Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde ValleySedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    • Home
    • Sedona News
    • Business Profiles
    • Opinion
    • Mind & Body
    • Arts
    • Elections
    • Gift Shop
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde ValleySedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    Home » Letter to The Editor: Balancing the Budget
    Letter to The Editor

    Letter to The Editor: Balancing the Budget

    February 9, 2015No Comments
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Reddit WhatsApp
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email Reddit WhatsApp

    logo_lettereditorBy Henry Twombly, Sedona Resident
    (February 9, 2015)

    The most important decision the [Sedona] City Council members will make during their term will be their choice of our next city manager.  I was a bit concerned about some of the wording in the brochure that the Council sent out to prospective candidates.  “It is expected that the new city manager will be strong in economic development and have a high financial acumen including budgeting in a sales-tax driven environment, alternative funding mechanisms and long-term debt issuance.”

    Sedona Gift Shop

    These phrases seem to be indicative of the intent and goals of this Council.  Its members want to develop and diversify the economy.  Instead of doing more studies and hiring a Director of Economic Development, they should be rewriting the city codes to be more friendly to small businesses; many of which have been going out of business over the past few years.  Tourism is and will always be the main cash cow for Sedona.  Due to this reality and the city’s limited space, diversification seems to be a pipe dream unless the Council hopes to make Sedona the next Silicon Valley.  But then the problem is how to tax and collect these taxes for these in-home IT companies.

    “Alternative funding mechanisms” makes me suspicious and seems to allude to potential troubles in balancing the budget.  In fact there is no mention of the new city manager having the ability to balance a budget, wherein expenses and revenues actually are equal.  If he can’t do that without drawing down reserves, eventually there will be a need for “alternative funding mechanisms” such as GO bonds, Special District taxes and possibly a city property tax.
     
    “Long-term debt issuance” seems to imply that the city is going to be in debt for a very long time.  Instead of paying down the debt and taking a hit on a penalty, the Council seems to plan on continually refinancing the bonds and paying an exorbitant amount of interest in the long run.  Again there is no mention of the requirements for balancing the budget without drawing down the reserves.  Instead the Coucil seems resigned to taking the city further into debt.
     
    I was especially astounded to read that the Council was using the current city manager as an advisor in the selection process.  This seems to herald further fiscal irresponsibility, since the last budget (2010-11) to actually be balanced without any financial gimmicks was the last one formulated by the predecessor of the current city manager. During his tenure our current manager has guided the City Council in balancing the budget by drawing down the reserves (shifting monies out of various funds into the General Fund), increasing wastewater rates and other fees along with the sales and bed taxes.  So in terms of a consultant finding a city manager who could actually balance the budget, I don’t think our current city manager is a wise choice.
     
    Moreover there doesn’t seem to be many advocates for a balanced budget and fiscal responsibility on the City Council.  So the future of the City’s fiscal health is not looking good.  Again I exhort those of you who are advocates of fiscal responsibility to please lobby the Council to choose a city manager, who can actually balance the budget.

    Comments are closed.


    The Symbolism of Jan. 6

    By Tommy Acosta
    Don’t mess with symbols. Just ask author Dan Brown’s character Robert Landon. The worth of symbols cannot be measured. Symbols make the world-go-round. Symbols carry the weight of a thousand words and meanings. Symbols represent reality boiled down to the bone. Symbols evoke profound emotions and memories—at a very primal level of our being—often without our making rational or conscious connections. They fuel our imagination. Symbols enable us to access aspects of our existence that cannot be accessed in any other way. Symbols are used in all facets of human endeavor. One can only feel sorry for those who cannot comprehend the government’s response to the breech of the capital on January 6, with many, even pundits, claiming it was only a peaceful occupation. Regardless if one sees January 6 as a full-scale riot/insurrection or simply patriotic Americans demonstrating as is their right, the fact is the individuals involved went against a symbol, and this could not be allowed or go unpunished. Read more→
    Recent Comments
    • Terrie Frankel on 2023 Welcome Home Vietnam Veteran’s Day Tribute in Camp Verde
    • Blair C Mignacco on SB1100 Would Increase the Allowable Weight of OHVs
    • Jon Thompson on SB1100 Would Increase the Allowable Weight of OHVs
    • JB on The Symbolism of Jan. 6
    • Sean Dedalus on The Symbolism of Jan. 6
    Categories
    © 2023 All rights reserved. Sedona.biz.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.