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    Home » Letter to the Editor: Increased Sales and Bed Taxes
    Letter to The Editor

    Letter to the Editor: Increased Sales and Bed Taxes

    March 19, 20137 Comments2 Mins Read
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    By Jean K. Jenks, Sedona Resident
    (March 20, 2013)

    Dear Editor.

    logo_lettereditorMost already know the City Council decided to move ahead with increasing sales and bed taxes at last Thursday’s meeting. The Mayor took NO community input or comments. Jennifer Wesselhoff of the Chamber of Commerce provided NO plan. Two options were presented. The Council went overboard and decided on BOTH. Potentially, over $2.3 million per year of taxpayer money is involved.

    Inquiring minds want to know, has the need for destination marketing been trumped up? According to the Nichols Group study–commissioned by the Lodging Council–currently Sedona enjoys a competitive edge, is near the top in room night demand growth, and has a very high repeat visitation rate. The Group has been working in California cities to increase marketing resources and to improve tourism there. So now it is here in Sedona saying Sedona has potential to lose market share to California in the future.

    Our City Council is currently planning on a 1% Bed Tax increase ($516,000/yr) and one-half ($917,000/yr) of a .5% Sales Tax increase ($1,830,000/yr) to go to the greedheads at the Chamber, with the remaining $$$$ retained by the City.

    While the Bed Tax increase of 1% was supported by all seven members of the Council, the Sales Tax percentage was not. DiNunzio wanted NO increase, McIlroy wanted a .25% increase, Martinez wanted a full 1% increase, and the rest a.5% increase. During the Council meeting City Manager Ernster dubbed this heist “The Wesselhoff Tax.”

    In my opinion, gouging the poor, residents on fixed incomes, struggling businesses, etc., so as to line the pockets of the Chamber of Commerce SANS listening to and considering community input is commie stuff.

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    Scott mayor
    samaireformayor
    Jean K. Jenks
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    7 Comments

    1. Bruce Wymore on March 25, 2013 10:56 am

      Looks like shopping at the Cottonwood WalMart and putting visiting guests up in VOC or Cottonwood just became more attractive. Thanks, Jean, for the tip !

    2. Leah Griffin - Sedona Resident on March 25, 2013 12:27 pm

      I concur Ms. Jenks!

      Let’s compare the tax rates in a couple of Southern California hot spots.

      Orange and San Diego sales tax rates are 8%. In Newport Beach the bed tax rate is 8% and in San Diego it is 6%.

      Sedona’s sales tax is an astronomical 10.725% & 10.35% and the bed tax is 13.737%.

      I am disgusted that they raised taxes to increase the Chamber’s budget. The Wesselhoff tax is definitely going to gouge the locals. If you want to attract more travelers raising rates isn’t going to make Sedona more attractive.

      Sadly, the locals don’t really matter to the council. We get to pay more to have our streets congested, our trails beaten up and our waterway’s littered. Tourists don’t really care how they treat the place we live.

    3. STEVE SEGNER on March 25, 2013 1:02 pm

      Letter to the Editor
      In response to Jean K. Jenkins letter

      Jean K. Jenks, Sedona Resident, ONE AGAIN has it wrong. If she ever came to a City Council meeting, a City Budget Committee meeting, a Lodging Council or Chamber meeting, she would get a real understanding of City finances!

      The City is looking at a split in taxes, and in no way was the Chamber ever to receive the majority of the tax income, if any.

      The tax will not be going up! The tax is just covering the amount that is being dropping by the State May 1, 2013. The City has a cash need for future capital improvements, including drainage. The extra income will allow the city to accelerate some projects. That is what a city does; they fix and improve streets, drainage, and sewers services that even retired and “poor” people use.

      As for the poor people in Sedona, are we to stop all improvements in the city for the sake of the “poor ” that she seems to continually reference? I am sure the “poor” do not stay in Sedona hotels, and they do most of their shopping in Cottonwood. And by the way, Cottonwood has a tax on food!

      To quote Jenks, “.5% Sales Tax increase ($1,830,000/yr) to go to the greedheads at the Chamber, with the remaining $$$$ retained by the City.” Once again, she is wrong! The City Council will decide if there will be a replacement tax and how it will be used, not the Chamber, that is how government works.

      Steve Segner
      Hotel Owner Sedona

    4. rjw on March 25, 2013 1:07 pm

      Very Good questions…will they be answered??

    5. Jean on March 26, 2013 5:56 am

      Steve, my last name is not Jenkins. Steve, you were on the now-defunct Economic Steering Committee. I attended three meetings, and spoke twice. Don’t you remember?

      I have attended many, many City Council Meetings over the years. Have been at P & Z and Housing Commission meetings, too. I do not like the Mayor, so I do not attend his Council Meetings.

      Below is a copy of the e-mail I received from Vice Mayor DiNunzio concerning my Letter to the City Council.

      “Jean: I am with you up to your last paragraph. My research of populations shows many more people and a much larger geographic area supporting the other destinations. I believe that the other destinations are supported by ‘county wide taxes’ and not just city wide taxes. In either case, more taxes on residents is off the table as far as I am concerned. And, an increase in bed tax would increase our disadvantage over our local competitors that are outside the city limits.

      Additionally, I would need to see a much more detailed promotion plan governing the promotion expenditures whoever the vendlor is

      Lastly, regarding sales tax revenue generated by locals vs. tourists, the west sedona sales tax figures can be deceiving. They do not disclose the number of tourists that visit west sedona stores. We need to develop more information before we can make a solid judgement.”

