780,000 km2) of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief’s Office, National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, Business Operations, as well as Research and Development. The agency manages about 25% of federal lands and is the sole major national land management agency not part of the U.S. Department of the Interior (which manages the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management).”
“The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than 247.3 million acres (1,001,000 km2) of land, or one-eighth of the United States’s total landmass.”
“The Bureau of Land Management (BLM)and the U.S.Forest Service (USFS) have similar missions. Both agencies are required to manage public lands according to multiple use, sustained yield mandates. However, BLM manages much less forest land and much more rangeland than the US Forest Service. Unlike the US Forest Service, the BLM manages essentially no land in the eastern U.S. This is because BLM managed lands were created from “surplus” public lands that the federal government had not designated as National Forests or given to homesteaders. As a result, BLM land is commonly used by ranchers to support livestock operations in the western U.S. The U.S.Forest Service manages millions of acres of land in both the eastern and western U.S. While in its early years, the primary mission of the U.S.Forest Service was sustainable management of the nation’s timber reserves, it also regulated grazing. In fact, the U.S.Forest Service has been issuing grazing permits on national forests since 1906, nearly 30 years longer than the BLM.
In 1891, Congress passed the Forest Reserve Act, which established the first forest reserves on public lands. These Forest Reserves would eventually become what we call National Forests today. In 1905, Congress transferred the Forest Reserves into the Department of Agriculture, establishing U.S. Forest Service and in 1907, forest reserves were renamed National Forests. In the late 1800s and early 1900s millions of acres of forest and rangeland were designated as National Forests, nearly all in the western United States. Unlike other types of public lands, National Forests lands were generally unavailable for homesteading and conversion into private property. The purpose of the National Forests was to secure sustainable supply of timber for the growing U.S., as well as provide for other uses such as grazing. Mining, livestock grazing, hunting, and timber harvesting, and recreation are all allowed in National Forests. The USFS is mandated by law to allow this full range of uses on National Forests, while also sustaining natural resources for future generations.
The BLM has existed in different forms since 1934, when the Taylor Grazing Act was signed into law. The Taylor Grazing Act created grazing districts to improve the management of ranching on public lands and ended homesteading on western public lands. Initially, these grazing districts were managed by the U.S. Grazing Service. The Grazing Service had the responsibility of improving range conditions, authorizing grazing permits, and collecting grazing fees. In 1946 the BLM was established through the merger of the General Land Office and the Grazing Service.
Today, the BLM manages nearly 250 million acres of public land, mostly in the western US. Mining, livestock grazing, hunting, recreation, and timber harvesting are allowed in BLM Public Lands. The BLM is mandated by law to allow this full range of uses on BLM lands, while also sustaining natural resources for future generations.”
OK Steve. Thank you. I unlike him am adult enough to admit when I am wrong even if that was never the point of my point. Point was the city go working in concert with the Agencies responsible for the lands in and around Sedona not who they are specifically. Thank you.
https://www.gao.gov/managing-federal-lands-and-waters
@JBliar, I am the grandfather of a “retarded” child. It’s not polite to refer to special needs children in that way. I never argue with Little Archie because he lacks the intellectual capacity to argue with anyone about anything, like many of the commenters on Sedona.biz, including its editor. However, he loves to watch Fox News. All day long he just sits there in front of the TV soaking it all in. And when Trump comes up on the screen he jumps up and down grunting with joy. And when they show Biden, he cries and we have to jump up and grab the remote to change the channel before he wets his pants. Further, you insult my grandson by comparing him to your friend, JB. You should try being a bit nicer and stop picking on people dumber than you.
You’re a genieASS like Michael and can’t follow a conversation.
Not sure who your “Arch” is but I am the exact opposite of what you have described. I despise the Orange Insurrectionist Draft Dodger and his MAGA brainwashed followers.
I do not have any love for Biden either but right now he’s the only thing standing in the way of the Orange idiots next DICKtatorship!
Kinda like arguing with someone who thinks the US Military can do whatever it wants without oversight or regulation. Talk about ignorant but what can you expect from someone like you that has never served so far as understanding military law or regulations.
Who owns what in around Sedona was not the point I raised nor the issue. If you Google who is responsible for maintaining all federal lands the Forest Service and BLM are predominantly annotated in the agencies that hold jurisdiction over maintaining them.
So BLM does NOT actually own the land out by Bill Gray but they sure as heck have mutual authority over them. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Department and all AZ Sheriff Departments have sole jurisdiction for search and rescue operations throughout the state. They do NOT have law enforcement jurisdiction over federal lands however they can and usually are requested via Mutual Aid agreements to respond to criminal activity when requested by Federal authorities.
I called Cottonwood PD and the Sheriff regarding some idiots firing an AK-47 on fully automatic directly at Lime Kiln Trail adjacent Dead Horse Ranch. Their written response back to me is to contact BLM law enforcement as they did NOT and do NOT have jurisdiction on those lands.
Give it a try yourself and see what you are told.
Hey Michele,
can the military do whatever it wants too however, wherever and whenever it wants with no regulation?
That’s a test for you genieASS!
You ASSume my name is not just “JB” but it is!
Says the man who used @JB to post nonsense. Stop making a nothin burger out of my username which is no different than dozens of other users on here.
Grow up and post your say and I’ll post my say and that’s how it works. You don’t get to track down people to confront them on their opinions which is something I strongly recommend you not do for your own sake. Namely because that is stalking and is illegal. Nobody made you use your full name in the day and age of cowards shooting people because they have different views than your own.
You can think and say whatever you’d like too to me. Trust me I can take it but you’re going to get it back 100 fold! Or we could both be adults and discontinue the ongoing game between us.
Just a friendly word of advice.
Mike, it is called a transit system, transit system or services, as opposed to profit-generating centers. Just an update on how the economy works, not everything is about capitalism, and making money. The idea we all work together in a socialist economy.. corporations use other peoples’ money to generate profits, municipalities take peoples’ money to generate services. Mike, you chose to live next to one of the biggest draws in Sedona and I agree Sedona shouldn’t be spending any money at the juncture. That is a waste of money.