      -jean

    6. Jean on March 26, 2013 6:31 am

      P.S. to Steve,

      The City Council currently plans to increase the sales tax by .5% and the Bed Tax by 1%. The amount of funds the Chamber receives will be disbursed by the City of Sedona to the Chamber of Commerce.

      Steve, I will thank you not to misquote me. I wrote “one half” of the .5% sales tax increase, not the entire .5%.

      BTW, the 1% state sales tax that is being dropped was voted in for a finite period by the electorate. This was as a result of the economy being in a terrible recession. The taxes the Lodging Council and the Chamber of Commerce will receive from the City will be forever. City Hall dictators decided this, not the electorate. As the City Attorney informed the Mayor and Council, the City has the option of putting the .5% sales tax increase before the voters of Sedona. Laughter was the answer.

    7. Jean on March 31, 2013 9:45 am

      At the end of its March 26th meeting, the City Council PULLED the matter of the planned increase in bed and sales taxes.

      Apparently, a lot of people forwareded my emailed research to the extent it went viral. This was an extremely important factor in this amazing turn of events.

      I wish to sincerely thank everyone who helped out.

    Paid Political Ad Paid For by Samaire for Mayor
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     THE MOMENT IS UPON US

    Dear Sedona,

    The moment is upon us. The time for a united effort to shift the focus back to our community is now.

    The ability to thrive in our community, our environment, our workforce, and the tourist industry, is entirely possible because we have all the resources needed for success.

    Still, we need a council that isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions, that makes decisions based on data and facts, and through discussion, rather than moving and voting in group unison as they so regularly do.

    This is my home. I have been a part of the Sedona community for 28 years. I witnessed the road debacle, the lack of planning, the city circumventing the local businesses ability to thrive, while making choices to expand the local government and be in direct competition with private industry.

    I am a unique candidate because unlike the incumbents, I don’t believe the government should expand in size, nor in operations, nor would I attempt to micromanage every aspect of our community.

    City government should stay in its lane and allow the competitive market of local private industry to prosper. And it should defend our community from corporate takeover and infiltration of our town.

    I do not agree that we should sign onto International Building Codes and regulations by signing Sedona up to the ICC. It is imperative that we remain a sweet, rural community.

    Where are the arts? Where is this organic thriving element that we allege to be animated by. Where is our culture? Where is our community?

    The discord between the decision making process and the desires of the community have never been more clear. It has been nearly a decade in the making.

    It is time for a new era of energy to take charge. An energy that is reflective in the ability to succeed rather than be trapped in out of date consciousness.

    It has been a great honor meeting with each of you. I hear your concerns over the insane and out of control spending and I echo them. A budget of $105,000,000 in a town of 9700 residents is completely unacceptable. A parking structure (that looks like a shoe box) originally slated to cost 11 million, now projected to cost 18 million, is incomprehensible. Especially, considering there is no intention of charging for parking.

    For those who are concerned that I lack the political experience within our established system- that is precisely what Sedona needs… Not another politician, but instead a person who understands people, who listens to the voices within the community, and who will act in service on their behalf with accountability, for the highest good of Sedona. What I am not, will prove to be an asset as I navigate the entrenched bureaucracy with a fresh perspective. Business as usual, is over.

    Creative solutions require new energy.

    Every decision that is made by our local government, must contemplate Sedona first.

    • Does this decision benefit the residents?
    • Does this decision benefit the local businesses?
    • Does this decision actually help the environment?
    • Will this decision sustain benefit in the future, or will it bring more problems?

    What we have now is a city government that expands to 165 employees for 9700 residents. Palm Desert has 53,000 residents and 119 city employees. Majority of our city department heads are not even in town. I find this problematic.

    Efforts towards championing in and courting new solutions for our medical needs are imperative. We are losing our doctors. We must encourage competition with other facilities rather than be held hostage by NAH, who clearly have their own set of dysfunctions.

    We must remember that so many move to Sedona for its beauty, hiking, and small town charm. Bigger, faster, and more concrete does not, in broad strokes, fit the ethos of Sedona.

    The old world must remain strong here in balance, as that is what visitors want to experience. Too many have noted that Sedona has lost its edge and charm.

    As Mayor I will preserve the rural charm of our community, and push back against the urbanization that is planned for Sedona.

    As mayor I will make it a priority to create opportunities to support our youth.  After school healthy, enriching programs should be created for our kids, and available to the Sedona workforce regardless of residency and regardless of school they belong to.

    As Mayor, I will create an agenda to deliberately embody the consciousness of our collective needs here, allowing private industry to meet the needs of our community rather than bigger government.

    I hope to have your vote on Aug 2nd. I am excited and have the energy to take on this leadership role with new eyes, community perspective, and the thoughtful consciousness that reflects all ages of the human spectrum.

    Thank you deeply for your consideration.

    Sincerely,

    Samaire Armstrong

    Sedona elections
    Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    Ready to Rumble

    By Tommy Acosta
    In the Blue Corner stands Scott Jablow and in the Red Corner of the ring stands Samaire Armstrong, ready to rumble to the bitter end in their fight to become the next Sedona mayor. Jablow weighs in with 1,137 primary election votes (36.13%) under his belt, having wielded his advantage as sitting Sedona City Council vice-mayor to his favor. He brings his years of serving in that capacity into the fray and waged a solid fight in his campaign to make it to the run-off. Armstrong, however withstood a blistering smear campaign from the other opposing candidates and their supporters to make it to the final bout with 967 votes under her belt (30.73%), an amazing feat for a political newcomer. Unfortunately, for the other two candidates, Kurt Gehlbach and sitting mayor Sandy Moriarty, neither put up enough of a fight to make it to the championship bout. Read more→
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